By the close of the eighteenth century, the world had witnessed several major political 1. the American and French revolutions, 2.exceptional social upheavals, 3. prominent changes in philosophical thought

1. Historical background: The Constitutional monarchy set up by parliament in 1688 was a compromise between the bourgeoisie and the aristocrats. The cultural life had undergone remarkable changes. Newton’s scientific discovery and the philosophy of John Locke affected people’s thinking of the world

1. Historical Background The English Bourgeois Revolution and Restoration: The weakening of the tie between monarchy and bourgeoisie; The clashes between the King and Parliament; The outburst of the English Revolution;

1. Historical background The Elizabeth Age (1558-1603): England enjoyed peaceful development under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I, who maintained a balance of between the Protestants and the Catholics

The War of the Roses (1455-1485) The discovery of America and the new sea routes Reformation of the church

1. Historical background: (1) The Hundred Years War: The result of the war was an awakening of national consciousness in England. And the French language was gradually replaced by English native tongue. (2) The peasant uprising of 1381: It was the result of the conflict between the peasants and feudal lords

1. Historical background: 1066 Norman Conquest Ca.1200 Beginnings of Middle Englishliterature 1336 Edward Ⅲ began the One -Hundred -Year -War

1. The Making of the Nation The early inhabitants---Britons,a tribe of Celts. mixed blood. “Britain”, the land of Britons

1. Modernism: The twentieth century was marked by the two World Wars, the direct result of the conflicts between rival imperialist countries and their ambition to dominate the world. Roughly speaking, the development of English literature in the twentieth century can be divided into two stages, that is

《中国古代文学》课程电子教案（PPT课件讲稿）第一章《聊斋志异》