History of English Literature

1. History of English Literature Elizabethan Period ( 1550 – 1620) The History of English Literature, YK, 2005/2006

2. Renaissance period • In the 14th century in Italy • The revelation of thought of Western European people from the middle age • Their behaviours & thoughts were very limited  determined by traditions & church • Arabian works, followed by Greeks’ classic works • Never happened before • Humanism  ism which believes that study about human’s written works (classic) is more advantageous for human needs generally than obsolete theology • Church’s authority replaced by science • Passive attitude changed with self-looking attitude The History of English Literature, YK, 2005/2006

3. More about general characteristics: • Characteristics: free, enthusiastic, individualistic, realistic, daring to act, having strong persistence in inventing new things & secularized • During Elizabeth I  Renaissance spirit was extremely strong in England  signified by patriotism, religious toleration, social harmony, intellectual improvement, & high spirit. All reflected in the works during that period (golden age) • Drama mostly developed very quickly (Shakespeare) • Early modern English • Synthetic grammar (using form of words to show the relation between sentences <old English>  Analytical grammar (using word order & functional words) • Language became simpler The History of English Literature, YK, 2005/2006

4.  Poetry • Edmund Spenser (1552 – 1599)  influenced by Chaucer • The Faery Queen written in new stanza pattern called “Spenserian Stanza” • Shepherd’s Calendar consists of 12 stanza, each represents one month  pastoral lives • Petrarch (The 14th century Italian artist)  allegorical purposes • Spencer was an idealist  depicted man how man should be depicted based on his sight. He didn’t have sense of humour  his works tended to reshuffle. He lived in his own imagination. To strengthen, he used some ancient words so that his poems were hard to understand • Many other active artists • Writing poems were just side work; mostly in the government, business & politics • Thomas Sackville, Philip Sydney, George Chapman, Michael Drayton The History of English Literature, YK, 2005/2006

5.  Prose • John Lily (1554 – 1606) Euphues the Anatomy of Wit (1578) feeling, moral contemplation  common characters  later known with “euphuism” : consisting of long sentences & full of metaphors • Pastoral romance Arcadia by Philip Sydney  now identical with “pastoral nature” • Picaresque Chronicle derived from Spanish “picaro” meaning “criminal”  pioneer of “gangster” novels  realistic story & rougher language  Thomas Nash (1567 – 1601) The Unfortunate Traveller, The Life of Jack Wilton (1594) • Renaissance created critical attitude  literature criticism (formerly in Italy spread out to Western Europe) • Apologia for Poetrie (1595) by Philip Sydney  the first literary criticism in English  based on Aristoteles’ principles  language used was very complicated • Non-fiction prose by Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626): a philosopher, politician, judge, & artist The Advancement of Learning and Essays • From “euphuism” to close-to-modern scientific prose style: short & condensed The History of English Literature, YK, 2005/2006

6.  Drama • Drama developed very rapidly during Elizabethan Age  reaching its artistic level, no longer used to teach religion or moral but to show human’s life • A drama talks about a matter or a conflict • Always started with “exposition”, followed with Complication” and then “Climax” or ‘Crisis’, closed with “Denoument”  solution (in comedy) and disaster (in tragedy) • Classic & Romantic Drama • Three unities: Time, place & act, supported with chorus • Ralph Roister Doister: the first comedy which applied classical principles The History of English Literature, YK, 2005/2006

7. More about drama…. • From classic to romantic  Marlowe, Shakespeare, John Lily & Thomas Kid • John Lily developing euphuism  comedies: Endymion, the Man in the Moon, Alexander and Campaspe.  classic Mythology and history  the first British playwright using “high comedy”  the life & gentle feeling of cultured people or top people • Thomas Kid The Spanish Tragedy (1585)  passion as the theme  inspired Marlowe & Shakespeare • Ben Jonson ( 1573-1637)  realism: Every Man in His Humour based on ancient Greek medical science about humour  there are four substances in human body: “blood”, “phlegm”, “choler”, & “black bile”. Volpone, The Alchemist. • Other playwrights  sensationalism: Beaumont, Fletcher, John Webster, Thomas Dekker & Philip Massinger. The History of English Literature, YK, 2005/2006