文档介绍：Topic II. The Age of Chaucer
I. Social Background---a transitional period.
2. the awakening of national consciousness in England.
II. John Wycliff(1324?-1384)
Two Contributions ---the father of English Prose.
translated the Bible into standard English ( to reform the church )
III. William Langland (1330?-1400?)
1. The Vision of Piers Plowman---alliterative poem. Two parts of it.
2. allegory---a story or description in which the characters and events symbolize some deeper underlying meaning, and serve to spread moral teaching. It has a double meaning. (surface and underlying meaning)
3. theme---
To praise the fairness and honesty. Different people has their own duty.
To criticize the luxury and rottenness.
To support the equality and the honest work.
4. Major Characters
Lady Meed---the bribery
Seven Sins.
IV. Geoffrey Chaucer (-1400)
1. life story---patron. “Poet’s Corner” in Westminster Abbey.
2. literary Career--- three periods
(1). 1360-1372, he wrote under the influence of French literature. “The Book of Duchess”.
(2). 1372-1386. he wrote under the influence of Italian literature. “Troilus and Criseyde”---sing for the love and the individual happiness; oppose the feudal formality and asceticism of the day.
The beginning of the humanism.
(3).1387-1400. his own creative period.
“The Canterbury Tales”---the plete realistic poem of the medieval period.
A. the contents---858 lines of the “Prologue”and 24 tales.
B. the theme--- he presented to us prehensive realistic picture of the English society of his time and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life in it.
C. the main characters
The Wife of Bath; the Pardoner; the Nun’s Priest;
D. significance of it-it gives prehensive picture of his time;
The dramatic structure of the poem has been mended by critics;
His humour (gentle satire and mild irony.).