Evolution of British Literature
The historical events and mentality of a time period are a major influence on the context and style of that particular times literature. British Literature experienced many metamorphoses through the year's 449-1660. The literature traveled through four distinct periods. Beginning with the Anglo-Saxons moving through the medieval and Renaissance periods and ending with the writings of the 17th century. The Anglo-Saxons were the beginning of British Literature. The Anglo-Saxons began the year 440 by advancing on what is today England. The Angles and the Saxons were known as ferocious, they didn't wage war on the British heartland out of mere spite. They conquered and won over territory enabling them to construct caps which later turned into towns and cities. Weapons weren't the only things the invading people brought with them. They used a highly organiz4ed system of tribal units each led by a king. Gradually, these units merged together forming seven large bands. The amalgamation of different tribes produced a new language, "Anglo-Saxon or Old English to distinguish it from our modern form (Bowler 3)." The Anglo-Saxons also brought with them their pagan beliefs. The people lo
"O, I die, Horatio! That potent poison quite o'er crows my spirit (Shakespeare: Act 5, Scene 2, lines 389-390). His writing was an excellent description of the feudalistic society in which he lived. This was a deeply emotional story for Milton to write for he now had major difficulty doing what he love, writing, because of his impending blindness. "The major literary figure of the 17th Century was John Milton. Revolt and public disapproval of the unfair treatment began to spread. Also, Christianity crept into the writing as seen in statements like "God must decide who will be given to deaths cold grip" (Beowulf 269), as well as "they gave thanks to God for their easy crossings (Beowulf 143). to ride abroad and had followed chivalry (Chaucer 43-45)" to the "Monk there was of the finest sort who rode the country and hunting was his sport (Chaucer 169-170). "Because of their eloquent language and their depth and complexity, Shakespeare's plays have retained their popularity for centuries along with many other literary works of the Renaissance time period (Bowler 199). " Not once did Shakespeare mention God or religion in Hamlet and his sonnets dealt mainly with love and the feelings of people in general. This liberal writing style of the Renaissance lasted until 1625. A king would grant some land to the Church and then parcel out manors to his knights who agreed to defend and serve the king and his property. The Tales are a social commentary of the late Middle Ages. Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, is an example of such a drama. This is just one example of many that shows how Hamlet deals with the events in his life. It was believed that all human life was in the hand of fate and all the gods they worshiped were Germanic.
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