LITERATURE II ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS By: Joeselyne Delgado Quijano August 20th, 2017
WEEK 1: BEOWULF 1. Epic literature is a long poem that is old, historic literature that includes heroes conquering events in each story and the setting usually takes place in any impressive land. 2. Characteristics in this type of literature are: the hero is the main character and brilliant, the setting is a big place, the poet stays objective in the tale, each includes a hero and a villain, actions includes doing deeds for others, includes other characters such as Gods, demons, mystical creatures, etc. 3. Beowulf is known as the hero is this poem who protected the Geats from a monster named Grendel. Beowulf slayed Grendel and his mother in this poem. It took place in Scandinavia in the 6th century.
WEEK 2: BEOWULF 1. Beowulf was a brave warrior who vanquished evil monsters. He was an Anglo-Saxon hero. 2. He was the hero of the Geats. 3. He definitely looks like a hero because he is large and strong. His muscles and intelligence compliment his stance as a hero. His physical structure does relate to the theme because he is characterized as someone who is looked up to. 4. Patriarchal history is manifested in this poem, because Hrothgar’s male ancestry and constantly refers to characters as the sons of their fathers. An awareness of family lineage is one way in which the heroic code integrates itself into the warriors’ most basic sense of identity. 5. I say that Beowulf really is the ideal hero and king because he demonstrates all of the personality traits for one to be the character, such as loyalty, honesty, leadership, and proudness. I wouldn’t honestly say that he’s lacking something in his character.
WEEK 3: THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD (1066-1485) • 1. The Medieval Period, a period in time that can be referred by several different names, such as the Middle Ages, which lasted for about 10 centuries. It began as the Dark Ages, with the Roman Empire which then turned into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery within those centuries. This is all European history because in the Dark Ages, big civilizations of Rome and Greece were conquered. This was a period where not many people could read or write, and education wasn’t popular option. Once the Empire fell, people couldn’t be protected by any laws. Millions of people were killed by the bubonic plague during this period. • 2. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the book called “The Canterbury Tales” in the 14th Century, when the Medieval Period was coming to an end. The book includes many stories about what happened during this period, which must’ve given the author inspiration for sharing these experiences with the world. The book ended up not being published until 80 years after his death in the year 1400.
WEEK 4: THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD (1066-1485) • 1. I think that the author intended to tell the readers that no matter how long this period lasted, from war and death to love and lust, the twenty-nine pilgrims could still unite, though it was a unique diversity of characters from different centuries and tell from their own perspectives of how each story happened, from what happened in these ages. These pilgrims (knights, monks, single women, low class peasants, nuns, etc.) go on a journey together to tell each tale. It didn’t matter who they were, I think that the author wanted to show us that diversity can be such a beautiful thing, even in a book. • 2. From the Canterbury Tales, there is a moral lesson from each tale that happened during the Medieval Period. From the Black Death, to the plague, to how love conquers all, the religion, and more.
WEEK 5: THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE (1485-1625) • 1. The definition of Renaissance is “rebirth”, notice using the prefix ‘re’, which means ‘again’. The Renaissance was when Roman and Greek literature became alive again in the fourteenth century, ever since it fell in the Middle Ages. • 2. The name was chosen for this period because of the prefix ‘re’ (again), also because in this period, lots of Italian art was awakened and recognized during this period, since this period was a cultural movement that began an Florence, Italy. • 3. Main features during this period includes art, roman literature, enthusiasm, excitement for knowledge. • 4. The Renaissance is different from the Medieval Period because it seems to be more enthusiastic and hungry for culture, unlike the Medieval Period. • 5. A sonnet is a small poem that only has fourteen lines, with certain ways of rhyming in each. • 6. They usually have three stanzas and at the end with two quatrains. The three stanzas has 4 lines each, and then the ending quatrains are two lines. The rhyme schemes vary. • 7. To me, my favorite play by William Shakespeare is Romeo and Juliet. Some of his other amazing works are Hamlet, Othello, Julius Caesar, and Macbeth.
WEEK 7: SHAKESPEARE’S “ROMEO AND JULIET” • 1. I feel like Romeo and Juliet is very popular and probably the most well known play by Shakespeare just because even children know that Romeo and Juliet are like two young people in love, and novels, movies, plays, etc. about love are always interesting. To me, I’ve heard about Romeo and Juliet that way too, but that play is my favorite by William Shakespeare. • 2. I find the play of Macbeth to be more selfish than Romeo and Juliet, because Macbeth murders King Duncan to take the throne for himself to become the King of Scotland, while in Romeo and Juliet, Both main characters commit suicide from confusion that one or the other had been killed, and they really loved each other. Neither felt like they could live without the other. • 3. In Romeo and Juliet, the themes seem a little scandalous, because it goes from action, to love, to drama, to threatening scenes, and it just keeps going. This is why I feel like this play is the most exciting out of all. • 4. Characteristics includes the language, which is Old English, and I also think how Romeo and Juliet weren’t allowed to be together is from the historical part of the period. Also, the ancient events and parties that would go on in the play are what they were like during this period.
WEEK 9: THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY (1625-1660) 1. A lot of important events happened in the 17th century in American and European History, such as the beheading of King Charles I In England in 1649, the crowning of Louis XIV In France in 1654, although he was already king since age 4, a famous English philosopher John Locke was born in 1634, and more. 2. Main features of this poetry includes politics, culture, religion, and even historical literature. 3. For me, I think plays the William Shakespeare wrote had the greatest impact. Such as Othello, Hamlet, and Twelfth Night, or What You Will that were all published in this century. 4. To me, the themes seem to be passionate and dramatic about love and chivalry between two people.
WEEK 10: THE RESTORATION AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURY (1660-1798) • 1. In this century, it’s more about patriotic history that happened in England and the United States of America, which at the time had the 13 colonies, including colonists that made history. The beginning of this century was the Great Awakening and The Enlightenment. • 2. Features includes drama, more poetry, gothic novels and libertine novels. Visual art was also classified as Neoclassicism. • 3. It’s called Restoration because of the Parliament of the Monarchs at the time, which had been restored. It was like a renovation of the previous era. • 4. I think that Swift tried to make us see Fact, Fiction, and Authenticity in his book, based on history and events from this era.
WEEK 11: THE ROMANTIC AGE (1798-1832) • 1. This kind of literature focuses on a narrator’s emotions and their inner world, corresponding to the heart. It could be about nature, beauty, religion, rural life, celebration, etc. • 2. This period is known as Romanticism because of all of the art created and literature written about romance in Old English during this period. Writers were finding it popular to write about inner feelings for any kind of situation. • 3. To me, the definition is the expression of love, affection, and tenderness of any kind to anyone or anything, depending on one’s interests. It doesn’t have to be only between a man and woman. • 4. This period is way more about love, and shows a more sweet side to how a world to someone can be, unlike the Medieval Period, especially.
BIBLIOGRAPHY (n.d.). Retrieved August 20, 2017, from http://westernreservepublicmedia.org/middleages/big_intro.htm Structure in Beowulf. (n.d.). Retrieved August 08, 2017, from http://www3.dbu.edu/mitchell/beowulf.htm C. H. (n.d.). 17th Century Literature. Retrieved August 19, 2017, from http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/English_Literature/englit_1/17th_century.htm Bailey, L. (2016, December 07). 25 Writers Who Changed the World. Retrieved August 19, 2017, from http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/25-writers-who-changed-the-world/
B. (2011, January 11). Macbeth vs. Romeo – Compare and Contrast Essay. Retrieved August 19, 2017, from https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Macbeth-vs-RomeoCompare-and-Contrast-Essay-FK7HMKCVC