En16 văn học anh mỹ bài 10

Môn học nhằm cung cấp các khái niệm cơ bản về văn học, và các tác phẩm văn học Anh-Mỹ tiêu biểu. Với phương pháp trích giảng, sinh viên vận dụng các kiến thức về lịch sử xã hội Anh-Mỹ đã học vào việc phân tích và cảm nhận tác phẩm. Trong quá trình học sinh viên có cơ hội thể hiện sự hiểu biết của mình về các tác phẩm và tác giả bằng cách tham gia vào các vở kịch, thảo luận, viết bài luận phân tích.

HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY MID -TERM TEST ON ENGLISH AND AMERICAN

LITERATURE

FOR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH (No 3)

Subject Code: EN16 Full name:

Date of birth:

Group:

I Answer the following questions: (50 points )

1 What do you know about the contents of “The Song of Beowulf”?

The Song of Beowulf has 3 parts and in ever part is one of Beowulf's heroic deed.

The story tells about the reign of Danish king Hrothgar, who built banqueting-hall Heorot after many victorious battles In the wasteland lived Grendel, devouring monster He revenged for loudly sounds coming from the Heorot For twelve years

he was going to the Heorot in the night, where ate off Hrothgar's fighters Monster's body was covered with thick fell, so nobody was able to thrust

it by missile In that time lived Beowulf from royal blood in the land of Geats.

When he be told about the evilness of Grendel, set sail with the best men to the Denmark and offered to Hrothgar his help After the blanquet, when fighters was falling asleep, invaded Grendel to the Heorot and prepared to ate off all in the hall When Beowulf grasped him, Grendel recognized that he didn't met such a strong man The monster tried to escape, but Beowulf didn't stop It was big fight, but finally Beowulf conquered, because he torn off Grendel's paw During the next blanquet Danish king Hrothgar blessed winner Beowulf After this ceremony the king left the hall and Beowulf wanted to take a rest too The fighters were falling asleep, but the next unexpected danger was coming Grendel's mother, living in the water, was coming to revenge his son The fighters prepared to kill her, but she earlier killed Hrothgar's advisor Beowulf got from king's speaker the sword

Hrunting, that never dissapointed in the battle.Then he left to the lake and tried to

get on the bottom It lasted almost the whole day and then he discovered the

water's witch In the hall, in where water doesn't leak, he could use the sword But the edge of the sword is harmless, here Hrunting dissapointed Beowulf started to fight only by his hands When Grendel's mother attacked him by the dirk, he saw the other monstrous sword, caught it and he killed the monster by one attack Then

he torn off the head from Grendel's corpse lying nearby to hand over to Danish citizens Hrothgar was much obliged to Beowulf, who decided to return home, to

his land Beowulf delivered the present to his king Hygelac from Hrothgar When

after Hygelac and his son died in the battles, the kingdom was vested to Beowulf He reigned wisely for fifty years, and when he was old, one dragon started to threatened his land during the night hours The dragon was the guard of treasure and it revenged for stealing its gold bowl Enraged dragon wanted to find the burglar and sputtered flames to destroy human habitations.Beowulf decided to

kill the dragon.He had the big iron escutcheon against the flames In the grievous

fight suffered Beowulf and so did dragon The other young fighters didn't have courage and ran away from the battle Only one of them, Wiglaf, decided to help to his friend and king During the battle the Beowulf sword again dissapointed To tell the truth, Beowulf was stronger, when he fought only barehanded During the third dragon's attack was Beowulf hurt to the neck, but Wiglaf stabed dragon's body by the sword Then Beowulf ripped its stomach He and Wiglaf together killed the dragon.Before Beowulf's death he wished to see the treasure, what they

got for their land Because he didn't have his own son, he put the reign of the land

into the Wiglaf's hands The end of story is about the Beowulf's burial

2 What is the historical background of the Anglo-Norman period?

Anglo-Norman Period comes after the ending of the Anglo Saxon Period Middle English Period is divided into three parts and this one (Anglo-Norman) is the first one The age of Chaucer and After Chaucer is considered as entire Middle English period The period of this age is 1066 to 1350 as per the official reports.Historical Background: The Anglo-Norman Period was started after the Battle of Hastings in

1066 William I, the Norman king defeated King Harold and occupied Britain Before the Norman Conquest, there was not any symbol of the French language But, the Normans brought with them French Culture and language And as a result, the french language interacted with the native English language (Middle English) Besides this, french was selected as the official language of that time due

to political supremacy So, the king and his officials used to communicate through the french language and the common people used to interact with their dialects However, the Latin language was also present there in the form of religious texts since the Anglo-Saxon Period The term Anglo-Norman is generally used to describe the period of English history from the Norman conquest to the middle of the 14th century It was called so because the non-Latin literature of that time was written in Anglo-Norman, the French dialect spoken by the Norman invaders The Normans were pagan barbarian pirates from Denmark, Norway and Iceland, who began to make destructive plundering raids on European coastal settlements in the 8th century They were originally descendants of Vikings, who settled in the North-West France in the early 10th century At the beginning of 10th century, the French King, Charles the Simple, made the Treaty of St Clair-sur-Epte with a Viking Chief Rollo Charles gave him some land around the mouth of the Seine in what is now known as the city of Rouenhad, North of France King Charles had hoped that by giving the Vikings their own land in France, they would stop attacking France Within two generations, Rollo and his followers adopted the

Franks’ language, religion, laws, customs, political organisation and methods of warfare They inter-married and mixed with the native French population They had become Franks in all, but name They were now known as Normans, men of Normandy and their land became known as the land of the Nordmanni or Northmen By the middle of the 11th century, Normandy became one of the most powerful states in Christendom Though, the Normans had converted to Christianity, adopted the French language, and abandoned sea roving for Frankish cavalry warfare in the decades following their settlement in Normandy, they still retained many of the traits of their Viking ancestors They displayed an extreme fearlessness and courage, craftiness and cunning, a love of fighting and spread terror wherever they went In the early 11th century, a group of Norman Mercenaries led by Robert Guiscard, the 6th son of Tancred of Hauteville, helped various factions in Italy in order to gain territories for themselves

II Comments (50 points )

What are your comments on the first masterpiece of English literature-“ The Song

of Beowulf ”?

The "Song of Beowulf" is undeniably one of the greatest literary works in the English language It represents the earliest surviving epic poem in Old English and

is an invaluable piece of cultural history Composed in the 8th or 9th century, the poem takes us back to a time of Scandinavian warriors and their grand tales of heroism and bravery

One remarkable aspect of the "Song of Beowulf" is its portrayal of the hero Beowulf is a figure of immense strength and courage, a true exemplar of the warrior ethos His willingness to embark on dangerous quests to protect his people and defeat monstrous creatures is awe-inspiring The poem itself is a celebration of

these heroic virtues and serves as a reminder of the important role that heroes played in early societies

Furthermore, the poem delves into the themes of honor, loyalty, and fate Beowulf's loyalty to his people is evident throughout the story, as he fearlessly confronts various adversaries to safeguard his kingdom The concept of fate also plays a significant role, as the characters grapple with the inevitability of their destinies This exploration of important philosophical ideas adds depth and complexity to the narrative, elevating it beyond a mere tale of heroism

In addition to its thematic richness, the "Song of Beowulf" boasts impressive poetic qualities The use of alliteration, repetition, and kennings (compound phrases used in place of single nouns) give the poem a musical quality, making it highly memorable These poetic devices not only enhance the rhythmic flow of the verses but also contribute to the overall ambiance of the story, creating a vivid and immersive reading experience

Despite its considerable age and the challenges presented by the use of Old English, the "Song of Beowulf" remains accessible to contemporary readers Its timeless themes and universal human struggles resonate to this day, allowing us to connect with the story on a deep emotional level The endurance of this epic is a testament to its enduring relevance and its status as a foundational piece of literature

In conclusion, the "Song of Beowulf" is a masterpiece of English literature that transcends time It not only offers a thrilling adventure but also explores profound themes and showcases masterful poetic craftsmanship Its impact on the literary canon cannot be overstated, and it continues to captivate and inspire readers centuries after its creation