CENTURY 1ST b.C.5TH a.C.

DATES/KINGS ROMANS APPROX 54 B.C. 450 A.C

5th 11th

11th

450-1066 KING ALFRED THE GREAT (871-899) CANUTE, EDWARD THE CONFESSOR 1066- 1087 WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR 1100-1135 HENRY I

HISTORICAL HINTS Celts were the first inhabitants of British Isles. When Romans invaded the isles they were pushed north- and westward. Romans left the Islands during the 5th century to consolidate their empire in the continued, threatened by barbarian invasions. The Angles, Saxons and Jutes invaded England. 597: The pope Gregory sent St. Augustine in Kent as a missionary in order to bring Christianity in that country.

CULTURAL & LITERARY CONTEXT 0LD ENGLISH LITERATURE BEDE: An Ecclesiastical History of the English people Beowulf is the greatest of Germanic epics. It contains much evidently pre-Christian material. The Anglo Saxon Chronicle, an extremely important prose work began under the reign of King Alfred, and continued for about 260 years after his death. In this chronicle the English tell their history. This king was concerned about education. There is a re-birth of intellectual activity. English language seems to have fallen in disuse. Educated people used to write in Latin or in Anglo Norman. Production in Latin is rather rich. In any case uneducated people continued to compose - if not to write - in English. The cultural centre is now Paris.

William defeated the English in the battle of Hastings. He and his sons were not much interested in the country they won. He improved the administration of justice, and granted the Barons a Charter which was the beginning of their liberties. He was called beau clerc as he was a learned man. First of Plqntagenet kings. During his reign peace and order were restored. He conquered Ireland. Barons and independent princes were drawn under the Crown. He Joined the 3rd Crusade, therefore his brother came to the throne He was a bad king, the barons disliked him. As a result of his bad government he was forced to sign the MAGNA CHARTA LIBERTATUM in 1215. Eward is the first national king, with purely national aims. He was forced to abdicate as under his reign the Scots invaded England (Battle of Bannockburn, 1314) During the first part of his reign the country became prosperous and powerful. During his reign the 100 years war began. This is an intermittent war against France, for

12th

12TH 12TH 13TH 13th 13th 14th 14th

1154-1189 HENRY II 1189-1199 RICHARD I LIONHEART 1199-1216 JOHN LACKLAND 1216-1272 HENRY III 1272-1307 EDWARD I 1307-1327 EDWARD II 1327-1377 EDWARD III

SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT. The author is unknown. The theme is that of king Arthur. Fight between civilization and barbarism. GEOFFREY CHAUCER 1343ca-1400 POET He was very close to the court of Edward III. He travelled a lot, and was often sent abroad for diplomatic missions.

the most part caused by political rivalry, as England had vast possessions in France and wanted to maintain control over them.

The experience abroad left a profound trace in his literary production so far influenced by French tradition (roman de la rose). Early poems: The boke of the Ducchess, Troylus and Criseides, The Canterbury Tales 1386-1400 written in heroic couplets, not completed. Novels told by some pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. With Chaucer English poetry so far of minor importance in European contest reaches an higher level. He practically created the English verse, and succeeded in portraying the human comedy with vividness, vitality, but far from introducing any metaphysical hint. His dimension is reality. He gives us a portrayal of medieval life.

14th 15th 15th

1377-1399 RICHARD II 1399-1413 HENRY IV 1413-1422 HENRY V 1422-1461 HENRY VI

15th

He became a tyrant, therefore the English forced him to abdicate. 100 years war Able and wise ruler. He placed England in a prosperous condition. 100 years war 100 years war: He invaded North of France Battle of Agincourt. He brought glory to England. when he died his son was too young to rule, therefore the throne was held by an uncle. Continuation of war against France, which was a mistake. In 1429 English forces were defeated. The English loose all their possession in France except for Calais. War of the two roses (30 ys: 1450-1500): internal struggle between the house of York (white rose) and the house of Lancaster (red rose) for the possession of the throne of England.

SIR THOMAS MALORY 1405-1471 La Morte Darthur, printed by Caxton in 1485 (1st English printed literary work). Subject of the poem is the Arthurian saga. The structure of medieval romance is adjusting itself to real life and settings, getting rid of mystical hints.

15th 15TH 15th 15th

EDWARD IV EDWARD V .. 1485 1486-1500

He was very young when he was sent to the Tower of London where he was murdered by order of his uncle, Richard III. Last of York Kings. He died in 1485 during the battle of Bosworth, killed by Henry VII. End of the war of the 2 roses. Henry was a Lancastrian

EVERYMAN; the author is unknown. Main theme is the

HENRY VII

and married a princess of York, putting to an end the war.

TUDOR 16th 1500-. HENRY VIII

Tudor dynasty gave England power and independence, though they ruled as absolute kings: Henry VII, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I. Reformation: Henry VIII proclaimed himself chief of English church.

16TH

reaction of a Christian believer in front of death. The main character, Everyman, represents the whole humanity. When summoned by death he calls for help his friends Beauty, Knowledge, Five Senses, etc.) but none of them wants to follow him, but for Good Deeds. Psychological characterization is very accurate, though it is mainly allegorical. HUMANISM Emphasis on the dignity and potential of the individual and the worth of life in this world. SIR THOMAS MORE 1478-1535, WRITER He studied at Oxford, friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam. Famous lawyer. He was made Lord chancellor by Henry VIII, who held him in great consideration. When he denied his approval to Henry VIIIs decision of being made Supreme head of the church of England, he was imprisoned and beheaded. Utopia, 1516, written in Latin is the most important expression of English Humanism. There is the description of political and social structure of a democratic country. If the sovereign is becoming a tyrant he can be deposed. Furthermore religious tolerance is admitted in this ideal democracy. Death penalty, war, private property are the worst issues: they have to be avoided. Denunciation of corruption and vice, work are the duties of the citizens.

16th 16TH

.. 1553 EDWARD VI 1553-1559 MARY TUDOR 1559-1603 ELIZABETH I

Mary was a Catholic and tried to restore Catholicism in England. She permitted horrible persecutions (bloody Mary) She was appreciated by the English.Her fault was the persecution of catholics. During her reign she permitted the execution of Mary Stuart accused of having plotted against her. 1588: defeat of Spain. SIR PHILIP SIDNEY, 1554-1586, POET Arcadia, pastoral novel witha political background Astrophel and Stella, a collection of sonnets inspired by his love for Penelope Devereaux (Petrarcas influence) A Defence of Poetry: here Sidney underlines the important function of poetry (teaching, delighting and moving the reader). EDMUND SPENSER, 1552-1500, POET He was a great poet, he even improved Chaucers poetic verse. Very poor family. He had a sound knowledge of ancient and modern literature.

The Faerie Queene, chivalry allegory. Dedicated to queen Elizabeth I. Here we have moral teaching together with the celebration of courtly virtues. The Shepherds Calendar, 12 eclogues are titled for the months of the year. Each eclogue becomes a didactic or satirical comment on contemporary affaires. CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE, 1564-1593, POET & PLAYWRIGHT The most representative of the University Wits (Lyly, Greene, etc.) who were much interested in words, form and conceits. Master in blank verse. Atheist, he admired Machiavelli. He died very young in a tavern during a quarrel. His major works are: Tamburlaine the Great, The Tragical History of Life and death of Doctor Faustus, The Jew of Malta. With a vigorous, rich and sometimes hyperbolic language he represents these individuals (Tamburlaine, Faustus, Barabba) isolated from the context of real and social life. These characters are passionate, titanic. Tamburlaine is tortured by the strong desire of dominion, cruel. Faustus, longs for knowledge, science, beauty; Barabba is seeking revenge. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 1564-1616 He wrote sonnets as it was a fashion at that time, then he principally wrote plays. Juvenile phase: the genres in which S. tests himself are various: historical plays, tragedies, comedies. Even in this early production s. succeeds in creating great metaphors. He can put together the tragic, the pathetic, the comic, the bitter. Furthermore in phase S. is already showing his ability in portraying the negative hero, as Richard III. (Titus Andronicus, Richard III, Comedy of Errors, The Taming of he Shrew, Henry IV, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Nights Dream) History plays: S. writes about English history: Richard II, King John, Henry V. In these plays S. portrays great men, with high ideals. Negative features have the same right to be portrayed in these plays, as noble sentiments. Italian influence can be underlined in Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, The Twelfth Night, Alls Well that Ends Well: disguises, plots. Here S. represents also

1603-1625 JAMES I OF ENGLAND

James VI of Scotland, son of Mary Stuart. He ascended the throne as James I of England, thus uniting the reigns of England and Scotland. Very unpopular

17th

17th

1625-1649 CHARLES II

He was arrogant towards Parliament and became very unpopular. In 1642 civil war broke out. The parliamentary forces won, and the king was deposed. Oliver Cromwell

romantic feelings. The Merchant of Venice and Measure for Measure are apart: in these plays S. portrays the evil, the bad feeling one has in perceiving the violence in the human relations. Tragedies: the historical scene is changed. The reign of James has brought insecurity and fear for the future. Comedy is no longer brilliant, but a sarcastic portrayal of human vice. In tragedies heroes loneliness is led to the highest point. In Julius Caesar and Anthony and Cleopatra there is a coral dimension. The great lonely heroes are represented in Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Machbeth. The heroes live personal, private tragedies. Last period: the Tempest. In his last phase S. shows maturity. There are no great contrast, no great passions, but serenity, sweetness. Contradictions have been solved. JOHN DONNE 1572-1631, POET He converted to Anglicanism, he became deacon of St Paul. His poetry was published posthumous. His poetry has been defined Metaphysical Poetry. He created highly concentrated images, conceits elaborating them from tradition. BEN JONSON 1572-1637, PLAYWRIGHT & POET He was forced to abandon school by his stepfather, and began working as bricklayer, the as soldier and as actor. He did very many different things in the literary world: actor, playwright, poet, poet laureate, scholar, critic, translator, man of letters, and head of a literary school, sons of Ben .In 1599 he published his first play, Everyman in His Humour, a satirical comedy with eccentric characters. Then he wrote masques (elaborate semitheatrical displays involving spectacle, allegory and compliments to the queen or the king) for the court, (in 1616 he was appointed Poet Laureate) until he fell in disgrace. His most famous comedy is Volpone, a satire against avarice. He succeeded in making the fact of professional authorship somehow respectable. JOHN MILTON, 1608-1674, POET He had a sound knowledge of Italian contemporary tradition (Petrarca, Dante, Bembo, Tasso). He travelled a

took his place as Lord Protector.

lot in Europe (France, Italy, Switzerland). He wrote a lot in Latin and in Italian. LAllegro, Il Penseroso are his first poems, which have been a great influence on the later Romantic poets thanks to the theme of melancholy and to the evocative way language is used. Major poems, published much later are Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, and Samson Agonistes. The classical influence is evident, but M. has always tried to conjugate the perfection of Pagan forms with Christian thoughts.

17th

1649-1658 OLIVER CROMWELL 1660-1685 CHARLES II

Establishment of Commonwealth. It proved to be a failure therefore the Stuarts decided to bring Charles back from the continent. Restoration period, the monarchy was restored. London suffered of pestilence and desease.

17th

1660-1700: literature is considered gayness and frivolity. JOHN DRYDEN 1631-1700, POET & PLAYWRIGHT He wrote for the court, becoming the official playwright of the Kings Company. He was appointed, as Milton, Poet Laureate. His most successful plays are The Conquest of Granada, Marriage a la Page. His poetry is important for its rhythm, its satire, its use of language. JONATHAN SWIFT, 1667-1745, WRITER He was born in Ireland, where he grew without his family like an orphan. He decided on the church as a career and so took orders. He spent the major part of his life in London, where he attended political, religious and literary life. He had an astonishing gift as a satirist. He was also a misanthrope, he attacked everyone, but he always defended the Irish against the abuses of English administration. Gullivers Travels: condemnation of human genre. JOSEPH ADDISON & RICHARD STEELE Addison was the founder of English literary journalism. He worked with Steel in the Tatler, and the founded his own journal, the Spectator. Addison represents the new illuminist and puritan middle class, of which he interprets the morality, the search for the equilibrium, the rejection of any excess. DANIEL DEFOE, 1660-1731, WRITER He travelled a lot in Europe, but in 1700 he settled in London, deciding on being a journalist as a career.

17th

1685JAMES II

He was a Catholic. He tried to restore Catholicism with the consequence of an internal revolution. 1688: glorious revolution. The king was forced to flee from England.

MARY AND WILLIAM OF ORANGE 17th

They were offered the throne. They were called from Holland. (Mary was James IIs daughter). Constitutional monarchy. The liberty of the citizens was safeguarded and protected.

18th 18th 18th 18th

1702-1714 ANNE 1714-1727 GEORGE I 1727-1760 GEORGE II 1760-1820 GEORGE III

Last of the Stuarts. He came from Hanover. He knew no English and took very little interest in his adopted country. Establishment of British Empire in India and conquest of Canada. 60 years reign. During his reign: independence of USA in 1783 Victory over Napoleon

Toward the end of his life he abandoned the political scene, which he actively attended, to concentrate on writing. Robinson Crusoe had a great success. The secret lies in the simplicity with which the hero is represented, and in the fact that the readers recognize themselves in the hero of the novel. In his novels Defoe gives us his wide experience much more than his knowledge. ALEXANDER POPE, 1688-1744, POET As a Catholic he was forced to study privately. Friend of Jonathan Swift. Essay on Criticism, 1711: here Pope codified those poetical rules in which he himself showed to be a master: see The Rape of The Lock. Poetry and satire mixed together to represent an ephemeral world. THE ROMANTIC PERIOD 1798-1827

WILLIAM BLAKE 1757-1827, POET He began his career as a painter, he had a shop. His major works are Songs of Innocence and songs of Experience. Importance of imagination. ROBERT BURNS 1759-1796, POET Scottish Poet. He wrote also in the Scottish dialect. Feeling of nature: in this feature he anticipates the Romantic poets. WILLIAM WORDSWORTH, 1770-1850, POET He is one of the most representative of English poets. Lyrical Ballads, 1797-1798 written together Coleridge, but published in an anonymous way. It is the manifesto of English Romanticism. Poet laureate in 1843. SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE,1772-1834, POET Romantic poet, very close to Wordsworth. He wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan. GEORGE GORDON, LORD BYRON, 1788-1824, POET Childe Harolds Pilgrimage and Don Juan represent 2 different phases oh hid literary production: the former is permeated with romanticism, the latter reminds to Italian tradition of burlesque poems. His life has been difficult

and full of contradictions, which are reflected in his works. He goes from pure lyric to arrogant cynicism. PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY, 1792-1822, POET Queen Mab, a philosophical poem is his first literary work, published by himself. He had a strange and extravagant life. He travelled a lot, and died in the sea. He knew Byron, and admired him. Together they wrote the revolt of Islam. His best poem is Prometheus Unbound. Posthumous are Ode to the West Wind, A Defence of Poetry. JOHN KEATS, 1795-1821, POET His literary production is a perfect example of Romanticism. Endymion, The Eve of St. Agnes, To A Nightingale, On a Grecian Urn. 19th GEORGE IV 1820-1830 WILLIAM IV 1830-1837 Improvement of trade Catholic emancipation Reforms: 1832: reform bill. It gave governmental control to the newly powerful middle class and improved parliamentary representation 1833: Abolition of slavery in British colonies prohibition of the employment of small children in factories She became queen at 18. democracy reached its highest point. 1851 first international exhibition 1854-56 Crimean war against Russia 1857 suppression of a revolt in Bengal: queen Victoria becomes empress of India 1896 conquest of Sudan 1899 Boer war (1902: Victory of England) The peacemaker, for his successful relations with his neighbouring countries. Social and political reforms: 1906 working man compensation act 19111 National Insurance act 1st world war. 1928: right to vote extended to women Growth of Labour party

19th

1837-1901 VICTORIA 19th

19

th

1901-1910 EDWARD VII 1910-1936 GEORGE V

19th

THE VICTORIAN AGE 1837-1901 ELIZABETH BARRET BROWNING ALFRED TENNYSON ROBERT BROWNING EMILY BRONTE GERALD MANLEY HOPKINS CHARLES DICKENS GEORGE ELIOT OSCAR WILDE RUDYARD KIPLING THOMAS HARDY JOSEPH CONRAD WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS E.M. FORSTER VIRGINIA WOOLF JAMES JOYCE D.H. LAWRENCE

T.S. ELIOT GEORGE ORWELL SAMUEL BECKETT W.H. AUDEN 19th 1936 EDWARD VIII 1936-1952 GEORGE VI He abdicated for personal reasons 2nd world war DORIS LESSING PHILIP LARKIN TOM GUNN HAROLD PINTER TOM STOPPARD

19th 1952ELIZABETH II Still reigning

19th