1. British Literature
Mgr. Petr Kalus

2. ANOTACE Kód DUMu: VY_32_INOVACE_4.AJ.02
Číslo projektu: CZ.1.07/1.5.00/
Vytvořeno: říjen 2012
Ročník: 3. ročník a 4. ročník – čtyřleté gymnázium (RVP-G), Septima a Oktáva – osmileté gymnázium (RVP-G)
Anotace:
Vzdělávací oblast
Jazyk a jazyková komunikace
Vzdělávací obor
Anglický jazyk
Tematický okruh
BRITSKÁ LITERATURA
Tento materiál byl vytvořen jako osnova pro maturitní okruh: Britská literatura na Gymnáziu a
JŠ Svitavy na několik tematicky propojených hodin (pro výklad i opakování – shrnutí učiva).
Obsahuje přehled faktografických údajů doplněný o otázky typu multiple-choice, doplňovací i spojovací
cvičení.
Je primárně zaměřen na dva poslední ročníky gymnázia, i přesto se dá využít i v nižších ročnících
osmiletého i čtyřletého studia vcelku nebo jeho jednotlivé části.
Pomůcky: interaktivní tabule

3. BRITISH LITERATURE
(1)

4. Contents What is British literature?
Timeline – milestones in British literature
Nobel Prize winners
Self-check – Have I learnt anything?

5. What is British literature?
The term British literature is widely used for literary works produced by British authors from the British Isles. It includes not only literature from England, but also from Scotland, Nothern Ireland, Wales, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. The works are mostly written in the English language, although some works are written in Latin, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic etc.

6. British literature timeline
OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE ( )
MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE ( )
RENAISSANCE ( )

7. British literature timeline
RESTORATION LITERATURE ( )
ROMANTIC AGE ( )
VICTORIAN ERA ( ) AND MODERN/POSTMODERN LITERATURE (20TH CENTURY)

8. Old English literature
the earliest form of English, often called Anglo-Saxon literature
the greatest literary work from this time is an epic poem called Beowulf (author is unknown)
Beowulf vs. Grendel
the second most important piece of writing: Anglo Saxan Chonicle: an early history of the country

9. Grendel and Beowulf
(2)
(3)

10. Middle English literature
a time of brave knights
literature heavily influenced by religion
the main fce of literature: moral education
the greatest author of the time: Geoffrey Chaucer (nicknamed the father of English poetry)
Canterbury Tales: Chaucer’s masterpiece, pilgrims travelling from London to Canterbury

11. Geoffrey Chaucer and his Canterburry tales
(4)
(5)

12. Renaissance
characterised by a shift in literature from religious themes to life on earth
major themes: human potential, love
sonnets and drama written in verse became popular
the leading writers of the time were William Shakespeare, John Milton (Paradise Lost), John Donne, Chritopher Marlowe and Andrew Marwell

13. The greatest Renaissance poets
(6)
(7)

14. Restoration revolutionary struggle: King‘s army vs. O. Cromwell
an age of reason
the origins of English grammar date back to this era
18th century was a real milestone in British literature because it is believed that English novel was born: Robinson Crusoe (1719) by Daniel Defoe is considered the first novel in English literature
major writers: Alexander Pope, Daniel Defoe, Jonathan Swift (Gulliver‘s travels) and Samuel Johnson

15. Daniel Defoe and Jonathan Swift
(8)
(9)

16. Romanticism romanticism has nothing to do with love
the romantic hero: lonely, still looking for sth.
the stories are set in remote exotic settings
the main theme is nature, writers were interested in the natural world around them
lyricial balads and gothic novels were very popular
major writers: Jane Austen, Mary Shelley (Frankenstein – gothic novel), George Gordon, Lord Byron, Sir Walter Scott, William Wordsworth, William Blake, John Keats

17. Lord Byron and Mary Shelley
(10)
(11)

18. Victorian literature
the era was marked by a great conflict between the poor and the rich: depicted in the books by Charles Dickens
novels were becoming more and more popular.
serialized novels and magazines were extremely popular with readers
the books often described society (social problems)
authors: Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Rudyard Kipling, The Bronte sisters,Thomas Hardy, G.B. Shaw

19. Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde
(12)
(13)

20. Modern and post-modern literature
a loss of a hero in literature
the main theme was technology‘s destruction of society
an important literary movement: modernism – writers started writing in a style called a stream of consciousness (e.g. James Joyce, Virginia Woolf)
authors: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, George Orwell, D.H. Lawrence, Dylan Thomas, Doris Lessing ...
contemporary writers: Zadie Smith, Ian McEwan, Peter Ackroyd

21. Virginia Woolf James Joyce George Orwell
(14)
(15)
(16)

22. Zadie Smith and Ian Mcewan
(17)
(18)

23. Nobel Prize winners in British literature
British literature has always played an important role on the global stage with its iconic personalities such as William Shakespeare, Geoffrey Chaucer, Charles Dickens and many others.
many British authors (or authors considering the UK their home) have been awarded The Nobel Prize for their achievements in literature.

24. Rudyard Kipling ( )
(19)
the first English writer that was awarded the Nobel Prize
his books often deal with imperial exploits and heroism of British soldiers
well-known for Gunga Din, If, The White Man‘s Burden, The Jungle Book (children‘s stories)

25. John Galsworthy ( )
(20)
received the Nobel Prize a year before his death
a successful novelist
famous for his novel The Forsythe Saga and its sequels A Modern Comedy and End of the Chapter

26. T.S. Elliot ( )
(21)
born in St. Louis, so he was an American but he spent most of his life in Britain.
a modernist (stream of consciousness).
his famous works include Alfred Prufrock and The Waste Land – depicts the horror of World War One.

27. Bertrand Russell ( )
(22)
one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century
awarded the Nobel Prize for his works in philosophy
renowned for A History of Western Philosophy, On Denoting, Principia Mathematica

28. Winston Churchill ( )
the British Prime Minister, well-known for his leadership of Britain during World War Two
a great historian and influential writer
Works: The Second World War, A History of the English Speaking peoples
(23)

29. William Golding 1911-1993) the leading author of the 20th century
(24)
the leading author of the 20th century
became very influential after the publication of Lord of the Flies – depicting human bestiality
Works: The Spire, The Inheritors, Rites of Passage

30. Harold Pinter ( )
(25)
a great dramatist of the second half of the 20th century.
his works were appreciated for their psychological insights.
a political activist (for free speech, against war).
works: The Birthday Party, The Homecoming, Betrayal

31. Doris Lessing (1919-)
awarded the Nobel Prize in 2007 at the age of 88 (the oldest person who received the prize)
focused on race relations in the British colony and on female sexuality
works: The Grass is Singing, The Golden Notebook, The Good Terrorist, The Sweetest Dream
(26)

32. What is British literature?
SELF-CHECK
What is British literature?
Choose the correct statement:
British literature refers to works written in England in the English language
British literature refers to all books written in English
British literature refers to works coming from the British Isles but some of them are not written in English
British literature refers to works from Great Britain, some of them written in minority languages (Welsh, Scottish Gaelic)

33. Literary period Time Features Authors Old English
the earliest form of English
religion, moral codes, brave knights depicted in literature
Rennaisance
Shakespeare,……………,………….,………………..
revolution, English novel was born
Romantic age
exotic settings, gothic novels,interest in nature
20th century

34. Who is the Nobel Prize winner?
Nobel Prize winners
Works
Who is the Nobel Prize winner?
Thomas Dylan Rudyard Kipling Thomas Hardy James Joyce Harold Pinter Doris Lessing G.B. Shaw William Golding T.S. Elliot Bertrand Russel Zadie Smith Winston Churchill George Orwell John Galsworthy
The Forsythe Saga The Jungle Book The Waste Land On Denoting The History of English Speaking peoples The Homecoming The Grass is Singing Lord of the Flies

35. Zdroje a použitá literatura
Citace text:
(1) GWYNETH, Roberts; THORNLEY. An Outline of English Literature. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2003, ISBN
(2) PEPRNÍK, Jaroslav. Británie a USA Ilustrované Reálie. Olomouc: Nakladatelství Olomouc, 2004, ISBN
(3) EL-HMOUDOVÁ, Dagmar. Angličtina Maturitní Témata. Třebíč: Petra Velanová, 2006, ISBN
(4) STOREY, Thomas. Defining English literature: British Nobel Prize Winners [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW:

36. Zdroje a použitá literatura
Citace obrázky:
(1) MACTOGRAPHER. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: <
(2) SKELTON. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW:
(3)  SKELTON. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW:
(4) ONBEKEND. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW:
(5)  AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW:
(6) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW:  
(7) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW:
(8) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW:
(9) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW:
(10) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW:

37. Zdroje a použitá literatura
(11) REGINALD EASTON. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (12) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (13) NAPOLEON SARONY. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (14) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (15) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (16) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (17) SHANKBONE, David. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (18) JAMESMH2006. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (19) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (20) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW:

38. Zdroje a použitá literatura
(21) MORRELL, Ottoline. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (22) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (23) BRITISH GOVERNMENT. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (24) AUTOR NEUVEDEN. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (25) СТРУЈАЈОЕ. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: (26) WETZIG, Elke. Wikimedia Commons [online]. [cit ]. Dostupný na WWW: