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7. LITERATURĘ

7.1. The British classics

7.1.1. William Shakospeare is considered the greatest British playwńght. He wat born at Stratford-on-Avon in 1564. He was educated at Grammar School in Stratford which 4 was known for its high standards of teaching In 1582, he married Annę Hathway and they had three children In 1592. Shakespeare left his family and went to London. He ąuickty¹ madę friends with the best contemporary actors and set up his own theatre. the Globe Hi$ company, known as the King's Men. performed most of his plays at the Globe. Shakespeare j occasionally appcared as an actor himself but he was much better at writing plays. About 1610. he came back to Stratford, where he died in 1616.

The greatest of Shakespeare's contributions to literaturę was creating a new form of j drama which did not abide by the rules of classical poetics. He wrote plays for the averago ] theatre-goer. They reflected "the very age and body* of his epoch and showed a great i understanding of human actiwties of all kind. His plays are roughfy divided into comedies. ^ tragedies and histories. The most popular ones are Hamlet. Macbeth. King Lear. Romeo and i Juliet. Much Ado about Nothing and The Tammg of tho Shrew.

It is less known that Shakespeare was also one of the most accomplished of Britain's ] poets. His Sonnets show his extraordmary powcrs of expression and his deep understanding of human naturę

7.1.2. Goorgo Gordon Lord Byron was one of the most distinguished Romantic \ poets. He was born in 1788 in an anstocratic family and his life was stormy and eventful. He : was considered a rebel who defied all social conventions. Branded as a man deprived of all | morał norms, he left England forever in 1816 and travel.'ed widely across Europę. He died of \ fever in 1824, fighting for Greek independence.

In his poems. lyrics and drama. Byron created a type of a 'romantic hero' personifying ; the fundamental conflicts of the epoch A typical example of a 'Byronie' hero was Childo ' Harold from his poem ChHde Harold's Pilgrimage. He also wrote the poetical poems Giaour and Don Juan. and a drama. Manfred

7.1.3. Charlos Dickens was the most popular novelist in the 19* century. He came from a poor family and was not well educated. He left school at the age of tweive and worked in a factory. His novels often tell stories about young children who have to work hard to escape poverty. for example Oliver Twist.

Dickens was the main representative of realism in literaturę. In his novels he mocked and denounced the social evils and all sorts of deplorable things which were part of the N/ictorian scene. Still, his works are generally rather optimistic. saturated with humour and sentimentality His best-known novels are The Posthumous Paper of the Pickwick Club . A Christmas Ca roi. David Copporfield. Groot Expectalions and A Tale ofTwo Citios

7.1.4. Charlotto, Emily and Ann BrontO wor<j Uto monl diatinguished womon In the 19th contury. They were the daughters ot a parish pnost They grew up in a ? populated and dismal Yorkshire moorland. The umque atmosphcre of that place had Influence on their writing.

The sisters wrote under pseudonyms because at that time it was improper fc len to write. The best known nove! of AnrTs was Agnes Gray, a sentimental rc iartotte‘s greatest literary achievement was Jano Eyro. a moving story about the isitive and romantic govemess. However. all the critics agree that Emily surpaa Iters. Her famous novel. Wuthering Heights. is considered a literary masterpieco. łntic story of love. hatred, passion and destruction. The novel was later mado ! film versions.

flCABULARŁA

ssie • klasyk

jht * dramaturg

f make friends - zaprzyjaźnić się [to set up-założyć fCompany - tu: grupa teatralna j lo perform plays - odgrywać sztuki Kfconthbution - wkład, zasługa _LI0 abide by • przestrzegać

ssical pootics - klasyczna poetyka | to reflect - odzwierciedlać "Much Ado about Nothing" - "Wiele hałasu o nic" [‘The Taming of the Shrew" - 'Poskromienie

złośnicy"

łished - znakomity, utalentowany flónnet - sonet

r power of expression - siła wyrazu human naturę - natura ludzka

lished - wybitny [stormy - burzliwy |ęvontful - urozmaicony, burzliwy robę! • buntownik |to defy - lekceważyć, ignorować ition - konwenans bronded - napiętnowany to deprive - pozbawić to travel wdcly - dużo podróżować poem - poemat łyric - wiersz liryczny

drama - dramat

romantic hero - romantyczny bohater to personify • uosabiać fundamental - podstawowy epoch - epoka

poetical poem - powieść poetycka

novelist - powieściopisarz poverty - ubóstwo representative - przedstawiciel to mock • wyśmiewać, wykpić to denounce - demaskować, obnażać c<j social evils - krzywdy społeczne deplorable - godny pożałowania to saturate - przesycić sentimentality - scntymentalność "A Christmas Carol’ - "Opowieść wigilijn "Great Expectations* - "Wielkie nadziejo

parish priest - pleban

sparsely populated - słabo zaludniony

influence - wpływ

pseudonym - pseudonim

sentimental romance - sentymentalny n

literary achievement - literackie osiągni

moving - wzruszający

govemess - guwernantka

"The Wuthering Heights" - "Wichrowo \

literary masterpieco - arcydzieło literaci