Chapter1OldandMedievalEnglishLiterature(450—1066-1340)1.Beowulf:atypicalexampleofOldEnglishpoetryisregardedasthenationalepicoftheAnglo-Saxons
Itisanexampleoftheminglingofnaturemythsandheroiclegends.2
Romance:①Itusesnarrativeverseorprosetosingknightlyadventuresorotherheroicdeedsisapopularliteraryforminthemedievalperiod
②Ithasdevelopedthecharacteristicmedievalmotifsofthequest,thetest,themeetingwiththeevilgiantandtheencounterwiththebeautifulbeloved.③Theheroisusuallytheknight,whosetsoutonajourneytoaccomplishsomemissions
Thereareoftenmysteriesandfantasiesinromance
④Romanticloveisanimportantpartoftheplotinromance
Characterizationisstandardized,Whilethestructureislooseandepisodic,thelanguageissimpleandstraightforward.⑤Theimportanceoftheromanceitselfcanbeseenasameansofshowingmedievalaristocraticme