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The ENGLISH Renaissance (1485-1660). A Period of Rebirth. A Shift in Values and Views…. The Medieval world view which focused on religion and the afterlife, moved to a more modern view that focused on human life here on earth.
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The ENGLISH Renaissance(1485-1660) A Period of Rebirth
A Shift in Values and Views… • The Medieval world view which focused on religion and the afterlife, moved to a more modern view that focused on human life here on earth. • The previous “darkness” of the Medieval period was replaced by a love of nature, the arts, literature, and human nature. • A reinterpretation of Europe’s pre-christian past was done, using the arts and philosophies of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
There was an expansion of the scientific, geographical, and philosophical boundaries of the medieval world. • Challenged authority and old “truths”. • New emphasis on the individual and on the development of human potential.
The “Renaissance man” • A multi-faceted person who cultivated his innate talents to the fullest potential. • The term is often applied to great thinkers of the Renaissance who excelled at multiple fields of the arts and science. Examples are Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo, and Copernicus.
The reign of king henry viii Considered a Renaissance Man, Henry VIII was a skilled athlete, poet, and musician, who was well educated in several languages. During his reign, the Protestant Reformation was sweeping across Northern Europe. Henry, however, remained loyal to Rome initially.
But after 18 yrs. of marriage to Catherine of Aragon (his older brother’s former wife), which produced only a daughter (Mary), Henry became obsessed with having a male heir. • Henry requested an annulment of his marriage to Catherine so that he could marry Anne Boleyn, but the pope refused. • As a result, Henry broke away from the Roman church and declared himself head of the Church of England (Anglican Church). • Henry gained much support for his action; those who openly opposed were executed.
Ironically, Anne also only produced a daughter, Elizabeth, and she was executed on a charge of adultery. • Henry finally got a male heir (Edward VI) from his third marriage, however the boy was sickly and weak and only ruled for 6 years after taking the throne at the age of 9 in 1547. • Edward’s rule saw England’s full conversion to Protestantism, but upon his death and Mary’s appointment to the throne, that was about to change.
Bloody Mary • Queen Mary’s attempts to reintroduce Catholicism to England and her bloody persecution of Protestants earned her the nickname Bloody Mary. • Upon her death in 1558, England eagerly welcomed her half-sister Elizabeth to the throne.
The Elizabethan era • Elizabeth I became queen after Mary’s death. However, her ascension to the throne almost didn’t happen. • Shortly after her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed, the 3yr old Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. • However, 8yrs later, Parliament restored her title and her succession as third in line for the throne, after Edward and Mary. • Elizabeth is recognized as one of the greatest rulers in English history.
Elizabeth is recognized as one of the greatest rulers in English history. It was during her reign that the English Renaissance reached its height and England enjoyed a time of prosperity and international prestige. Elizabeth was a practical, disciplined, and frugal ruler intent on balancing the national budget.
She played the game of politics well: exercised absolute authority while she remained sensitive to public opinion and respectful of Parliament. reestablished the independent Church of England, thereby creating a buffer between the Roman Catholics and Protestants. kept England out of costly wars and ended the unpopular Spanish alliance that was created by her grandfather, Henry VII. used her singlehood to her advantage, by exploiting the possibility of marriage the “virgin queen” influenced courtiers both at home and in foreign lands.
The stuarts • With the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, the reign of the House of the Tudors ended and the reign of the House of Stuarts began. • James VI of Scotland, cousin of Elizabeth, took the throne as James I of England. • Like Elizabeth, he was a very educated monarch and wrote several pieces of literature. • Several aspects of Shakespeare’s Macbeth may have been influenced by James I. • He was a target of the unsuccessful Gunpowder Plot of 1605, where a group of radicals, including Guy Fawkes, tried to blow up Parliament.
Charles I took the throne in 1625. • Unlike Elizabeth, both James and Charles quickly gained oppositions for their actions and views. • As a result of his dismissal of Parliament and subsequent need to reconvene it, Charles I was stripped of many of his powers and plunged England into civil war.
Literary Developments • By 1500, Middle English had evolved into an early form of the modern English spoken today. • The English vocabulary grew as new ideas and discoveries led to the creation of new words. • During King Henry VIII’s reign, the Italian form of poetry known as the sonnet, was introduced to England. • Drama, or plays, blossomed during this age, with the help of Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, who defined tragedies and comedies.
