|
Unit 4 The Elizabethan Age (1485—1660) l Key Words: Elizabethan Age; Renaissance; Humanism; Thomas More; William Shakespeare; Francis Bacon; Drama; Sonnet; Essay (English Prose) l Target: This unit introduces the literary history of English Tudor Dynasty, which is also called Elizabethan Age. It is an age of Renaissance and the literature is very prosperous. Hence the students are required to know several great figures of this period, like Shakespeare, Bacon, etc, and to appreciate their works. l Study Points: 1. Historical Background; 2. Cultural Background; 3. Thomas More and his Utopia; 4. William Shakespeare and his works; 5. Francis Bacon and his works 6. Appreciation. l Time Span: 3 weeks 1. Historical Background 1. The Tudor Dynasty (都铎王朝) ① After the Wars of the Roses (1455—1485), the feudalism was weakened. Henry VII (1485—1509), taking advantage of this situation, founded the Tudor Dynasty. (1485—1603). ② Break with Roman : During the reign of Henry VIII (1509—1547), he declared the break from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534 and he himself to be the Supreme Head of the Anglican Church. After that, Protestantism had been gaining ground. 2. Queen Elizabeth (1558—1603) ① In 1588, a war with Spain broke out and ended with the rout of the Spanish fleet “Armada” (invincible). It is a victory of England and the triumph of the rising young bourgeoisie over the declining old feudalism. It leads to the colonization abroad and the prosperity of culture. The colonial expansion also helped to accumulate capital for the development of capitalism. the growth of big cities – textile industry– big overseas trade ② Towards the end of the reign of and the ascension of James I, the conflicts between the king and the rising bourgeoisie intensified. 3. Printing and the Enclosure Movement The introduction of printing to England by William Caxton (1476) brought classical works within reach of the common multitude. The broke from the Pope led to the creation of the new aristocracy and enclosure of common land to be used for pasturage (wool for export --> “ship devoured men”) led to the centralization of power. 2. Cultural Background Ø the art of printing from movable type introduced to England by William Caxton.– books cheaper and more plentiful– more opportunities to read and more incentive to learn to read– more and more people could read and by 1530 the estimated number is 30 per cent.Ø The prosperity of the English society was also an important influence upon literature.– the court offered a faint hope of livelihood, notice and encouragement. Some writers are courtiers and the court and the courtiers are sometimes patrons of writers– the City of London also became one of the most important sources of literature. The development of London not only offered literary materials to writers but also provided with the necessary audience and publishers to whom the manuscripts were sold at extremely low prices.RenaissanceRenaissance: rebirth of learning, the name commonly applied to the period of European history following the Middle Ages; it is usually said to have begun in Italy in the late fourteenth century and to have spread to western European countries, notably France, Germany, England, Spain and the Low Countries (Holland and Belgium) through the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.Ø The English Renaissance (from the first half of 16th C) ① Feature: a. revival of classicism; b. humanism—anti-feudalism. ② Group a. translations of Latin works into English; b. books describing discoveries and adventures; c. poetry (Edmund Spenser) d. drama (William Shakespeare) Ø Cultural Significance of Renaissance 1. The shift of interest from God and afterlife to man:– the exaltation of man and an absorption in earthly life.– The infinite capabilities of man and the interest in man became a major concern of the intellectuals– a new appreciation of beauty, to a desire for self-expression in varied activities and to the creation of great works of art. This can be found in Hamlet: Hamlet’s Exaltation of Man “What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving, how express and admirable in action, how like an angel in apprehension, how like a god: the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals.” (Hamlet, II,ii)2. The emphasis on the culture of ancient Greece and Rome.– revived the knowledge of the Greek language,– discovered and disseminated a great number of Greek manuscripts, and added considerably to the number of Roman authors and works familiar to people in the Middle Ages.– the Renaissance scholars are often referred to as humanists.The Renaissance Humanism– a literary and philosophic system of thought– originating in Italy during the Renaissance, it soon spread to other western European countries.– It assumed the dignity and central position of man in the universe;– emphasized the importance of the study of classical imaginative and philosophical literature, such as that of Plato, Aristotle;– insisted on the primacy of reason.Many of them stressed the need for a round development of people’s diverse powers, physical and mental, artistic and moral, as opposed to merely technical or specialized training. The King James Bible (1611) – There had been a long history of the translation of the Christian Bible. It was first read in Latin by the clergy and the learned persons. Then in the 8th century Bede translated bits of it into English, to be followed by the translation of King Alfred and others in the 9th century. Thereafter, John Wycliff, with the help of others, translated the greater part of it into Middle English.– The most noteworthy translation was done by William Tyndale who translated the New Testament into English from the Greek text. Tyndale’s translated was followed by other revisions of it in the same century.– In the 17th century, there was the King James Bible, also known as the 1611 Authorized Version of the Bible. The work was started in 1604 by 47 scholars nominated by James I and presided over by Bishop Lancelot Andrewes. They mainly based their translation on Tyndale’s text and finished the work in 1611.– The King James Bible has been highly praised by critics and had greater influence than any other translations of Bible.– The language employed in it has often been known as the biblical language, simple, direct but retaining the flavour of the far away and the long ago yet never really archaic to be unintelligible. Lots of ancient words were rejected and many short and vivid native English words are used. The vocabulary does not exceed six thousand words. The style is simple, direct but rich.Summary: The James Version of Bible has had tremendous influence on the literary expressions of many great English writers. Its simple, elegant and beautiful phrases have become the part of the basic mental stuffs of generations of English-speaking peole. ① Authorized Version: “to make a good one better; or out of many good ones one principal good one. ② Influence on religion and English language and literature; ③ Style: pure old English, simple and dignified language.
3. The Renaissance English Literature 1. Important Literary figures a. Sir Thomas More (1478—1535) was born in a middle class family. His father was a prominent lawyer, and later a judge. b. He became a lawyer, elected to parliament, acted as the spokesman of London merchants. c. In 1529, he became Lord Chancellor of England under Henry VIII. d. He was a Roman Catholic and in disagreement with the king who was corrupted and selfish. e. In 1532, he had to resign because of his opposition to Henry’s divorce from Queen Catherine (the widow wife of his brother.) f. In 1535, More was beheaded on a false charge of treason. A learned scholar, a master of Latin, a witty talker, a lover of music, an honest statesman, and a man of notable character, modest but steadfast to his convictions, far-sighted thinker. l Utopia is written in the form of conversation between More and Hythloday, a returned voyager. It is divided into two books. Book I: a long discussion on the social conditions of England; Book II: described in detail an ideal communist society, Utopia 9means “no place”.) a. expose the real social condition; b. point out the roots of poverty (private ownership; c. propose some principal which became goals the later generations pursue; ◇ More’s Limitation: a. no revolutionary because of his upper background; b. proposed a system of “bondsman” which retains the features of class exploitation; c. Confined by his own time, he could never find at that time the means by which socialism could be realized. “Wish for”, but not “hope for” Utopia. ② Spenser: The Faerie Queene (Fairy Queen) Edmund Spenser (1552—1599) was the Poet Laureate (1591—1599). He was born in a minor noble family. First educated at the Merchant tailor’s school. Ø 1576 received his M. A. Degree at Cambridge; Ø 1579 wrote The Shepard’s calendar Ø 1580 was made private secretary to Lord Grey; Ø 1594 got married with Elizabeth Boyle In Ireland he wrote his masterpiece The Faerie Queene Ø 1599 his house was burned down; Ø 1599 died for “want of bread” ◇ Works and Influence The Faerie Queene is written in a special verse form that consists of 8 iambic pentameter lines followed by a ninth line of six iambic feet, this is called “Spenser Stanza” The Shepard’s calendar marked the budding of the renaissance flower. He is the first person to use the Early Modern English to write poems. His influence can be traced in the works of Milton, Shelly and Kates. ØØØØØMore about Edmund Spenser ③ Francis Bacon (1561—1626) ◇ Life Francis Bacon the founder of English materialist philosophy, was born in the family of Sir Nicholas bacon, keeper of Privy seal to Queen Elizabeth. Ø At 12, he went to Cambridge and at 16 graduated and took up law; Ø At 23, he became a member of the House of commons; Ø 1618, he became the Lord Chancellor and was made a peer; Ø 1621, a charge of bribery, he was convicted. Banished from London; Ø 1626, died in “aged disgrace” ◇ Works and Influence Bacon was the founder of modern Science in England. Ø Advancement of Learning (1605) Ø New Instrument (1620) Ø Inductive Method of Reasoning Ø Bacon is also famous for his Essays. He is the first English essayist. ◇ Two Selected Readings: Of Truth; Of Studies ◇ Some comments on him: Paradoxes. Drama in the English Renaissance I. Four Types of Drama 1. the miracle play It is based on Biblical stories formed in church for religious purposes. Because it contains comic elements, the priest forbade plays inside the church. Then the players got into the marketplace. 2. the Morality Play Allegorical: tell a moral lesson 3. Interlude A kind of short play performed between the intervals of two serious/solemn scene in order to amuse the audience. 4. Classical Drama
II. The Theater in the Elizabethan Time University wits (Lily, Peele, Marlowe, Greene, Lodge and Nash) 1587—1593 2. the theater Structure (circular) and formation parts (stage, groundlings, gallery, castles, etc.) The theaters serve as the function in promoting humanism. 3. the audience The audience covered almost all classes of Londoner. 4. Christopher Marlowe and Faustus 1) Life ◇ Christopher Marlowe (1564—1593) Ø In 1578, entered the King’s School., learned Latin; Ø In 1580, left for Cambridge, studied 6 years there and got his B. A. and M. A. degrees; Ø In 1587, wrote his play Tamburlaine; Since he was an atheist, he was charged of “blasphemy” and “atheism”. Ø In 1593, was killed in an inn. It is said that he was the victim of a deliberately planned political murder. 2) Works Ø Tamburlaine He is the Mongol conqueror, greedy of power sovereignty. Ø The Jew of Malta greedy of wealth Ø The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus He was thirst for knowledge. He made a contract with devil. The doctor must sell his soul to the Devil so he may live twenty-four years in all voluptuousness. Doctor Faustus gives a display of his magic art and plays tricks on people of higher ranks and makes them realize their true nature. 3) Social Significance ① show the spirit of the rising bourgeoisie; ② the praise of individuality; ③ over-emphasis on individuality brings harm and ruin to the world and themselves 9Limitation) 4) Literary Achievement—Blank verse: rhymeless iambic pentameter – to become, through Marlowe’s employment, the great measure of English poetic drama, to be used by Shakespeare, and by other verse dramatists to the present day– also in non-dramatic verse (Milton chose it for Paradise Lost, Keats for Hyperion, Tennyson for the Idylls of the Kings)His work paved the way for the plays of the greatest English dramatist—William 5. William Shakespeare (April 23, 1564—April 23, 1616) Shakespeare is one of the greatest, if not the greatest English writer He was regarded as the “master dramatist and word-wielder (戏剧大师，词藻权威).” “He was not of an age, but for all time.—By Ben Johnson. (他不属于一个时代，而是属于千秋万代。)” 1) Life and Career (P62-66) William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon, which was in the central England. Shakespeare is regarded that he was born in the place where now the Museum stands, which is close to the grammar school. He is thought he must have attended it. According to the record of his baptism, he is supposed that he was born on April 23, 1564. There was no documentary proof. He was buried in Stratford Church instead of the Westminster Church. His wife was Ann Hathaway, who was eight years older. Not long after the marriage, he went to London to seek his fortune. He apparently gave no thought of future fame. He even never took precaution to put his place into permanent poem. He never wrote about himself except in sonnet. We do know he was popular with the audiences of his day. Thus he won goodly fortune. He was a man of versatility. He was a power over words and had a wide and deep understanding of human nature. No writer has equaled him. Shakespeare wrote 5 long narrative or descriptive poems, 154 sonnets and 37 (?39) plays (including historic, romantic comedies and tragedies) within 25 years. 2) Dramatic Career—4 periods ① 1590—1594 (apprenticeship period: optimism, marked with youthful dreams and exuberant spirit) He wrote five history plays and four comedies such as The comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew. ② 1595—1600 (highly individualized) He wrote five histories; six comedies: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, and The Merry Wives of Windsir; and two tragedies: Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. ③ 1601—1607(8?) (darkness, gloom) Tragedies: The 4 greatest tragedies are Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. The two comedies are All’s Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure. ④ 1607(8?)—1612 (reconciliation) Tragic comedies (romantic tragicomedies) or Romances: Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest; and his two final plays: Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen. Shakespeare’s history plays are mainly written under the principle that national unity under a mighty and just sovereign is a necessity. In his romantic comedies, Shakespeare takes an optimistic attitude toward love and youth, and the romantic elements are brought into full play. His greatest tragedies have some characteristics in common. Each portrays some noble hero, who faces the injustice of human life and is caught in a difficult situation and whose fate is closely connected with the fate of the whole nation. Each hero has his weakness of nature. With the concentration on the tragic hero, Shakespeare dramatizes the whole world around the hero. Along with the portrayal of the weakness or bias of the hero, we see the sharp conflicts between the individuals and the evil force in the society, which shows that Shakespeare is a great realist in the true sense. 3) Works ① A. The Great Comedies Ø A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Ø The Merchant of Venice; Ø As You Like It; Ø Twelfth Night. B. The Historical Plays Shakespeare’s histories include ten historical plays, nine of which dramatize successively, two centuries of English history from Richard II (1377-99) to Henry VIII (1509—47). Through his stories, Shakespeare expressed his ideal of seeking an ideal king. Henry V (Prince Hal) is the symbol of Shakespeare’s ideal kingship. Henry IV The image of Henry V and the image of John Falstaff. (P82-92) Ø Othello; Ø King Lear; Ø Macbeth; Ø Hamlet. ◇ The Cause for all tragedies: ① Tragic flaw Hamlet: hesitation Othello: jealousy King Lear: irresponsibility Macbeth: ambition ② Elements of Fate Note: Romeo and Juliet is Not considered as a tragedy, because it combines a tragic situation with comedy and gaiety. Though the two lovers die in the end the play has nothing of pessimism in it. Their death is considered to be the victory over feudal force. The difference between Chinese tragedy and Western tragedy: Chinese tragedy can make the audience or readers shed tears, but western tragedy can make audience or readers feel awe to divinity and fate. Some people said that comedy is about fools and tragedy is about hero. ③ Romances (tragic-comedies) reconciliation Romances begin with tragedy and end with comedy, including magic power or super-natural power. The Tempest In this play, through Prospero’s speech at the end of the feast, Shakespeare says farewell to his life of dramatic writing. 2 narrative Poems: Venus and Adonis The Rape of Lucrece 154 sonnets (a handsome young man; dark lady) Critics have disputed for years over whether these 154 sonnets reflected Shakespeare’s own emotional expressions, or merely the expression of an imaginative situation. Among the sonnets, 126 ones are to the man-friend; the rest are to the dark lady who disdained his love. Both of them have been identified by scholars in Elizabeth court, but never with certainty. Summary: 1) realism; humanism ( ① woman in his plays are portrayed higher than men; ② Falstaff [Falstaff , Sir John 约翰福斯泰夫〔莎士比亚戏剧中一个肥胖、机智、乐观、爱吹牛的武士〕]); nationalism (his desire to find a ideal king) 2) adoption and adaptation 3) master of drama; 4) skilled in many poetic forms 9sonnet, blank verse) 5) master of language ØØØØØMore about William Shakespeare 6. Ben Johnson A comedy dramatist; comedies of humour. His shortcoming: portrayal of characters is one-sided, flat and lacking development. 7. Appreciation of Shakespeare’s Works An Excerpt from Hamlet ACT III SCENE I Hamlet. To be, or not to be; that is the question: …… Comprehension and appreciation: This is the most famous and popular soliloquy in Shakespeare’s plays. It shows the tense inner strife in the mind of Hamlet. It reveals not only Hamlet’s thoughts about life and death, but also his point of view of the situation of his country and of the world. First, he was pondering on the two choices--- to endure the sufferings in the world or to die peacefully. It seems death is a better choice because it can put an end to all sorrows and misfortunes. But on second thought, he was wondering about what would happened after death, because death is a mysterious kingdom, which might be more terrible than this world. So, Hamlet was tired of life, but he was also full of fear of the unknown afterlife. His hesitation shows the common feelings of human beings who were suffering in this world. What is meaningful is that the soliloquy is also a strong accusation against the darkness of the reality of the society. Hamlet, full of anger and resentment, pointed out the evils and corruption in the country. The world was full of “slings and sorrows”, life was nothing but “a sea of troubles”: people were bound to suffer from “thousand natural shocks”, so they were groaning and toiling. What is more impressive is the long question in the middle: “For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, / The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, / The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, / The insolence of office, and the spurns / That patient merit of the unworthy takes, / When he himself might his quietus make / With a bare bodkin?” Here, Hamlet’s condemnation was aimed at different aspects of the country, especially at the ruling class, the rich, the governmental institutions. What Hamlet said is what Shakespeare thought of. Shakespeare’s humanist ideas find full expression in this soliloquy. Shakespeare is a master of language. In this short soliloquy he shows his skillful use of different figures of speech: Metaphor: “slings and arrows”, “whips and scorns”, which show the suffering of the people; “undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveler returns”, which refers to the kingdom of death and the dead; “native hue” and “pale cast”, which shows a contrast between the determination and hesitation; “pitch”, which shows the degree of courage. Parallel Structure: “the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay,…” This is very powerful and impressive. Rhetoric Question: “For who would bear the whips…When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin ? who would these fardels bear…Than fly to others that we know not of ?”These questions sound very emotional and add much to the force of expression. Comprehensive Questions: 1. What does this soliloquy show about Hamlet’s mind? 2. What is the meaning of “to be or not to be”? 3. Which is nobler of the two kinds of attitudes towards life? 4. What does “heartache” mean in the context? 5. Why was death “a consummation devoutly to be wished”? 6. Why didn’t Hamlet commit suicide? 7. What figures of speech does Shakespeare mainly use in this soliloquy? 8. What is the significance of this soliloquy? Reference Answers: 1. It shows the inner strife of Hamlet. He is pondering on life and death. 2. It means to live on in this world or do die; to suffer or to take action. 3. The active attitude is nobler: to take up arms and fight. 4. Hear “heartache” means emotional sorrow, especially in love. 5. Because life is full of suffering and death is a relief. 6. Hamlet was tired of life, but he was more afraid of afterlife—an unknown world. 7. Shakespeare mainly uses metaphor, parallelism and rhetoric question. 8. This soliloquy shows Hamlet’s consideration about the social reality ,especially his accusation against the corruption and injustice of the ruling class and the state institutions, which shows Shakespeare’s humanism and realism. Appreciation: Sonnet 18 Reference Books: 1. Baugh, Albert C., Thomas Cable: A History of the English Language, London: Routledge, 1993 2. Freeborn, Dennis: From Old English to Standard English, London: Macrmillan Publishers Ltd, United Kingdom, 1998 3. Liu Bingshan: A Short History of English Literature, Zhenzhou: Henan People’s Publishing House,2000 4. Wu Weiren: History and Anthology of English Literature, Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 1998 5. 李正栓，李翠葶：《英国文学学习指南》，北京：清华大学出版社，2002 6. 万 莉，陈范霞：《英美文学选读》，北京：光明日报社，2001 Further Reading: <<<<<<<For more detailed information—Please Click
||
Learning Zone |