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Samenvatting literatuurgeschiedenis Engels
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Engelse Literatuurgeschiedenis samenvatting
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ENGELSLITERATUURGESCHIEDE
NIS
Samenvatting
,Prologue
The Old English Period: 500 – 1066 AD
- Original inhabitants of British Isles were the Celts (spoke various Celtic languages
- In the year 43, area was invaded by the Romans
- British Isles became part of the Roman Empire
- After about 400 years: Romans started to get weaker and weaker
- By the year 410 Romans had Left Britain.
- Around this time: new people migrates to British Isles (Angels, Saxons and Jutes)
- Celts were forced to move to the west. (Welsh Gaelic (Celtic language) still spoken in Wales)
- Christian religion started to become dominant
- Languages spoken by the new people combined became one language: old English
- 8th century: Vikings came from Scandinavia start of series of violent invasions
- They create their own law Danelaw
- The Anglo-Saxon tribes: brought their own stories and poems.
- Bravery an heroism were important themes: most of the stories were about warriors who
fought for their country and/or their honour.
- Stories were told from generation to generation (oral tradition)
- To easily remember the stories alliteration (begin rhyme, when two or more words in
sentence start with the same letter, usually a consonant.)
- Exception of a storie: Beowulf
The middle English Period: 1066 – 1500 AD
- 1066 King Edward (the confessor) died childless (important year for English history)
- Battle for the throne: Harold Godwinson (important nobleman), king Harald Hardrada of
Norway, William of Normandy (a French duke)
- Godwinson had himself crowned King immediately, but the other two didn’t accept this
- Hardrada of Norway invaded England from the north Battle of Stamford Bridge
- Godwinson won, but army was seriously damaged
- William invaded England from the South Battle of Hastings
- Godwinson had no chance against William, he was killed in the battle (arrow in his eye)
- The battle is depicted on the famous Bayeux Tapestry
- William became the first French-speaking King
- French became the official language for the government and administration
- The ‘common’ people still spoke Old English.
- Old English mixed with French Middle English
- By the start of the Middle English period: the feudal system was adopted.
- Feudal system: landlords owned large parts of land and let people from the lower classes live
on it + protection by knights in exchange for money or services.
- Knights became popular figures in Middle English literature. (bv. King Arthur)
- Chivalry was very important for the knights (you have to be courteous (hoffelijk), brave and
loyal)
- in many mediaval stories, knights wanted to get the approval of a lady. This kind of
admiration is called Courtly Love.
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, Renaissance: 1500-1660
Introduction
- literally ‘rebirth’: return to Greek and Roman arts and culture.
- Around the year 1500 people developed a new fascination for these classic ideal
- This rebirth happened simultaneously with several other developments that fundamentally
changed society. which lead to an entirely different worldview.
In the middle ages:
- people belonged to several groups, groups were important. (collective attitude)
- Part of a family, church or/of a guild (a small organization of people who had the same trade
as you.)
- Individual did not matter very much: society was theocentric (god/geloof staat centraal)
- Everything was gods will. Motto: Memento Mori (remember that you are mortal)
- Make sure you live a good life in order to end up in heaven.
- Most art that was made had clear religious themes, and it was ultimately made by god
- artist published their work anonymously cause it was gods idea and he made him create it
by 1500, the medieval world view was changing
- new interest in Classical art led to an admiration of the famous Greek and Roman artist
- goal: achieve their degree of perfection ideal goal: become a Homo universalis
- Homo Universalis: to develop expertise in many fields and to be good at as many things as
possible.
- Individual attitude: art was now the achievement of the artist
- Religion didn’t disappear, but people experience their religion differently Carpe Diem
- Carpe diem: Seize the day (pluk de dag)
- Anthropocentric world-view was developed: the church was there for the people, not the
other way around, people felt a more personal relationship with god.
- This attitude led to more scientific discoveries (sometimes against religious views)
- From religious superstition to critical investigation
- Galileo galilei: ‘the sun is centre of the universe and not the Earth’
- Infrastructure improved, capitalist system instead of small guilds.
- America was discovered: British people colonized the new land.
- New inspiration in the arts: theatre became a booming industry for all social classes
- However, daily life didn’t change very dramatically, many people still lived in poverty and
public life was very dirty. epidemics, Plague (Black Death)
William Shakespeare (playwright, poet, author)
- Midsummer night’s dream, merchant of venice, Hamlet
- one of the most famous and influential English authors (Most well-know for his plays)
- We divide these plays into three genres: Comedies, tragedies and historical plays
- Shakespeare was also the leader of his own theatre company: The King’s Men
- Many theatres were ‘banned’ to the outer areas of cities because people were afraid of the
plague if large groups of people gathered inside the city, and Christianity disapproved of the
theatre, because it believed they encouraged loose morals and evil.
- Besides plays, Shakespeare also wrote 154 sonnets (=common form of poetry in renaissance)
- Two forms of sonnets: Italian and the English sonnet
- Shakespeare’s sonnets have given rise to much speculation about himself and his private life.
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