ENGLISH IV
Mr. Torres
SEMESTER I REVIEW
ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD (449-1066)
British literature = England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland
-Britain’s history, culture, and literature were shaped by a series of invaders
-First people to conquer the native Celts in Britain were the Romans led by Julius Caesar
-Romans thought the Celts to be crude and primitive
-Germanic tribes (Jutes, Angles, and Saxons) invaded Britain in 449
-Two central institutions of Anglo-Saxon civilization were
*courts of nobles
*the monasteries and cathedrals of the Roman Church
-English literature began as oral, not written, literature, with songs and poems celebrating heroes
-Anglo-Saxon ideals = valor, honor, and loyalty to one’s lord
-Believed human destiny ruled by fate (wyrd)
-Believed achieved immortality through fame (scops singing of heroic deeds)
-Mead-hall
-Monks first to write down poems (wrote in Latin)
-Old English contributes about 25% of the vocabulary we now use, including many of our modern English
connectives, pronouns, prepositions, and common nouns and verbs.
Beowulf -
composed about 700
Unknown scop
Old English (orally)
Epic poem
Alliterative verse
Caesura
Kenning
Setting = Denmark/Sweden
Pervading tone = elegiac tone (one of fatal doom)
Theme = Strength, wisdom, and courage of a heroic leader can overcome evil.
Conflict between Christian ethics and pagan values throughout
Main Characters and Places:
Beowulf
Wiglaf
Hrothgar
Unferth
Edgetho
Higlac
Herot
Welthow
MEDIEVAL PERIOD (1066-1485)
-Begins with the Norman Conquest (1066)
-William the Conqueror becomes king
-Introduced feudalism where land (the real wealth) was divided among noble overlords or barons. Lesser
lords, called knights, pledged their wealth and services to the overlords. The overlords, in turn, provided
use of the land. It was the social, economic, political system of the time.
-Magna Carta (1215)
*When King John signed this contract, he agreed to no taxes without consent
-Chivalry
*Code or ideal all knights must try to attain:
To be honorable, courteous, generous, brave, skillful in battle, respectful to women, and
helpful to the weak
-Crusades – military expeditions undertaken to recapture the city of Jerusalem from the Moslems
-Black Death (1349)
-Printing Press (1476)
William Caxton brought to England
-Drama developed as public entertainment (oftentimes religious)
*mystery or miracle plays
*these were followed by morality plays (actors played roles of virtues and vices)
Geoffrey Chaucer – Middle English (English of London in the 1300s)
The Canterbury Tales
- Foreshadowing – hints or clues of what is to come
- Heroic couplet
- Irony
Verbal- saying one thing but meaning the opposite
Situational- the outcome is unexpected
Dramatic – audience knows; characters(actors) do not
- Characterization
Direct
Indirect
- Review Characters:
Knight
Wife of Bath
Parson
Friar
Miller
Nun (Prioress)
Harry Bailley
Monk
Pardoner
Plowman
- Which of Chaucer’s characters are most dedicated to religious ideas? (Charitee/Cupiditee)
- Satire
- Genres:
exemplum
beast fable
mock-heroic epic
fabliau
- Tales:
“The Pardoner’s Tale”
“The Nun’s Priest’s Tale”
“The Miller’s Tale”
romance
Breton Lais
“The Wife of Bath’s Tale
“The Knight’s Tale”
Prologue
ELIZABETHAN AGE (1485-1625)(RENAISSANCE)
Early Modern English
Renaissance = rebirth (cultural movement)
Began in Italy 14th through 16th centuries
Renewed interest in classical learning (writings of ancient Greece and Rome)
Renewal of human spirit (heightened curiosity and creativity)
Humanism
Intellectual movement
Pondered questions:
What is a human?
What is a good life?
How do I lead a good life?
Movement harmonized Bible and classics
Protestant Reformation – protest against powerful Catholic Church (began in the 1530s)
Henry VIII broke away from Roman Catholic Church
Made himself head of Church of England (Anglican Church)
Henry VIII was considered a renaissance man.
He created the Royal Navy.
1588 – England’s Royal Navy defeated Spanish Armada
Turning point in history
Assured England’s independence from powerful Catholic countries
Age named after Queen Elizabeth I
one of most brilliant and successful monarchs in history
restored law and order
reestablished Church of England
golden age
feudalism collapsed
new economy took shape (based on ownership of land, banking, and commerce)
1603 – Elizabeth died
King James VI of Scotland became James I of England (praised for his healing touch in Macbeth)
Island of Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) ruled by one monarch
“The political climate in England began to change after Elizabeth’s death. The end of the English
Renaissance is usually marked by the return of the exiled king [Charles II] in 1660. By this time, more
political and secular values were beginning to challenge the accepted doctrines of religion” (Elements of
Literature: Sixth Course).
William Shakespeare – great writer of this time
Writings dealt with universal truths
Introduced two new forms (1) lyric poem in sonnet form and (2) poetic drama
Poets and playwrights of this time saw their writing as primary work in life and expected financial reward
Three institutions at this time supported writing profession:
(1) acting companies
(2) universities
(3) noble court
lyric poetry (as opposed to epic poetry)
blank verse – unrhymed iambic pentameter (10 syllables)
Plot structure
Dramatic conventions
Comic Relief –
Tragedy -
The Tragedy of Hamlet
Setting: Denmark
Characters and Places:
Hamlet
Claudius
Polonius
Laertes
Rosencrantz
Horatio
Marcellus
Francisco
Ghost (King Hamlet)
Gertrude
Ophelia
Horatio
Guildenstern
Reynaldo
Bernardo
Osric
-Socratic Seminar
-MLA Format
-Question techniques (Factual, Convergent, Divergent, Evaluative, & Combination)
-Writing skills
In Addition:
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Quizzes
Packets/handouts
Notes from class
Background info. Powerpoint notes
Final Jeopardy Review (see me for URL)