1、Chapter Four,The Fifteenth Century(1400-1550),Outline,1. Historical background 2. Popular ballads 3. Sir Thomas Malory 4. Early English plays,Historical Background,1. The Hundred Years War2. The War of the Roses(1455-1485)3. The Discovery of America and the New Sea Routes4. Reformation of the Church
2、,Joan of Arc,The War of the Roses,The discovery of new America and the new sea routes,Columbus,Gama,Cabot,Sebastian,Reformation of the Church,Anglican Church,FOLK LITERATURE,听首歌吧,放松一下心情,民谣三重唱Peter, Paul & Mary,Monday Morning,Early one mornin one mornin in spring To hear the birds whistle the nightin
3、gales sing I met a fair maiden who sweetly did sing Im going to be married next Monday morning. How old are you my fair young maid, Here in this valley this valley so green How old are you my fair young maid, Im goin to be sixteen next Monday mornin. Well sixteen years old, thats too young for to ma
4、rry So take my advice, five years longer to tarry For marriage brings troubles and sorrows begin So put off your wedding for Monday mornin.,You talk like a mad man, a man with no skill Two years Ive been waiting against my own will Now Im determined to have my own way And Im going to be married next
5、 Monday mornin And next Monday mornin the bells they will ring And my true love will buy me a gay gold ring Also hell buy me a new pretty gown To wear at my wedding next Monday mornin Next Monday night when I go to my bed And I turn round to the man that Ive wed Around his middle my two arms I will
6、fling, And I wish to my soul it was Monday mornin.,Popular Ballads,The Origin of Ballads,Definition:A ballad is a folk song or orally transmitted poem telling in a direct and dramatic manner. Some popular stories in ballads usually derive from tragic incidents in local history or legend. The stories
7、 are told simply, impersonally(客观的), and often with vivid dialogue.,The development of ballads,The earliest of the existent English and Scottish popular ballads dated back to the 13th century; they flourished particularly in the 15th century; the later ones belonged to the 16th and even the 17th cen
8、turies; most of them were sung and circulated and then written down in the 15th century, but they were not collected nor published till much later.,The publications of the ballads,The English and Scottish ballads preserved today belong mostly to the 15th century. They were not collected or published
9、 till the second half of the 18th century when Bishop Thomas (1729-1811) introduced them to the world in his Reliques(遗俗) of Ancient English Poetry. Then Professor Francis James Child published a 5-volume collection of English and Scottish Popular Ballads in 1882-89, containing 305 ballads, mostly o
10、f the 15th century. Imitations were also written, especially by the romantic poets of the early 19th century.,The Characteristics of the Popular Ballads,1. A ballad usually tells a story, but most of them begin the story in an abrupt way;,p.50-51,开 门 见山 多数 民 谣 一开头就叙述故事，而对故事的背景、 故事中的人物则极少有交待。如(Sir Pa
11、trick Spens)的第一节: p.57开始 就 点 明所讲故事与海上航行有关，“血红的洒” 既象征国王的残忍，又预示了故事的悲剧结局。,2. There are strong dramatic elements;,戏 剧 性强 民谣 的 戏 剧性主要通过两个方面来表现:一是 通过动作(Action),如“帕特里斯本上爵士”(Sir Patrick Spens)中，当帕特里克士爵士收到国王要他 开船起航的信后，他的反应是: The first line that Sir Patrick read, A loud lauch lauched he; The next line that Si
12、r Patrick read, The tear blinded his ee. 他心 中 的 矛盾通过一笑一哭的动作来表达，非 常形象化,二是广泛用对话(Dialogue)来讲故事。,Lord Randal O where have you been, Lord Randal, my son ? O where have you been, my bonny young man ? Ive been with my sweetheart, mother make my bed soon For Im sick to the heart and I fain would lie down.,A
13、nd what did she give you, Lord Randal, my son ? And what did she give you, my bonny young man ? Eels boiled in brew, mother make my bed soon For Im sick to the heart and I fain would lie down.,Whats become of your bloodhounds, Lord Randal, my son ? Whats become of your bloodhounds, my bonny young ma
14、n ? O they swelled and died, mother make my bed soon For Im sick to the heart and I fain would lie down,O I fear you are poisoned, Lord Randal, my son, O I fear you are poisoned, my bonny young man. O yes, I am poisoned, mother make my bed soon For Im sick to the heart and I fain would lie down.,Wha
15、t will you leave your brother, Lord Randal, my son ? What will you leave your brother, my bonny young man ? My horse and the saddle, mother make my bed soon For Im sick to the heart and I fain would lie down.,What will you leave your sister, Lord Randal, my son ? What will you leave your sister, my
16、bonny young man ? My gold box and rings, mother make my bed soon For Im sick to the heart and I fain would lie down.,What will you leave your true love, Lord Randal, my son ? What will you leave your true love, my bonny young man ? The tow and the halter to hang on yon tree, And let her hang there f
17、or the poisoning of me.,3. The story is often told through action and dialogue;,4. The theme is often tragic;,5. A ballad has its own metrical structure, called ballad meter; 韵律,It is the common form for the ballads. It contains four-line stanzas. The odd numbered lines have four feet each and the e
18、ven numbered lines have three feet each. Rhymes fall on the even numbered lines. And there is often a refrain at the end of each stanza. This serves the purpose of the chorus by the audience.,Foot,A unit of poetic meter consisting of stressed and unstressed syllables in any of various set combinatio
19、ns. 音步：诗歌音步的单位，在一种组合中由重读或不重读的音节形成。,refrain,A phrase, verse, or group of verses repeated at intervals throughout a song or poem, especially at the end of each stanza. 副句，副歌：一个短语、一句诗或一组诗句在一首歌或诗中每隔一段重复一次， 尤其在每个诗节的结尾处,p.55 The Three Ravens,民谣的形式是多样的, 灵活的,而且与题材密切相结合的.但最常见的最有影响的形式就是一节四行,第一二行和第三四行各成一组,韵脚落在
20、第二行和第四行的末尾,第一行和第三行稍长,各有四个重音;第二行和第四行稍短,各有三个重音.,There lived a wife at Ushers well,o 0 o 0 o 0 o 0And a wealthy wife was she;o o 0 o 0 o 0 She had three stout and stalwart sonso 0 o 0 o 0 o 0And sent them oer the sea.o 0 o 0 o 0-The Wife of the Ushers Well,Classification of Popular Ballads,a. the balla
21、ds of Robin Hoodb. border ballads: age-long struggle between Scots and Englishc. the humorous ballads,p.51,Robinhood Ballads,Border Ballads,Samples of balladsThe Three RavensSir Patric SpensLord Randal,Sir Patric Spens,Sir Thomas Malory,Sir Thomas Malory the author of The Death of Arthur It is him who finally compiled together the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. He made great contribution to English Prose.,Early English Plays,The liturgy(9-10th)Mystery plays Miracle plays(14th),Mystery plays,Miracle plays,Chapter Four next time,See you next week,
