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Summary English Literature Part 1
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English literature part 1
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C. 500-1066 The Old Englisch PeriodGermanic tribes first appeared on the British shores without any resistance. Britain had been a
province of the Roman Empire for 400 years, and the original inhabitants of Britain, the Celts,
needed the Roman armies for protection. However, when these were withdrawn in 410 by the
Germanic invaders Angles, Saxons and Jutes the Celts were driven westwards.
The Germanic invaders are the founders of the English nation. Anglo-Saxon England had a period of
peace and prosperity, where the country was converted to Christinaity, and its monasteries became
centres of culture and learning. Then In 793, the monastery of Lindisfarne was destroyed by pirates,
monks were killed, and treasures were stolen. This attack was the beginning of a new wave of
foreign invasions. Vikings raided coastal areas, robbed people, buildings, but eventually they came to
stay.
The Danelaw, the area controlled by the Vikings grew larger and by the end of the 9 th century,
England was in great danger of becoming Scandinavian territory. This was prevented by the Anglo-
Saxon king Alfred the Great, who gained a victory over the Danish army in 871. Danish influence
increased and England had several Danish kings in the 11 th century.
Chapter 1: Monsters and Heroes
The Germanic tribes brought their own poems and tales to England from their homes. These stories
were passed out by word of mouth or sung from generation to generation.
Beowulf (important poem in this period)
Swedish prince Beowulf, who visits the court of the Danish king Hrothgar, is determined to seek new
fame by killing Grendel. Grendel is a monster whose been ravaging the Danish Kingdom for 12 years.
No knight was able to kill Grendel and Beowulf wanted to change that. One night when Grendel
breaks into the palace, Beowulf takes the beast on single-handed and tears of his arm, whereas the
monster flees. Grendel’s mother takes revenge, seizes one of the king’s nobles and Beowulf follows
her to her cave. Another fight takes place, Beowulf gets in serious trouble, but an ancient sword on
the wall saves him. He cuts off the monster's head and, on his return, Beowulf is seen as a hero.
The story is told in a dignified and impressive way, with many noble speeches and fine descriptions,
which is typical of Germanic poetry. There is no rhyme, fixed rhythmical patterns. Germanic poems
usually had war, death and glory topics.
1066-1500 The Middle English Period
In 1042 Danish rule over England came to an end, Edward became the new king of England. He left
the throne vacant but promised both Harold Godwinson and Duke William of Normandy to be king.
When Harold was crowned, William decided to take action, which resulted in the battle of Hastings,
where Harold was killed, and William became the first king in a new era in British history.
William set out to organize society along the lines of the feudal system of his country; Normandy.
Prominent positions in the kingdom were now held by Normans. French became the language used
in the higher society, whereas English was spoken by the common people. By the 14 th century
English had re-established itself as the one national language.
, The reborn of the language resulted in new poetic forms, but the French culture is reflected in the
whole character of Middle English literature. Poems were more refined, elegant and women got a
prominent place in the works of the Middle English period. The most popular genres were the
ballads, the romantics, tales of love and adventure, King Arthur stories and the Knights of the round
table.
Chapter 2: Chaucer’s Portrait of Gallery
Geoffrey Chaucer --> most important poet of the Middle English period (1340-1400)
- courtier who was sent on diplomatic missions abroad
- held minor government posts
- The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales
Story about 29 pilgrims who have come together in London Inn, where they are preparing a
pilgrimage to the grave of Archbishop Thomas Becket. The pilgrims agreed to hold a storytelling
contest, and the winner will be treated to a free dinner. The innkeeper is to accompany them and
act as judge. Chaucer came up with the idea that each pilgrim would tell 4 stories, but he never
finished his work. Some tales are incomplete, but even these have great variety, sharp observations
and humour. Chaucer always uses a little irony.
Chapter 3: The ballad in English Literature
Literature implies as something that has been written down, yet literature in history is also seen as
something to be heard because a great majority of the people couldn’t read nor write.
Ballads: simple, narrative poem originally meant to be sung. Each stanza represents a picture,
leaving the reader to connect the various scenes and fill in the details. Ballads were not written as a
work of art, and originality was not considered very important. The language is simple, and lines or
phrases are often repeated.
Common topics in ballads
- tragic love stories
- famous battles fought in former days
- Robin Hood
- meetings with fairies or demons
Many romantic poets wrote ballads on their own, which are called art-ballads to distinguish them
from the traditional type.
Sir Patrick Spence (historical events of the 13th century)
Scottish sailors and nobleman travelled to Norway to celebrate the wedding of Margaret, daughter
of King Alexander III of Scotland, and King Eric of Norway. A conflict arose about the amount of gold
the Scots had brought, they felt offended by the Norwegians and decided to leave in bad weather.
The sailors and nobleman were shipwrecked. Sir Patrick Spence exists in various versions
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