Cultural life in Great Britain q British literature

Artistic and cultural life in Britain is rather rich. It passed several main stages in its development. The Saxon King Alfred encouraged the arts and culture. The main debt owed to him by English literature is for his translations of and commentaries on Latin works. Art, culture and literature flowered during the Elizabethan age, during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Early medieval or Anglo-Saxon period- 450 -1066 In 1066 England was conquered by the Normans headed by William the Conqueror. Genre: poem

Beowulf The most important work of this period is the poem Beowulf is the longest epic poem written in old English language. The poem contains over 3, 000 lines, and is divided into 3 parts. Beowulf is a classic tale of the triumph of good over evil. It describes the exploits of a hero named Beowulf , he battles with a monster, his mother and a dragon. Nobody knows the exact time of creation and the author of this poem. Maybe it has been transmitted orally for many generations and changed over time.

The Middle Ages— 1066 -1500 Genre: q folk tales q romance q ballad

Geoffrey of Monmouth (1100 – c. 1155) was a Welsh cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur. Sir Thomas Malory (c. 1405 – March 14, 1471) was the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur, the first definitive text in English prose relating the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Malory's position in the history of Arthurian literature is a unique one; he did not invent many of the tales that he retells in his masterwork, rather, he borrowed extensively from previous writers who

Renaissance- 1550 – 1660 The genres: qsonnets, qlyrical works, qplays

Sir Thomas More (1478 -1535) Thomas More was born 1478, in Milk Street in London. Thomas More followed in the footsteps of his father , Sir John More , and trained to be a lawyer at Oxford University. Although he decided against becoming a monk, he remained deeply religious throughout his life. In 1504 he became a member of Parliament and shortly married Jane Colt, with whom he had four children. Thomas More is known for his 1516 book Utopia and for his untimely death in 1535, after refusing to acknowledge King Henry VIII as head of the Church of England. He was canonized by the Catholic Church as a saint in 1935.

Utopia Thomas More wrote Utopia in 1516, which was the predecessor of the utopian literary genre. More served as an important counsellor to King Henry VIII of England, but after he refused to accept the king as head of the Church of England, he was tried for treason (осужден за измену) and beheaded. More is noted for coining the word "Utopia, " in reference to an ideal political system in which policies are governed by reason. He was canonized by the Catholic Church as a saint in 1935, and has been commemorated by the Church of England as a "Reformation martyr. “(Реформациямученица)

William Shakespeare (1564 -1616) English poet and playwright –. Shakespeare is widely considered the world’s greatest dramatist. Many of Shakespeare’s plays were based on historical accounts, dramatised by Shakespeare. He also dramatised stories from classical writers. He wrote 38 play and 154 sonnets, Shakespeare’s plays contain 200 references to dogs and 600 references to birds. Shakespeare never seemed to spell his name properly, often signing his name «Willm Shakp» By others, he was referred to by over 80 different names, such as «Shaxberd» and «Shappere»

Plays Comedies q Much Ado about Nothing q. A Midsummer’s Night Dream Tragedy q. Hamlet q Othello q King Lear Histories q Henry V

Ben Johnson and Robert Greene The first publishing of Shakespeare’s works is the ‘First Folio’ published in 1623. In the introduction to the First Folio, playwright Ben Johnson wrote a preface to Shakespeare’s work with the quote : «Shakespeare is not of an age, but for all time»

William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets mostly in the 1590 s. These short poems deal with issues such as lost love. His sonnets have an enduring appeal due to his characteristic skill with language and words. “Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove”

Popular plays • Twelfth Night • Henry V • Romeo and Juliet • Macbeth • Hamlet • King Lear • Othello

Neoclassicism-1660 -1785 Genre: qprose q Poetry q novel

Daniel Defoe (1960 -1731) English novelist, pamphleteer and journalist Daniel Defo e is best known for his novels Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders. Daniel Defoe was born in 1660 in London, England. He became a merchant(купец) and participated in several failing businesses and aggressive creditors. He was also a talented political pamphleteer which landed him in prison for slander. Late in life he turned his pen to fiction and wrote Robinson Crusoe, one of the most widely read and influential novels of all time.

The True-Born Englishman It is a satirical poem published in 1701 by Daniel Defoe defending then King of England William, who was Dutch-born, against xenophobic attacks by his political enemies, and ridiculing(высмеивая) the concept of English racial purity(расовой чистоты)

In the mid-1720 s, Defoe returned to writing editorial pieces, focusing on such subjects as morality, politics and the breakdown of social order in England. Some of his later works include Everybody's Business is Nobody's Business(1725); the nonfiction essay "Conjugal Lewdness: or, Matrimonial Whoredom" (1727); and a follow-up piece to the "Conjugal Lewdness" essay, entitled "A Treatise Concerning the Use and Abuse of the Marriage Bed. "

Sentimentalism- 1745 -1785 Literature reflected the worldview of Renaissance. The works are written with feeling, using a large number of characters genre: poetry, the novel, the birth of the Gothic novel

Jane Austen (1775 – 1817) English author who wrote romantic fiction combined with social realism. Her famous novels include: Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816). Her novels are a reflection of her outlook (отражение ее мировоззрения) on life. She spent most of her life inside. Her only close friends were her family, and those of similar social standing. It i not surprising then that her novels focused on 2 or 3 families of the middle or upper classes. Her novels also focus on the issue of gaining(проблема обретения) a suitable marriage. As an author, Jane used to satirize such financial motivations, as in Pride and Prejudice the mother is ridiculed(высмеиваются) for her ambitions to marry her daughters for maximum financial. Remuneration(вознаграждение)Jane remained single, and appeared to have little interest in getting married (unlike the characters of her novels)

Walter Scott “That young lady has a talent for describing the involvements of feelings and characters of ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful I ever met with. “ Mark Twain “Jane Austen? Why, I go so far as to say that any library is a good library that does not contain a volume by Jane Austen. Even if it contains no other book. “

Jane died in 1816, aged only 41. She died of Addison’s disease, a disorder of the adrenal glands. She was buried at Winchester Cathedral. There are two museums dedicated to Jane Austen. q. The Jane Austen Centre in Bath q. The Jane Austen’s House Museum, located in Chawton cottage, in Hampshire

Sir Walter Scott(1771 -1832) “Teach your children poetry; it opens the mind, lends grace to wisdom and makes the heroic virtues hereditary» Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on August 15, 1771, the son of a lawyer with a long family tradition in law and died at Abbotsford in the Borders surrounded by his family. By birth Scott was connected with both the rising middle class of Britain and the ruling class. As a child, Scott battled polio, a disease that attacks children and impairs their development. Despite this he developed a deep interest in literature and reading, especially the folk tales and legends of his native Scotland.

Ivanhoe is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1820 in three volumes and subtitled A Romance. Ivanhoe, set in set Medieval Englang, has been credited for increasing interest inromance and medievalism

Victorian era 1830 – 1901 describes the lives of people from the middle class Genre: novel

Charles Dickens(1812 -1870) He was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England. Over the course of his writing career, he wrote the beloved classic novels Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations. On June 9, 1870, Dickens died of a stroke in Kent, England, leaving his final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, unfinished. In the same year Dickens started publishing The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. His series of sketches, originally written as captions for artist Robert Seymour’s humorous sports-themed illustrations, took the form of monthly serial installments. The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club was very popular with readers. In fact, Dickens’ sketches were even more popular than the illustrations.

Oliver Twist Around this time, Dickens had also become publisher of a magazine called Bentley’s Miscellany. In it he started publishing his first novel, Oliver Twist, which follows the life of an orphan living in the streets. The story was inspired by how Dickens felt as a poor child forced to get by on his wits and earn his own keep. Dickens continued showcasing Oliver Twist in the magazines he later edited, including Household Words and All the Year Round. The novel was extremely well received in both England America.

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Thomas Carlyle «Passing as “an event worldwide”, a unique of talents suddenly extinct»

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 -1930) He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1890 his novel, A Study in Scarlet, introduced the character of Detective Sherlock Holmes. Doyle would go on to write 60 stories about Sherlock Holmes. He also strove to spread his Spiritualism faith through a series of books that were written from 1918 to 1926. Doyle died of a heart attack in Crowborough, England on July 7, 1930.

Over 125 years after his creation, Sherlock Holmes remains the most popular fictional detective in history. Author Arthur Conan Doyle wrote 60 mystery stories. His body of work includes nearly 200 novels, short stories, poems, historical books and pamphlets. featuring the wildly popular detective character Sherlock Holmes and his loyal assistant Watson Stories: q. The Mystery of Sasassa Valley q. The American Tale q. Captain of the Pole Star

When Doyle graduated from Stonyhurst College in 1876, his parents expected that he would follow in his family's footsteps and study art, so they were surprised when he decided to follow a medical degree at the University of Edinburgh instead. At med school, Doyle met his mentor, Professor Dr. Joseph Bell, whose keen powers of observation would later inspire Doyle to create his famed fictional detective character, Sherlock Holmes. At the University of Edinburgh, Doyle also had the good fortune to meet classmates and future fellow authors James Barrie and Robert Louis Stevenson. While a medical student, Doyle took his own first stab at writing, with a short story called The Mystery of Sasassa Valley. That was followed by a second story, The American Tale, which was published in London Society. During Doyle's third year of medical school, he took a ship and sailing for the Arctic Circle. The voyage awakened Doyle's sense of adventure, a feeling that he incorporated into a story Captain of the Pole Star.

Modernism-1901 -1960 At this time the British Empire was at the height, and the rich were buried in luxury. However, four-fifths of the English population lived in poverty. And works of this period reflected these social conditions. genre: novel

George Bernard Shaw(1856 -1950) “My way of joking is to tell the truth. It’s the funniest joke in the world. ” George Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950). Irish playwright, author, political activist. George Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin 1856. He was sent to various schools in Dublin, but developed a great dislike for the formalised education systems and widespread use of corporal punishment which was prevalent at the time.

Pygmalion (1912– 1913) Pygmalion deals with the class divide which characterised British society at the time. However, to the disappointment of Shaw, his plays were mainly enjoyed as entertainment, rather than political commentary.

Shaw was also a supporter of vegetarianism and sympathetic to Irish home rule. He was not a formal member of any religion. Describing his religious views Shaw is best remembered for his iconic wit. He is one of the most quoted authors and are frequently mentioned. His wit led to the creation of an adjective “Shavian” to describe a Shaw like witticism

Postmodernism- 1960 s – the present Genre: novel q. In the literature there is the concept of "black humor". Features of postmodernism are particularly clearly reflected in the drama.

Agatha Christie 1890 -1976 The most famous English writer of romantic and crime novels Agatha Christie is now considered to be the best selling writer ever. Her detective stories with two diverse(различный) characters of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple have been translated into more languages than works of any other individual writer. Agatha Miller was born on September 15, 1890 in Torquay, Devon, in the South West England

She began to write being married to Archibald Christie. Agatha Christie’s married an aviator in the Royal Flying Corps – Archibald Christie in December 1914. The marriage was somewhat turbulent (бурный)and ended in divorce in 1928, two years after Archibald had begun an affair. In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days. Media created interest in the disappearance of this famous novelist. She was eventually discovered in a Harrogate hotel eleven days later. Though Agatha Christie never said why, it was probably a combination of shock over her mother’s death and the discovery of her husband’s affair. In 1930, she married her second husband, Max Mallowan. This marriage was happier, though her only child, Rosalind Hicks, came from her first marriage.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles This featured the soon (представленный в ближайшее время) famous detective – Hercule Poirot, who at the time was portrayed as a Belgian refugee(беглец) from the Great War. The manuscript of ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ was rejected by six publishers before it was published. The book sold well and helped meet the public’s great appetite for detective novels. It was a genre that had been popularised through Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories at the turn of the century. Like Conan Doyle, Christie had no great love for her own creation – Poirot seemed to be admired by the public more than the writer herself. Agatha Christie preferred her other great detective – the quiet but effective old lady – Miss Marple. The character of Miss Marple was based on the traditional English country lady – and her own relatives.

J. K Rowling -1965 She was born in Chipping Sodury, July 31 st 1965. Her childhood was generally happy, although she does remember getting teased because of her name, “Rowling” – She recalls often getting called “Rowling pin” by her less than ingenious school friends. J. K. Rowling says she never really warmed to her own name, although, she does remember having a fondness for the name Potter from quite an early age. J. K. Rowling studied at St Michael’s Primary School in Gloucestershire, before moving to Chepstow, South Wales at the age of nine.

Harry Porter So…It was in 1990, that J. K. Rowling first conceived of the idea about Harry Potter. As she recalls, it was on a long train journey from Manchester to London when she began forming in her mind. Her train was delayed for over four hours, but she didn’t have a pen and was too shy to ask for one nothing. On the 21 st December 2006, J. K. Rowling finished her final book of the Harry Potter Series – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows“. The book was released in July 2007, becoming one of the fastest selling books of all time. J. K. Rowling has said the book is her favourite, and it makes her both happy and sad. She has said she will continue writing but there is little chance of continuing the Harry Potter Series.

Carrol Lewis (1898 -1963) He was an author, essayist and Christian apologist. He is best known for his children’s classic series – The Chronicles of Narnia. Clive Staples Lewis was born on 29 November 1898 and lived until 22 November 1963. He was born in Belfast, North Ireland into a protestant Ulster family. Throughout his life he retained strong roots to Ireland. He sought out the company of the Irish took an active interest in Celtic literature and myths. He was a keen admirer of the works of W. B. Yeats, at a time when he was relatively unknown in England.

In 1916, C. S. Lewis was offered a scholarship at University College, Oxford University. He was an excellent scholar gaining a triple first. However, in 1917, his university life was interrupted as he volunteered to join the British army in the First World War. C. S. Lewis was brought up in the Protestant Church of Ireland, but as a teenager he said he lost his faith – turned off by boring church services and the problem of evil in the world. However, after returning to Oxford in the post war period, he became increasingly perplexed by the existence(ошеломленный существованием) of God and Christianity. After many evening chats with friends C. S. Lewis finally converted to belief in God (theism) in 1929 and became a Christian in 1931.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carrol. It tells of a girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar(странными) creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Its narrative course and structure, characters and imagery have been enormously influential in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre.

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