文艺复兴时期英国文学

文艺复兴时期英国文学

1. What is Renaissance? How and why did it come about?

2. What is the development of drama? What were the original forms and content and practice of drama?

3. Why did drama flourish in Elizabethan age? Who are the major playwrights of the time?

4. Who is Marlowe? What contributions did he make to English drama?

5. Who is Shakespeare? What famous and great plays (history, comedy, tragedy)? What features?

6. What did Ben Jonson write about? What representative work?

7. Prepare the excerpt from Hamlet (31-32). What is it mainly about? What humanist idea can you find in the soliloquy?

8. What was the most important translation of the time?

Reference questions on Shakespeare and Hamlet

1. Why is Shakespeare an eternal subject of study? Where lies his greatness?

2. What are the themes of Hamlet?

3. What is the significance of Hamlet as a character?

4. What is blank verse?

5. What is soliloquy?

Text study 1 Hamlet’s soliloquy “To be or not to be”

1. What is the main idea of Hamlet’s soliloquy? Summarize in one or two sentences the main idea of the soliloquy?

2. How does the soliloquy reflect the spirit of the time or the idea of humanism?

3. How do you analyze Hamlet’s argument in terms of structure?

Text study 2 The Merchant of Venice / The Trial Scene

Pre-reading

The most interesting character in this play is Shylock. Some people think him as a cruel miser, deserving his punishment while others consider him a victim of discrimination. From what you know of the play, what do you think of this character? To what extent does this character deserves our sympathy? Discuss with your classmates.

Discussion

1. After reading the “trial scene”, have you changed your idea about Shylock? Refer to the questions in Pre-reading, and try to defend your position with evidence from the text.

2. Portia gives an eloquent speech on mercy when she tries to persuade Shylock to give up his bond. Consider the punishment received by Shylock, do you think the Christians are being merciful to Shylock?

3. In Shakespeare’s day, the playwrights did not give details of stage direction in their play text. In this play, for example, nothing is said about how Shylock leaves the stage. Is he content? Or is he sad? Does he show his anger? If you were the actor playing the role of Shylock, how would you perform his exit?

Questions for Renaissance poetry and prose

1. Who was thought to be the greatest English poet since Chaucer? What is his representative work? What are the features of this poem?

2. What new forms (rhyme—blank verse, stanza--sonnet) of poetry were introduced into England? By whom?

3. Who were the famous sonneteers of the time?

4. How do you tell an Italian (Petrarchan) sonnet from an English (a Shakespearean) one?

5. How many sonnets did Shakespeare write? What are the major subjects?

6. Who were the two major prose writers? What is Utopia? Where do you think More possibly got the idea or was it all his own invention? How do you interpret the title of the book?

7. What contribution did Bacon make to the English system of thinking and learning?

8. What’s the purpose of his Essays?

9. Based on your reading of his work, give your personal impression of/comment on his Essays?

10. The English Renaissance period is known for its translations. What are the most important translations of this age?

Text study 1 Sonnet 18 by Shakespeare

Questions

1. What is the English sonnet form? Study the metrical and rhyme scheme as well as the structure?

2. What’s the main idea? Is it really about love? What is peculiar of this love poem?

3. What figures of speech are used?

Text study 2 “Of Studies” by F. Bacon

Pre-reading

Choose one of the headings below and write down a couple of sentences according to the heading:

1. Learning can be used to ............

2. People’s attitudes towards knowledge differ:

3. Not all books should be read in the same way:

Language and Style

1. Bacon’s aphoristic style is characterized by the frequent use of parallelism.

Find one such example from the text and either translate or paraphrase the selected sentences.

2. Underline some of the metaphors or metaphorical descriptions in the essay.

Select at least two and explain what they illustrate.

Writing

Write a commentary of about 250 words according to the following requirements: a) choose one of the headings in Pre-reading as the opening sentence of your

comment;

b) quote Bacon and explain his idea;

c) comment on Bacon’s idea and express your personal opinion.

Discussion

1. How do you define the style?

2. Study the essay by comparing the English version with the translation of Mr Wang. How do you like the Chinese version?

3. Paraphrase and comment on sentences 1-6, 10-12.