文档介绍：英国文学复习要点(教材刘炳善《英国文学简史》) Part One: Early and Medieval 1. Beowulf : national epic of the English people; Denmark story; alliteration, metaphors and understatements. *2. Romance ( 名词解释) (1).The basic material of medieval romance is knightly activity and adventure; we might best define medieval romance asa story of adventure--fictitious, frequently marvelous or supernatural--in verse or prose. (2).A position describing the life and adventures ofa noble hero. The central character was the knight, a man of noble birth skilled in the use of weapons who was very devoted to the king or to the church. (3).One who wanted to bea knight should serve patiently until he was admitted to the knighthood with solemn ceremony and the swearing of oaths. The Nature of the Romance: (4). The Nature of the Romance: 1) Themes: Loyalty to the king and the lord, which was the corner-stone of feudal morality. 2) The audience was of noble people from the court or the castle. 3) The Romance had nothing to do with mon people. 4) The Romance were written for the noble, of the noble and in most cases by the poets patronized by the noble. *3. Piers the Plowman. Over 7000 lines, written by William Langland. *4. Ballad 民谣(名词解释) short narrative poem with stanzas of two or four lines and usually a refrain. The story, folklore popular legends. straightforward verse, s with graphic simplicity and force. suitable for singing generally written in ballad meter , with the last words of the second and fourth lines rhyming. subjects of Ballad: (1) the struggle of young lovers who are fight against the feudalism (2) the conflict between love and wealth (3) the cruelty of jealousy (4) the criticism of the civil war (5) the matters of class struggles. 5. Character of Robin Hood Hood--- A legendary English hero of many ballads, who robbed the rich to give to the poor; a popular model of courage, generosity and justice. 2. strong, brave, clever, tender-hearted, affectionate. Hatred to the cruel oppr