18. British literature base on my own experience

• Author and the period

• Title, genre

• Plot (zápletka) / the story / the setting briefly

• Characters

• Reasons

• Know at least 3 more writers, their works and background

19) British literature based on my experience

For the topic British literature I have chosen The Canterbury tales because the main theme is quite pretty and I also saw a performance which was made by a few young people in my ages in Drak theatre.

Whole story is a collection of 24 stories written in Middle English (14th century) by Geoffrey Chaucer. The tales are mostly written in verse, but also some are in prose. They are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine (svatyně) of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.

G. Chaucer was the most famous poet (básník) in English Middle Ages (středověk) and also important politician. He was born 1340 and died 1400 in London.

He was child of commons family (měšťanská rodina). In his early ages became page-boy (páže), soldier, courtier (dvořan) and so on. He step by step worked in service of Edward III., Richard II. Henry IV. His pattern used to be Petrarca, Alighieri and Boccacio from Italy and some other writers from renaissance.

It is interesting that he used the dialect of London, which became later on the basis of Standard English.

Stories are humorous, erotic and also serious. In the collection there are many kinds of genres. For example knightly (rytířský) roman and its parody, fable (bajka) and legends. Because of the Chaucer’s pattern are Canterbury tales remarkably (nápadně) similar to Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio.

The Wife of Bath's Tale is among the best-known of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

A boy from the Arthur’s retinue (Artušova družina) met a lonely girl and raped (znásilnit) her. He should be executed (popraven) but the queen prayed for (prosila za) him and saved his life. She resolved (rozhodla) that he will come back after year and say her what women likes the most.

So boy went over the world and met old ugly woman. She answered his question but boy had to promise to do what she will want. In the end the boy had to marry the old woman. He was unhappy but suddenly ugly old woman has transformed to young and beautiful woman.

In my opinion is good to commemorate these 3 authors who wrote in the same background. William Shakespeare, Giovanni Boccaccio, Dante Alighieri.

Everyone lived and created in renaissance.

W. Shakespeare is one of the most famous writers. He used to write drama (tragedy, comedy) and also historical prose. His important dramas are Othello, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew (Zkrocení zlé ženy).

G. Boccaccio is also very well-known person. He came from Italy and became famous thanks to Decameron which is huge story of 100 novels written in 10 days.

D. Alighieri wrote The Divine comedy (Božská komedie). “Divine” has no connection with God.(It may have shown – není to blbost?) how the story tremendous was. Comedy also doesn’t mean that it is humorous but in renaissance this meant lower literature for common people. It is divided into three parts paradise, hell, purgatory (očistec).