《英国文学史》课程作品选读（PPT讲稿，英文版）Chapter 3 The Age of Chaucer（1350-1400）

Chapter III The Age of Chaucer Ft 1350-1400 2021/223

2021/2/23 1 Chapter Ⅲ The Age of Chaucer 1350-1400

1. Historical background s(1)The Hundred Years War: The result of the war was an awakening of national consciousness in England. And the French language was gradually replaced by English native tongue (2)The peasant uprising of 1381: It was the/. result of the conflict between the peasants and feudal lords .(3) 1360-1400 The summit of Middle English i4 Iterature 2021/223 2

2021/2/23 2 1. Historical background: ❖ (1) The Hundred Years War: The result of the war was an awakening of national consciousness in England. And the French language was gradually replaced by English native tongue. ❖ (2) The peasant uprising of 1381: It was the result of the conflict between the peasants and feudal lords. ❖ (3) 1360-1400 The summit of Middle English literature:

2. The two contemporaries of Chaucer s John Wycliff The Father of English prose??. He translated the Bible into middle english William Langland The vision of Piers plowman. An allegory: 3 2021/223

2021/2/23 3 2. The two contemporaries of Chaucer: ❖ John Wycliff: The “Father of English prose”. He translated the Bible into Middle English. ❖ William Langland: The Vision of Piers Plowman. An allegory

3. Geoffrey Chaucer (ca 1343-1400) 令Life Born urban middle class: In the service of the ruling class; The diplomatic mission that sent Chaucer to Italy in 1372 was a milestone in his literary development. He had direct contact with the Italian Renaissance. Perhaps he acquired manuscripts of works by Dante, Patriarch, and Boccaccio 2021/223 4

2021/2/23 4 3. Geoffrey Chaucer (ca. 1343-1400) ❖ Life: Born urban middle class； In the service of the ruling class； The diplomatic mission that sent Chaucer to Italy in 1372 was a milestone in his literary development. He had direct contact with the Italian Renaissance. Perhaps he acquired manuscripts of works by Dante, Patriarch, and Boccaccio

4. The Canterbury Tales. *(1)The Canterbury Tales is one of the t landmarks of English literature, perhaps /the greatest work produced in Middle English *s The structure of The Canterbury Tales is indebted to boccaccio's Decameron 2021/223

2021/2/23 5 4. The Canterbury Tales: ❖ (1) The Canterbury Tales is one of the landmarks of English literature, perhaps the greatest work produced in Middle English; ❖ The structure of The Canterbury Tales is indebted to Boccaccio's Decameron;

(2) The significance of The Canterbury Tales ssa. It gives a comprehensive picture of Chaucer/'s time ss b. The dramatic structure of the poem is highly. commended &s c. Chaucer's gentle satire and mild irony made him a pioneering english humorist writer d. Chaucer wrote in the London dialect of his day/1 i In so doing Chaucer greatly increased the prestige of the English language 2021/223 6

2021/2/23 6 (2) The significance of The Canterbury Tales: ❖ a. It gives a comprehensive picture of Chaucer’s time; ❖ b. The dramatic structure of the poem is highly commended; ❖ c. Chaucer’s gentle satire and mild irony made him a pioneering English humorist writer; ❖ d. Chaucer wrote in the London dialect of his day. In so doing Chaucer greatly increased the prestige of the English language

5.“ The General Prologue” s Summery , As April comes, the narrator begins a pilgrimage to Canterbury from the Tabard Inn at Southwerk Twenty-nine people make the pilgrimage toward Canterbury and the narrator describes them in turn The Host, a bold and merry man, suggests thaton their way to Canterbury each pilgrim tell two tales and on the way back two more. They draw lots toia decide who will tell the first tale 2021/223

2021/2/23 7 5. “The General Prologue” ❖ Summery: ❖ As April comes, the narrator begins a pilgrimage to Canterbury from the Tabard Inn at Southwerk. Twenty-nine people make the pilgrimage toward Canterbury and the narrator describes them in turn. The Host, a bold and merry man, suggests that on their way to Canterbury each pilgrim tell two tales, and on the way back two more. They draw lots to decide who will tell the first tale

In The General Prologue, Chaucer sets up the general/ structure of the les and introduces each of the characters who will tell the tales. The characters who tell each of the tales are as important as the characters in the tales that they tell: a significant portion of the action of The Canterbury Tales takes place within the prologue to each of the tales, The General Prologue in essence serves as a guide Chaucer only lived to write 24 tales. Some of the stories that remain are only fragments which have either been los or were never completed by the author 2021/223 8

2021/2/23 8 ❖ In The General Prologue, Chaucer sets up the general structure of the tales and introduces each of the characters who will tell the tales. The characters who tell each of the tales are as important as the characters in the tales that they tell; a significant portion of the action of The Canterbury Tales takes place within the prologue to each of the tales. The General Prologue in essence serves as a guide. Chaucer only lived to write 24 tales. Some of the stories that remain are only fragments which have either been lost or were never completed by the author

6. Character Analysis o Chaucers pilgrim narrators represent a wide spectrum of ranks and occupations. The great variety of tales is matched by the diversity of their tellers, tales are assigned to appropriate narrators and juxtaposed to bring out contrasts in genre style, tone, and values. These pilgrims exist almiost entirely in terms of their profession. Chaucer gives: a only a few of them character names 2021/223

2021/2/23 9 6. Character Analysis: ❖ Chaucer’s pilgrim narrators represent a wide spectrum of ranks and occupations. The great variety of tales is matched by the diversity of their tellers; tales are assigned to appropriate narrators and juxtaposed to bring out contrasts in genre, style, tone, and values. These pilgrims exist almost entirely in terms of their profession. Chaucer gives only a few of them character names

The pilgrim narrators represent al i wide spectrum of ranks and occupations--diversity ☆ The prioress ☆ The Wife of bath 2021/223

2021/2/23 10 ❖The pilgrim narrators represent a wide spectrum of ranks and occupations—diversity ❖The Prioress ❖The Wife of Bath