the canterbury tales赏析全

------------------------------------------作者xxxx------------------------------------------日期xxxxthecanterburytales赏析全【精品文档】【精品文档】【精品文档】【精品文档】【精品文档】【精品文档】TheCanterburytalesGeoffreyChaucerContributionsFatherofEnglishpoetryChaucer,forthefirsttimeinEnglishliterature,presentedtousacomprehensiverealisticpictureoftheEnglishsocietyofhistimeandcreatedawholegalleryofvividcharactersfromallwalksoflifeinhismasterpieceTheCanterburyTales.Chaucerdevelopscharacterizationtoahigherartisticlevel,i.e.characterswhoaremorallyandsociallytypicalbutexquisitelyindividualandrealisticindetail.ChaucerintroducedfromFrancetherhymedstanzasofvarioustypestoEnglishpoetrytoreplacetheOldEnglishalliterativeverse.ChaucerusedforthefirsttimeinEnglishtherhymedcoupletofiambicpentameterwhichistobecalledlaterastheheroiccouplet.ChaucergreatlyincreasedtheprestigeofEnglishasaliterarylanguageandextendedtherangeofitspoeticvocabularyandmeters.HeisconsideredasagreatmasteroftheEnglishlanguage.Chaucer’scontributionstoEnglishlanguageChaucer’slanguage,nowcalledMiddleEnglish,isvividandexact.Hisverseissmooth.HeintroducedfromFrancetherhymedstanzasofvarioustypes,especiallytherhymedcoupletofiambicpentameterwhichwaslatercalledthe“heroiccouplet”toEnglishpoetry.ThoughdrawinginfluencefromFrench,ItalianandLatinmodels,heisthefirstgreatpoetwhowroteintheEnglishlanguage.HisproductionofsomuchexcellentpoetrywasanimportantfactorinestablishingEnglishastheliterarylanguageofthecountry.ThespokenEnglishofthetimeconsistedofseveraldialects,andChaucerdidmuchinmakingthedialectofLondonthestandardforthemodernEnglishspeech.TheCanterburyTales介绍TheCanterburyTalesisabookofstories.Thisisanimportantbook,becauseitisoneofthefirsttobewrittenintheEnglishlanguage.ThebookisaboutagroupoftravelerswhoaregoingfromLondontoCanterbury.Astheytravelalong,eachpersontellsatale(astory).ThisiswhythebookiscalledTheCanterburyTales.TheCanterburyTales,beguninabout1386,consistsofstoriestoldbysomeofthethirtypilgrimswhosetofffromtheTabardInninSouthwark,London,tovisittheshrineofSt.ThomasaBecket,theArchbishopofCanterburymurderedinhisowncathedralin1170.Theaimwastotellfourstorieseach:twoontheway,twoonthewayback.ThetellerofthebeststorywouldbegivenafreedinnerbythecheerfulhostoftheTabard.Infact,thecollectionisincompleteandonly24storiesaretold.Twoofthestoriesarewritteninproseandtheothersarewritteninverse.ItopenswithageneralprologuewherewearetoldofacompanyofpilgrimsthatgatheredatTabardInninSouthwark,asuburbofLondon.TheyareontheirwaytotheshrineofSt.ThomasàBecketatCanterbury.Theysetouttogetherwiththe“jollyinnkeeper,”HarryBaily,whobecomestheir“governor”andproposesthateachpilgrimshouldtelltwotalesonthewaytoCanterburyandtwomoreonthewayback.Thepilgrimsbeing31inallthetotalnumberoftales,accordingtoChaucer’splan,wastoexceedthatofBaccaccio’sDecameron.ThesepilgrimsincludeaKnight,hissontheSquire,theKnight'sYeoman,aPrioress,aSecondNun,aMonk,aFriar,aMerchant,aClerk,aManofLaw,aFranklin,aWeaver,aDyer,aCarpenter,aTapestry-Maker,aHaberdasher,aCook,aShipman,aPhysician,aParson,aMiller,aManciple,aReeve,aSummoner,aPardoner,theWifeofBath,andChaucerhimself.ThemeInfluencedbytheearlyItalianRenaissance,Chauceraffirmedman'srighttopursueearthlyhappinessandopposedasceticism,praisedman'senergy,intellect,andloveoflife.Meanwhile,healsoexposedandsatirizedthesocialevils,esp.thereligiousabuses.StylelivelyandvividMiddle-AgeEnglishsatiricandhumorousheroiccoupletofunequalmeritsCharacterization---vividportrayalofindividualizedcharactersofthesocietyandofallprofessionsandsocialstrataexceptthehighestandthelowestshowsrespectforthetwolandedgentry,theplowmanandtheparson;satirizedallthereligiouspeopleexcepttheparson;showsagrowingsenseofself-importanceofthetradesandtownspeople,reflectingthechangingsocialstatus,esp.intownsandcities.GeneralPrologue:TheGeneralPrologueisthekeytoTheCanterburytalesthatnarratesaboutthegatheringofagroupofpeopleinaninnthatintendtogoonapilgrimagetoCanterbury(England)nextmorning.IntheGeneralPrologue,thenarratorofTheCanterburyTales,whoisoneoftheintendedpilgrims,providesmoreorlessaccuratedepictionsofthemembersofthegroupanddescribeswhyandhowTheCanterburyTalesistold.IfwetrusttheGeneralPrologue,ChaucerdeterminedthateachpilgrimshouldtelltwotalesonthewaytoCanterburyandtwotalesonthewayback.Thehostoftheinnofferstobeandisappointedasjudgeofthetalesastheyaretoldandissupposedtodeterminethebesthencewinningtale.Asmentionedbefore,TheCanterburyTaleswasneverfinished.ThePrologueprovidesaframeworkforthetales.Itcontainsagroupofvividsketchesoftypicalmedievalfigures.AllclassesoftheEnglishfeudalsociety,excepttheroyaltyandthepoorestpeasant,arerepresentedbythesethirtypilgrims.Everyfigureisdrawnwiththeaccuracyofaportrait.ItisnoexaggerationtosaythattheProloguesuppliesaminiatureoftheEnglishsocietyofChaucer’stime.Lookingathisword-pictures,weknowatoncehowpeoplelivedinthatera.ThatiswhyChaucerhasbeencalled“thefounderofEnglishrealism.”SummaryofTheGeneralPrologueOnApril17thtowardtheendofthefourteenthcenturynineandtwentypilgrimsgatherintheTabardInninSouthwark,justacrosstheriverfromLondon,atthebeginningoftheroadtoCanterbury.GeoffreyChaucertalkstoeachoneandjoinstheircompanyforapilgrimagetoCanterburytoseek"theblissfulmartyr,"ThomasàBecket.HarryBailey,thehostoftheTabard,decidestojointhemandactastheirleader;eachpilgrimwilltellfourstories--twoeachonthewaythere,twoeachonthewayback.Thepilgrimwhotellsthebesttale--withthe"bestsentenceandmostsolaas"willhaveadinnerattheothers'costwhenthecompanyreturnstotheTabard.Thepilgrimsagreeandthenextmorningtheysetout,stoppingattheWateringofSt.Thomas,justoutoftown,wheretheyreconfirmtheirdecisionand,atHarry'sdirection,drawstrawstoseewhowilltellthefirsttale.Strangely,thelotfelltotheknightandhetellsthefirststory.IntroductiontothepilgrimsTheknight:perfectandgentlemanwholovedtruth,freedom,chivalryandhonor.Themostsociallyprominentpersononthejourney;thebattleshefoughtwereallreligiouswarsofsomenature.TheSquire:acandidateforknighthood;aloverwhocansinglustysongs,composemelodies,poetryYeoman:dressedingreen;anexpertwoodsman,anexcellentshotwiththebow/arrow.Prioress:MadameEglantine;agentlelady;well-educatedthoughherFrenchwasn'tacceptedParisianFrench.Coyanddelicate;tablemanner;Moreawomanthananun!Withoutvocationbutwiththedogsandjewelrythatsatiricalliteraturealwayscondemnsnunsfor.AssociatesofthePrioress:3priestsandanothernunPilgrim’sImageGalleryFourmainqualitiesoftheKnight.ThefirstistheKnight’sloveofideals—“chivalrie”(prowess),“trouthe”(fidelity),“honour”(reputation),“fredom”(generosity),and“curteisie”(refinement)(GeneralPrologue,45–46).ThesecondistheKnight’simpressivemilitarycareer.TheKnighthasfoughtintheCrusades,warsinwhichEuropeanstraveledbyseatonon-Christianlandsandattemptedtoconvertwholeculturesbytheforceoftheirswords.ThethirdqualitythenarratorremembersabouttheKnightishismeek,gentle,manner.Andthefourthishis“array,”ordress.TheKnightwearsatunicmadeofcoarsecloth,andhiscoatofmailisrust-stained,becausehehasrecentlyreturnedfromanexpedition.SignificanceTheCanterburyTalesisChaucer’sMasterpieceandoneofthemonumentalworksinEnglishliterature.ItisoneofthelandmarksofEnglishliterature,perhapsthegreatestworkproducedinMiddleEnglishgiveusatruetolifepictureofhistime.TheworkstandsasahistoricalandsociologicalintroductiontothelifeandtimesofthelateMiddleAgestakingfromthestandofrisingbourgeoisie,heaffirmsmenandopposesthedogmaofasceticismpreachedbytheChurch.Asaforerunnerofhumanism,hepraisesman’senergy,intellect,quickwitandloveoflife.Histalesexposeandsatirizetheevilsofhistime,attackdegenerationofthenoble,theheartlessofthejudge,thecorruptionoftheChurchandsoon.Livinginatransitionalperiod,Chaucerisnotentirelydevoidofmedievalprejudices.Heisreligioushimself.Thereisnothingrevolutionaryinhiswriting,thoughhelivedinaperiodofpeasantuprisings.Whilepraisingman’srighttoearthlyhappiness,hesometimeslikestocrackaroughjokeandpaintnaturalisticpicturesofsexuallife.Chaucerhashisweakpoints.Buttheseare,however,ofsecondaryimportancecomparedwithhisachievementasagreatpoetandastory-teller.literarytermsheroiccouplet:Iambicpentameterlinesrhymedinpairs.ItiscalledheroicbecauseinEngland,esp.inthe18thcentury,itwasmuchusedforheroic(epic)poems.TheheroiccoupletbecamesoimportantandfixedaformforvariouspurposesthatitsinfluencedominatedEnglishversefordecades,untiltheromanticistsdispelledthetraditionintheirdemandforanewfreedom.Poetics★theheroiccoupletcouplet:twoconsecutivelinesofpoetrythatrhymeaniambicpentameter:apoeticlineconsistingoffiveversefeetwitheachfootaniamb,thatisametricalfootconsistingofonestressedsyllableandoneunstressedsyllable—asindah-DUM,dah-DUMdah-DUMdah-DUMdah-DUM.aniambicpentametercouplet,e.g.Atnighttherecameintothathostelry[i]Somenineandtwentyinacompany[i]iamb:apoeticfootconsistingofanunaccentedsyllablefollowedbyanaccentedone.(e.g:alone;Myheartislikeasingingbird)pentameter:alineofversecontainingfivefeet.Meter:anyregularpatternofrhythmorpatternofstressedandunstressedsyllables.Foot:aunitofmeter.Rhyme:therepetitionofsoundsattheendsofwordsiscalledrhyme.Whenwordsrhymeattheendoflinesofpoetryitiscalledendrhyme.------characteristic of features’ description in the prologue （序言）The unique introduction at the beginning, as long as 860 lines, is a frame of the whole book, clarifying author’s designation and conception. It has a close relationship with every later parts of the book, while we can also view it as a respectively dependent poem. Hereby we will analyze the characteristic of features’ description in the prologue.  The prologue is actually a gallery of all walks of people. Chaucer widely selected his materials from English society of that age. Except the top of royal and the lowest slaves, we can nearly find the representatives of all social classes. Though reading the book, we can have a better understanding and broaden our eyesight of English society in 14th century, as well as enjoy the feast of art.     The prologue is rich in content. There is the knight who has participated in no less than fifteen of the great crusades of his era; the wife of Bath who has been married five times and well practiced in the art of love; the pardoner who is associated with shiftiness and gender ambiguity; just name a few. They belong to different parts of the society, living in different background, thus had different life styles, habits and custom. They charted, joked, quarreled, and compromised; they discussed, praised, criticized, and persuaded. They adopted their particular way to present their life experience, providing a vivid series of narratives which differ in content and style.  There is a general narrator, who is full of curiosity and enthusiasm. He is an anonymous, naïve member of the pilgrimage, who is not described. He suggests to tell stories and then organized them into the book. Each of the tales, however, narrated by different pilgrims, is told from an omniscient third-person point of view, providing the reader with the thoughts as well as actions of the characters. Therefore, there is no surprise to find that The Canterbury Tales incorporates an impressive range of attitudes towards life and literature. The tales are by turns satirical, elevated, pious, earthy, bawdy, and comical. The narrator opens the General Prologue with a description of the return of spring. The April rains, the burgeoning flowers and leaves, and the chirping birds; piercing, engendering, inspiring and pricking, all those are of spring’s renewal and rebirth, conjure up images of conception: Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote The droghte of March hath perced to the roote And bathed every veyne in swich licour Of which vertu engendred is the flour……                               (General Prologue, 1~4) Followed by is a brief introduction to the background of the story. “When the sweet showers of April fall and shoot, /Down through the drought ofMarch to pierce the root, /…It happened in that season that one day /In Southwark, at the Tabard, as I lay/Ready to go on pilgrimage and start/For Canterbury…At night there came into the hostelry/Some nine and twenty in a company/In fellowship, and theywere pilgrims all/That towards Canterburymeant to ride,…” After all the essential elements being presented, then comes the features’ description, the main part in the prologue. The narrator spends considerable time characterizing the group members according to their social positions. The pilgrims represent a diverse cross section of 14th century English society. Medieval social theory divided society into three broad classes, called “estates” : the military, the clergy, and  the laity. In the portraits that we will see in the rest of the General Prologue, the knight and squire represent the military estate. The clergy is represented by the prioress, the monk, the friar, and the parson. The other characters, from the wealthy Franklin to the poor Plowman, are the members of the laity. These lay characters can be further subdivided into landowners (the Franklin), professionals (the Clerk, the Man of Law, the Guildsmen, the Physician, and the shipman), laborers (the Cook, the Plowman), stewards ( the Miller, the Manciple, and the Reeve), and church officers ( the Summoner and Pardoner). The way of division and emotional attitudes in description reflects the society’s universal understanding towards different occupations at that time. It also allows readers to catch a glimpse of the theme, something like the corruption of the church, the importance of company.