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1、,Selected Readings in British Literature,Unit 1,Geoffrey Chaucer,Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) the Canterbury Tales,Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?-1400),II. Geoffrey Chaucer,Literary career The French period (The Book of the Duchess) The Italian period (Troilus and Criseyde) The mature period (The Canterbur
2、y Tales),diplomat, soldier, scholar, Controller of the Customs, Justice of the Peace and Knight of the Shire (Member of Parliament). the father of English poetry born in a middle class family, son of a well-to-do wine merchant.,Life of Chaucer,Canterbury Tales,A rich, tapestry of medieval social lif
3、e combining elements of all classes, from nobles to workers, from priests and nuns to drunkards and thieves. When The Canterbury Tales were written: Christianity was the dominant social force throughout western Europe, including England.,The Feudal System was the way of life in Medieval times and if
4、 you failed to follow it you could be killed for treason. If you worked hard enough and did enough good deeds you could advance in the system but it was uncommon to advance past a knight or noble,Middle Ages: General Timeline,476 C.E. Fall of Rome,1095-1291C.E. Crusades,Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterb
5、ury Tales,History of the Tales,Geoffrey Chaucer began writing the tales around 1387 AD Uncompleted manuscript published 1400AD, the year he died First book of poetry purposely written in the English language Set a precedent and poets from Shakespeare to Dryden and Keats to Eliot owe him a debt of gr
6、atitude,Begun: 1386 Planned: 120 tales Completed: 22 and 2 fragments Remaining: 80 manuscripts Most highly decorated: Ellesmere Manuscript Variety of genres: general prologue is estates satire Pilgrimage as a framing device for tales Conventional springtime opening Ernest and game instruction and en
7、tertainment,Pilgrimage,Very popular to go on pilgrimage Pilgrims often want to Rome or Jerusalem Canterbury Cathedral: shrine to Thomas a Becket Reasons Hope of heavenly reward Penance 苦修；忏悔 Pubs People went in groups for safety,Canterbury Cathedral: pilgrimage destination in the Medieval Times,A pi
8、lgrimage is a religious journey undertaken for penance and grace. As pilgrimages went, Canterbury was not a very difficult destination for an English person to reach. It was, therefore, very popular in fourteenth-century England, as the narrator mentions. Pilgrims traveled to visit the remains of Sa
9、int Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered in 1170 by knights of King Henry II.,Pilgrims Upper class (Knight, Squire, church people) Learned professions (Physician, Man of Law) Landed gentry (Franklin) Medieval manor people (Miller, Reeve 城镇（或地区）长官 ) Mercantile class (Shipman, Mer
10、chant) Guildsmen (Haberdasher男子服饰经销商；杂货商，Dyer, etc.) Laborer (Plowman),Egypt Aswan Mosque 埃及阿斯旺清真寺,Synagogue: a Jewish congregation or the house of worship for that purpose, a Jewish institution for prayer, study, and socializing 犹太会堂;犹太教堂,Chaucer is the first great poet who wrote in the current Eng
11、lish language. His production of so much excellent poetry is an important factor in establishing English as the literary language of the country. And he made the dialect of London the foundation for Modern English speech. Thats why John Drydon called him “the Father of English Poetry.”,Geoffrey Chau
12、cer (1343-1400),Originally, Old English poems are mainly alliterative verses with few variations. Chaucer introduced from France the rhymed stanzas of various types to English poetry to replace it. In The Canterbury Tales, he employed heroic couplet with true ease and charm for the first time in the
13、 history of English literature.,A heroic couplet is a traditional form for English poetry, particularly for epic and narrative poetry. It corresponds to a two line stanza in iambic pentameter. (押韵抑扬五音步) The heroic couplet became the principal metre used in drama about the mid-17th century, and the f
14、orm was perfected by John Dryden and Alexander Pope in 18th century.,Heroic Couplet (英雄双韵体),Iambic pentameter consists of lines with five feet (hence “pentameter“) in which the iamb is the dominant foot (hence “Iambic“). da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM Shall I com-PARE thee TO a SUM mers DAY,The
15、Canterbury Tales,Artistry of Language,Chaucer wrote in English It was becoming more solid and widespread He used verse, which was the norm, but varied it according to his purpose Despite borrowing much of his material, his use of language injects these tales with new life,The prioress,The Wife of Ba
16、th,The Knight,The Oxford Clerk,Chaucer,Chaucer: He is a character in his own novel, and he writes in the first person as an outside observer traveling with the pilgrims on their way to Canterbury.,Prologue,Represent a wide range of 14th century English society 3 Groups Represent: Agricultural feudalism Landownership and service Knights yeoman Franklin Urbanization Change in feudal structure Doctor Guildsmen The Church One of the most powerful elements in medieva
