William Langland 威廉兰格伦 (1330?1400?),1.The Middle Ages was full of darkness, and there were not many great works, known as barrenness. 2. But there was a popular literature named Piers the Plowman 农夫皮尔斯which was written by William Langland.,Introduction,William Langland,1330?1400? based on his works,poor family,took minor orders never be a priest,London sing masses copy legal documents do odd jobs,1362; 1363, began Piers the Plowman,Piers the Plowman农夫皮尔斯,The Vision of William concerning Piers the Plowman 关于农夫皮尔斯的幻想, 1363,over 7000 lines; repeated revised; 3 texts left; written in alliteration,Alliteration is the repetition of consonants, especially at the beginning of words or stressed syllables.,“They leapt away to London. To be clerks of the Kings Bench and despoil the land.”,Alliteration:头韵,“There wandered a hundred, in hoods of silk,Serjeants (lawyers) they seemed, and served at the Bar,Pleading the Law, for pennies and for the pounds.”,Piers the Plowman is written in the old alliterative verse: each line contained 3 alliterative words, 2 of which were placed in the first half, and the third in the second half.,Piers the Plowman sets forth a series of wonderful dreams, showing a picture of feudal England.,A Picture of Feudal England,1. The Exposure of the Ruling Classes The author saw in his dream all sorts of parasites (寄生虫).,bishops and deacons大主教 助祭，副主祭,cardinal （天主教）红衣主教,idlers: friars, monks, hermits托钵修士 隐士,religion, personified,serjeants=lawyers,the King,corrupted,“They leapt away to London. To be clerks of the Kings Bench and despoil the land.”,There wandered a hundred, in hoods of silk, Serjeants they seemed, and served at the Bar.,A Picture of Feudal England,2. The Story of the Cats and Rats If the cat was killed, another would come in its place. Let that cat be. The cat is the symbol of the ruling class. No intention to upset the feudal society, only set it on a proper course.,A Picture of Feudal England,3. The Marriage of Lady Meed(贿赂夫人) Three major characters: Lady Meed, the King, Conscience Why did Conscience refuse to marry Lady Meed? Give examples. “Woe(苦恼) betide(降临) me, if such a wife I wed.” But the King bids (orders) them to be reconciled ( 和解).,A Picture of Feudal England,4. The Condition of the Peasants What is the description of the life of the poor peasants? Give some examples. prisoners in dungeon (地牢) babies, continually cry for food narrow room few pennies come in, eat the pennies up a farthings worth(毫无价值的) of cockles(乌哈),The Search for Truth,Piers，teaches them: Labor can guide the Pilgrimages to the right way to the Truth.,tower of prison Hypocrisy & Evil,Castle of TruthGod,Pilgrimages (7 sins),Peasants are the nearest to the truth and salvation (灵魂的拯救),A Picture of Feudal England,6. The Class Nature of Piers Piers is a representative of the most oppressed section of the peasantry. He shows the conservatism of his political attitude. He has no intention of upsetting the feudal society, just setting it on a proper course.,A Picture of Feudal England,7. Social Significance The poem is a classic of popular literature throughout the 14th and the 15th century. It played an important role in the Rising of 1381 and the calls of John Ball.,Artistic Features,1) Piers the Plowman is written in the form of a dream vision. The author tells his story under the guise of having dreamed it. 2) The poem is an allegory(讽喻，寓言) which relates truth through symbolism, a realistic picture of medieval England.,Artistic Features,3) It is a book written for the common people and it expresses the social discontent of the poor. 4) It praises the equality of men before God and the dignity of labor.,Artistic Features,5) The book offers readers with vivid sketches of London life of the 14th century, in alliteration. 6) The artistic merits may be shown by its portraits of the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, Lechery(色鬼), Envy, Wrath, Avarice(贪婪，贪心) , Sloth(懒惰)and Glutton (贪食者).,Group work:,Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, Lechery(色鬼), Envy, Wrath, Avarice(贪婪，贪心) , Sloth(懒惰) Glutton (贪食者),What is an “allegory”?,Allegory: a tale in verse or prose in which characters, actions, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. Thus, an allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.,What is “symbol”?,Symbol: any object, person, place, or action that has a meaning in itself and that also stands for something larger than itself, such as a quality, an attitude, a belief, or a value.,What is “symbol”?,A rose is often a symbol of love and beauty; a skull is often a symbol of death; spring and winter often symbolize youth and old age. In poetry, poets often work through emotionally powerful symbols that suggest meaning and mood.,Exercises,Choose the best answer.,1._ defeated the English troops at Hastings . A. Angles, Saxons and Jutes B. Germanic peoples C. Danish Vikings D. Normans ?,D,Choose the best answer.,