Literatura inglesa

ACTIVITY Nº 1

* What are some similarities and differences between Cuchulain and Beowulf?

The most outstanding similarity is the fact they are considered two important pieces of Englishliterature. At first these poems were preserved orally, and it passed thousands years until they get to written version. In their way to it, they were influenced by Christianity, poets, medieval copyists,among others. Referring to the principal characters, Cuchulain and Beowulf were considered heroes in their times with supernatural powers and special characteristics like courage and strength. On theother hand, one important difference is the origin and date in which they take place. Cuchulain is a Celtic poem that took place in the first century; in contrast, Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon poem thattook place in the early sixth century.
* Choose one of the tales of “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer and make an analysis 
The Knight's Tale is about Arcite and Palamon who arecaptured under the order of Theseus. While imprisoned, both see Emily and fall instantly in love with her. Theseus sets a duel between them for Emily's affection. During the battle, Arcite is victorious,but as soon as he is crowned, he is killed. Before he dies, he tells Palamon, he deserves to marry Emily. At the end, Palamon and Emily finally get married. One of the main themes is Christianity; theTales as a whole take place on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury. Justice and judgement is another theme present, in which Chaucer puts two things together and invites the evaluation of onecharacter versus the other. 
The outstanding motif is Romance, which is always present in a tale about knights and ladies. The Knight’s Tale incorporates romantic elements in an ancient classicalsetting. Finally, an important symbol is springtime that evokes love, evidenced by the moment when Palamon first sees Emily. 

* Analyze the poem Amoretti by Edmund Spencer

Spencer wrote Amoretti about...