British Literature Lesson 1

CARRERA DE EPDAGOGÍA DE LOS
IDIOMAS NACIONALES Y
EXTRANJEROS
BRITISH AND AMERICAN

LITERATURE
 DEGREE IN PEDAGOGY OF NATIONAL
AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES
British Literature
Unit 1. Brief overview of English

literary periods.
Do you like reading?
Novels? Poetry?
Why Study British Literature?

 There is a very rich literary tradition in Great
Britain.
 Many of the most important works of literature
of the world have been written by British
authors.
Human History Linked to Literature
Why do you think so?

Important Information
 BC
refers to the recorded time Before Christ
 AD
Anno Domini – The Year of Our Lord – refers
to the recorded time after Christ was born. We
live in this recorded time era.
Important information (COPY, PLEASE)
In every work of literature, there are always
some fundamental elements:
1.- The plot: the story of a book, film, play,
etc. (includes the theme).
2.- The setting: the time and the place in
which the action of a book, film, play, etc.
happens
3.- The characters: persons represented in
a novel, play, story, or poem.
4.- The conflict. 5.- The language.
Before & During the Anglo Saxon

Period…
The land known as Great Britain was invaded by
4 main groups:
1. Romans 55 BC
2. Angles, Saxons, Jutes 449 AD
3. Vikings 793 AD
4. Normans 1066 AD
Time Periods of the British World

 Anglo Saxons  Romantic Period
449 – 1066 1785 – 1830
 Middle Ages
1066 – 1485
 Victorian Period
1830 – 1901
 Renaissance
1485 – 1660  Modern World
1900 – Present
 Restoration
1660 - 1785
The Roman Empire

The Roman Empire
occupied the British
Isles, most of Europe,
Asia Minor, the
Middle East, and
North Africa.
 They dominated most
of the world and
imposed Latin as the
national language.
Roman Occupation of Britain
 Roman conquerors
arrived under the
direction of Julius
Caesar.
 Romans occupied
Britain from 55 BC –
449 AD.
 They had to defeat a
group of Celts known
as Britons.
Introduction of Christianity
 Christianity was
introduced during the
Roman occupation.
 Before Christianity,
religion was pagan.
 Missionaries were sent
from Rome by Pope
Gregory I.
Pagan: belonging or relating to a religion that worships many

gods, especially one that existed before the main world
religions
Effect of Christianity
 Christianity served as a
unifying force.
 It produced a common
faith and a common
system of morality and
right conduct.
 It linked England to
Europe.
 Christian monks copied
ancient manuscripts to
preserve classical texts.
Romans Departed…
 Because of problems at
home, the Romans
withdrew in 449 AD.
 They left Britain with no
central government, and
this made Britain
vulnerable to invasion
once again.
British Literature
Lesson 1. The Old English Period.
DEGREE IN PEDAGOGY OF NATIONAL
A bit of
Geography:
GREAT
BRITAIN
The term Anglo-Saxon comes from two

Germanic tribes: the Angles and the
Saxons.
This period of literature dates back to
their invasion (along with the Jutes) of
Celtic England by 449 AD. The era ends
in 1066 when Norman France, under
William, conquered England.
Celtic England
Old English
The English language is the result of the
gradual fusion of the Germanic dialects
spoken by the Angles, Saxons and Jutes.
The early form of English is called Old
English.
But watch out: Most English words
connected to the Chirstian religion and
liturgy come from Latin.
Old English
 Old English had a particular type of alphabet:
the Futhark (or Futhork).
The spelling and the pronunciation of

Old English are so different from
present-day English that, except for a
few words, make it virtually
incomprehensible to a modern reader.
Old English (Anglo-Saxon)

Period
(449–1066)
Anglo Saxon Invasion

 The Anglo Saxons were first
invited to Britain by the King to
help him fight Picts and Scots.
 Angles & Saxons imposed their
language and warrior culture
on most of Britain.
 With them, they brought fierce
loyalty and scops/ bards.
Picts and Scots: groups of ancient people who lived in Scotland,
especially eastern and northern Scotland, during Roman times.
Religion
 Anglo Saxon had warrior
gods.
 It was a dark, fatalistic
religion.
 Woden was the god of
death. He helped humans
communicate with spirits
and was associated with
burial rites.
Much of the first half of this period—

prior to the seventh century, at least—
had oral literature.
A lot of the prose during this time was
a translation of something legal,
medical, or religious in nature.
Monks and Monasteries
 Monasteries were centers of learning where
monks wrote down works that had been
passed on only by word of mouth for
centuries.
 English gained respect as a written language.
Bards
 Bards (kind of poet) were the storytellers of this time.
They wrote of great battles and sang/spoke in public
halls, usually strumming harps.
 Writing poetry was as important as fighting, hunting,
farming, or loving.
 They emphasized that life is hard and ends in death.
 Bards worked hard at writing poetry because this
was the only way they could fight against death – the
warriors in their tales would be famous after death.
 Because of this, Bards were given favors by the
warriors and held in high regard.
The most significant work in
Literature of this time period was
the epic poem Beowulf

The manuscript that is preserved dates

back to the end of the X century or the
beginning of the XI, but there is no doubt
that the poem was written long before
that.
Beowulf is compossed of 3.182 verses.
It is written in alliterative verses, what was

common in the poetry of Old English.
Beowulf is considered as one of the oldest
English poems that is still preserved.
Alliterative: using the same sound or sounds, especially
consonant sounds, at the beginning of several words that are
close together: Busy as a bee / out of order / Home sweet
home/ Quick question…
There is no information about the autor of

the poem. People usually refer to him as
“Beowulf´s poet".
The date in which it was written is also

unknown. It is said it could have been
written between the VII and the XI
centuries AD.
The poem deals about the legendary figure
of Beowulf, a hero of the Geats (gautas),
who were Germanic people from the north,
to the south of Sweden.
Beowulf fights against various monsters

and governs the kingdom for about 50
years (THIS IS THE THEME).
The plot of Beowulf

Identify the important elements present
in the following análisis (plot, setting,
etc.):
The world of Beowulf and his

contemporaries was decidedly pagan.
Everything that happens in the poem

takes place long before the conversion
of Scandinavia.
The story takes place within the
Germanic warrior culture of pre-
Christian times. Lords like
Hrothgar and Beowulf give
magnificent banquets, lead their
armies in battle, and reward
their followers with treasure and
gifts.
These were the values of the
ancient people of Scandinavia
described in the poem, but they
were also the values of the
Anglo-Saxon nobility long after
the arrival of Christianity.
Homework 1: Rehearse and act

out the segment given by the
teacher.
The Norman Invasion- 1066
 William the Conqueror crossed the English
Channel in 1066 and defeated the Anglo Saxon
armies at the Battle of Hastings.
 This ended the Anglo-Saxon culture and proved to
be one of the pivotal points in world history.

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CARRERA DE EPDAGOGÍA DE LOS

BRITISH AND AMERICAN

Unit 1. Brief overview of English

Why Study British Literature?

Human History Linked to Literature

Why do you think so?

Before & During the Anglo Saxon

Time Periods of the British World

The Roman Empire

Pagan: belonging or relating to a religion that worships many

The term Anglo-Saxon comes from two

The spelling and the pronunciation of

Old English (Anglo-Saxon)

Anglo Saxon Invasion

Much of the first half of this period—

The most significant work in

Literature of this time period was

the epic poem Beowulf

The manuscript that is preserved dates

It is written in alliterative verses, what was

There is no information about the autor of

The date in which it was written is also

Beowulf fights against various monsters

The plot of Beowulf

The world of Beowulf and his

Everything that happens in the poem

Homework 1: Rehearse and act

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