Part One: Early and Medieval English Literature
What’s epic?
Epic is one of the ancient types of poetry and plays a very important role in early development of literature and civilization. An epic is a long narrative poem of great scale and grandiose style about the heroes who are usually warriors or even demigods. It deals with noble characters and heroic deeds.
Basically, it is a story about hero, more significantly, it reflects national history.
The significance of Beowulf:
It sings of the exciting adventures of a great legendary hero whose physical strength demonstrates his high spiritual qualities, i.e. his resolution to serve his country and kind folk, his true courage, courteous conduct, and his love of honor. In the poem, Beowulf is strong, courageous, selfless, and ready to risk his life in order to rid his people evil monsters.
Geoffrey Chaucer杰佛利•乔叟1340-1400   
长诗：The House of Fame声誉之堂;Troilus and Criseyde特罗勒斯与克丽西德
小说：Canterbury Tales坎特伯雷故事集----英国文学史上现实主义第一部杰作
（他是最早有人文主义思想的作家，现实主义文学的奠基人Father of English poetry & Founder of English realism）(Boccacio 薄伽丘 The Decameron十日谈)
The significance of The Canterbury Tales is as follows:
1.It gives a comprehensive picture of Chaucer’s time.
2.The dramatic structure of the poem has been highly commended by critics.
3.Chaucer’s humour: Humour is a characteristic feature of the English literature.
4.Chaucer’s contribution to the English language.
Heroic couplet英雄双行体
Part Two: The English Renaissance (1550-1642)
Renaissance is commonly applied to the movement or period in western civilization, which marks the transition from the medieval to the modern world. It first started in Florence and Venice.
Humanism
According to them it was against human nature to sacrifice the happiness of this life for an after life. They argued that man should be given full freedom to enrich their intellectual and emotional life.
In religion, the H thinking was a relation against the narrow mindedness of the Catholic Church; they demanded the information of the church.
In art and literature, instead of singing praise to God, they sang in praise of man and of the pursuit of happiness in this life. H shattered the shackles of spiritual bondage of man’s mind by the Roman Catholic Church and opened his eyes to “a brave new world” in front of him.
Edmund Spenser (1552?-1599) The Fearie Queene仙后
Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) They were predecessors to Shakespeare and were later called the University Wits（大学才子派）.
Francis Bacon培根1561-1626  essayist 散文家 (the chief figure in English Prose in the first half of the 17th century and his essays began the long tradition of the English essay in the history of English literature.)  Advancement of Learning学术的进展register的名词;Novum Organum 新工具;New Atlantic新大西岛;Essays论文集（Of Studies论学习;Of Wisdom for a Man’s Self）
Of Studies purpose: This essay is intended to tell people how to be efficient and make their way in public life.
Language Appreciation:
Parallel structure; succinct（简明的） expression; long complex sentences side by side with short simple ones; classical diction（发音）; good and clear logical reasoning, with e
xamples and facts; objective impersonal, persuasive writing without “we”, “I”.
William Shakespeare莎士比亚1564-1616
“He was not of an age, but for all time.”
The Tempest暴风雨  The Two Gentlemen of Veronaz维罗纳二绅士
The Mercy Wives of Windsor温莎的风流妇人  Measure for Measure恶有恶报
The Comedy of Errors错中错  Much Ado about Nothing无事自扰
Love’s Labour’s Lost空爱一场  The Winter’s Tale冬天的故事
The Taming of the Shrew驯悍记    All’s Well That Ends Well如愿
The Merchant of Venice威尼斯商人  As You Like It皆大欢喜
Twelfth Night第十二夜      A Midsummer Night’s Dream仲夏夜之梦
The Life and Death of King John/Richard the Second/Henry the Fifth/Richard the Third约翰王/理查二世/亨利五世/理查三世
The First/Second Part of King Henry the Fourth亨利四世（上、下）;The First/Second/Third Part of King Henry the Sixth亨利六世（上、中、下）;The Life of King Henry the Eighth亨利八世；
Troilus and Cressida脱爱勒斯与克莱西达
The Tragedy of Coriolanus考利欧雷诺斯  Titus Andronicus泰特斯•安庄尼克斯
Romeo and Juliet罗密欧与朱丽叶    Timon of Athens雅典的泰门
The Life and Death of Julius Caesar 朱利阿斯•凯撒 
Hamlet哈姆雷特  King Lear李尔王 Othello奥塞罗 Macbeth麦克白
Antony and Cleopatra安东尼与克利欧佩特拉  Cymbeline辛白林
Pericles波里克利斯 Venus and Adonis维诺斯•阿都尼斯
Lucrece露克利斯    The Sonnets十四行诗
Shakespeare’s achievements:
1. Shakespeare represented the trend of history in giving voice to the desires and aspirations of the people.
2. Shakespeare’s humanism
3. Shakespeare’s characterization
4. Shakespeare’s originality