British Literature

1. the Middle Ages

the oldest literature monument of the Anglo – Saxon period is the old Germanic legend called BEOWULF. This heroic poem is about the strong and courageous pagan hero Beowulf

John Wycliffe – is a professor of Oxford University. With his students he translated the whole Bible into English

• he influenced Master Jan Hus and our Hussite movement very much

2. the renaissance and humanism

Geoffrey Chaucer – Canterbury Tales – brilliant portrait of 30 pilgrims who travel to Canterbury and they were saying stories each other, each one said four stories, but in tact there are only 23 tales.

William Shakespeare – is the biggest author of this period

Christopher Marlowe – might became another Shakespeare but he had been killed, lived only short life, he wrote many plays – “The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus”, “the Jew of Malta”, perhaps he also wrote Henry VI.  – which Shakespeare revised and completed

Sir Thomas More: he wrote “Utopia” – a vision of Imaginary Island with perfectly organized society

3. 17^th century

John Milton – is the figure of this period his masterpiece is “Paradies Lost” – is about the revolt of Satan against Heaven and God

4. 18^th century

In the 18^th century there is a big development of the society and economy, journalism, novels and drama developed very much. Literature became very popular.

Jonathan Swift – was a sharp critic, he wrote satirical pamphlets on all unfair events in British society. His most popular work is Gullivers travels – allegory of Lemuel Gulliver’s travelling through imaginary countries. He criticizes politics in England, kingdoms, armies, bad politicians etc. He visits four quite different worlds. The first one is country called Lillipyt, where the people are six inches high, the second country is Brobdingnag, which is inhabited by giants. The third are Laputa and Lgado – philosophers and science, and the fourth one is with Yahoos, disgusting beasts in the shape of men.

Henry Fielding was – journalist, lawyer and playwright. He wrote a realistic novel “Tom Johnes” – where he described the life in the 18^th century England. Fielding is considered as the founder of the Modern English novel

Daniel Defoe – was a politician, traveler and journalist. His most famous work is “Robinson Crusoe”. Robinson shipwrecked on a lonely island. He represents the qualities, which the middle class needed in capitalist competition to be successful

5. romanticism

Sir Walter Scot – is a founder of historical novel. He draw the themes for his romantic novels from old folk ballads, especially from Scottish history. “Ivanhoe” is from the period of Richard the Lionhearted. The other novels are “Waverley, Kenilworht” etc.

The romantic period is known especially for its poetry – the best English romantic poets are:

Samuel Coleridge – “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner” – masterpiece, a beautiful ballad about the mariner who shot the albatross and because of this the whole ship is cursed. The mariner is the only one who survives and his penalty is to travel from land to land with suffering soul.

Lord George Gordon Byron – represent revolutionary romanticism – unhappy and usually lonely heroes fight for freedom and their fight ends in vain. Byron was a son of nobleman. He was physically disabled from his birth. His main work is “Child Harold’s Pilgrimage” – The hero travels all over Europe and makes comments of the hypocritical society and unfairness life.

Persy Bysshe Shelly – represents also as a Byron revolutionary romanticism. His greatest work is “Prometheus Unbound”, based on an old Greek legend about Prometheus who steals fire from Olympus to give it to People

6. Victorian Age (Critical Realism) – 19^th century

Victorian age produced great novels criticizing various evils of prosperous but imperialistic society. Among the best authors of this period belong:

Emily Bronte: “Wuthering Hights”

Charlotte Bronte: “Jane Eyre” – both of them dealt with moral andpsychological problems

Charles Dickens –described truly the life of poor people in England. He himself suffered in his childhood and his bitter experience can be found in his works. Among his major novels belong “Little Dorrit, David Copperfield, The Pickwick Papers, Great Expectgations, Oliver Twist, Christmas Carol” – see enclosed paper

7. The 1. Half of the 20^th century

William Makepeace Thackeray – he wrote novels against snobbery and hypocrisy. His main novel is “Vanity Fair”

Thomas Hardy – together with D.H.Lewrence represents the naturalistic trend in literature. He understands hard life of common people, hates hypocrisy and brutal egoism of the rich, his work is ironical and pessimistic

Oscar Wilde – he was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father was a well – known surgeon and his mother was a successful writer. After a comfortable childhood, he decided to study classical literature in a College in Dublin. In 1874 moved to a College in  Oxford. After college he continued writing poems and he moved to London. He publishes here his first book simply called “Poems” §- many literature professors criticized him, they said he was not original, because he had used many words from other poets and writers. But in spite of this criticism he became more popular (he got a great reputation for the way he dressed, for his intelligence and conversation skills). In 1884 he married Constance Lloyd and they had two boys. Wilde wrote many stories for his childern including “The Happy Prince, The Canterville Ghost”. The play Oscar Wilde wrote after 1890 mad e him legend. He wrote 4 comedies: „“Lady Windermere’’ Fan, A woman of no Importance, An Ideal Husband and his masterpiece „“he Importance of Being Ernest“. He only wrote novel – the picture of Dorian Gray. In 1893 he wrote a play in French called Salomé. He was criticized by London society and even had put to prison (for 2 years) for homosexuality. The day left prison he went firctly to France and he never turned to England. He moved to Paris and changed his name. He dies suddenly in 1900. Oscar wilde was influenced by the french theory of l’art-pour-l’art. He is also known for his fairy tales – The happy prince, The nightingale and the Rose and the other.

The picture of Dorian Gray: Dorian Gray makes his life-style according to the rules of art. He loves the actress Sybil, because her speech in theatre is something new. When he discovered, that her art is only average, he stopped to love her and Sybil committed suicide. He loves himself so much that he doesn’t grow old and his portrait grows old instead of him and it shows all his sins, although real Gray is still young and nice.

8.The second half of 20^th century

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – he is the creator of Sherlock Holmes and he makes one of the greatest detective story writers of all times.

Rudyard Kipling – he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature as a first British author. He wrote the shot stories about Indian, the sea, the jungle and its animals – The Jungle Book, the Second Jungle Book.

John Galsworthy – he got the Nobel Prize for literature in 1932, he was a critical novelist, dramatist and shortstory writer. His most known book is Forsyte saga – describes upper middle class family.

James Joyce – he was born in Dublin, he wrote modern novels and experimental prose. Dubliners is a collection of shot stories. His masterpiece is Ulysses – they wander around Dublin in the course of one day (Homer’s Ulysses about 20 years) and all the characters in the book correspond to the character of the legend.

Georg Bernard Shaw – he is most famous personality in drama of this period. He attacked the whole society. In his plays he criticizes the false morals of society – Pygmalion (My fair lady), Mrs. Warrns Profession. He was awarded the Nobel Prize.

9.Contemporary literature

A group called Angry Young Men

John Wain – he expressed disillusionment and emptiness of intellectuals after W.W. II (as all angry young men – they are angry and dissatisfied with the establishment, criticize snobs and people in power). He wrote e.g. The Young Visitors.

Kingsley Amis – he is most famous member of this group. He is most famous for his Lucky Jim (the main character is Jim Dickson – a lecturer at one small university).

William Golding – he was rewarded a Nobel Prize in 1983. His most known book is Lord of the Files – the story is set to the future, when an air crash leaves a group of young boys on an island. First they are happy without their parents and they try to form an ideal society, then they form 2 groups and the end is full of barbarian bestiality.

J.R.R.Tolkien – he based the stories of his fairy tale novels on his profound knowledge of old germanic and celtic myths. He crested a fantasy world of Middle Earth where small hobbits seek happiness, goodness and live many adventures – Hobbit, The lord of the ring.

George Orwell – he wrote excellent novels criticizing totalitarian society (Animal farm, 1984)

Aghata Christie – she is the most widely read author in the world. She is the queen of a detective story and wrote about 70 novels – The murder of Robert Ackroyd, Ten Little nigers, Sleeping murder, Curtain …

Arthur C.Clarke – he is world known science-fiction writer – 2001: A space odyssey, the fountains of paradise

10.Drama

John Osborne – play Look back in Anger – it was the beginning of the angry young men movement.

Samuel Beckett – a Nobel Prize winner in 1969, he is important both for drama and prose. His famous play is called Waiting for Godot.

Harold Pinter – he is influenced by Kafka and Beckett, for example the plays: the room, the birthday party.

The most succesfull play in history is “Mouse trap” by Aghata Christie.