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The English Renaissance

The English Renaissance. 1485-1625. English Language Note:. Because the earliest published books (Chaucer and Mallory) were in the East Midland dialect (London), this regional speech became the standard. Renaissance. Doesn’t come to England until late 15th century.

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The English Renaissance

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  1. The English Renaissance 1485-1625

  2. English Language Note: • Because the earliest published books (Chaucer and Mallory) were in the East Midland dialect (London), this regional speech became the standard.

  3. Renaissance • Doesn’t come to England until late 15th century. • Begun in Italy in the 14th century. Epitomized by DaVinci- a Renaissance man- intelligent, painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, scientist- broad education and interests with no bounds to his curiosity. • A. Key Characteristics • New found interest in human beings’ place on earth • Universities introduced “the Humanities” - history. Geography, poetry and modern languages • Invention of moveable type made books available to the masses- Gutenberg’s Bible (1450’s) • More writers began to write in the vernacular… scholars, law, and church still used Latin and Greek. Language began to standardize

  4. B. There was a Slow Spread of ideas- acceptance/ experimentation in the sciences. • C. Age of Exploration • Navigators and explorers • Colonies in Americas • England gets involved in 1497- John Cabot reaches Newfoundland and lays future claims of North America for England • D. Protestant Reformation • Rumblings throughout Europe • People were tired of totalitarianism of Roman Catholic Church • Also sale of indulgences and tithes • Disliked appearance of favoritism toward the southern European countries • Scholars began to question teachings • Martin Luther (1483-1546) • 95 Theses (dissenting beliefs) both sides suffered in this reformation…

  5. II. The Tudors (1485- 1603) • Brought a time of stability and economic expansion • Wool markets, trading companies, city growth

  6. A. Henry VII (1485- 1509) • Rebuilt the treasury, reestablished law and order after War of the Roses • Eldest son (Arthur) married to Catherine of Aragon- daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain- political alliance, large dowry • Arthur’s “unexpected death”; Pope grants dispensation allowing her to marry Henry Jr.

  7. B. Henry VIII (1509-1547) • Handsome, well spoken, athletic, loved to dance, great statesman, poet, musician, liked the ladies. Said to be the handsomest and most eligible bachelor in Europe in his day • Wrote book bashing Martin Luther- Pope names him “defender of the faith” • Catherine gives him 1 daughter- attempts to annul marriage (Biblical “thou shall not covet thy brother’s wife”)- Pope refuses; Henry divorces her; rift between Spain and England • Child Mary is disinherited and declared a “bastard” • Catherine is sent off to Wales

  8. Henry VIII (continued) • 1534- Henry passes the Act of Supremacy- making him head of the Church of England • Seized all properties of the church • Dissolved the monasteries • Sold off church lands to benefit the treasury or made gifts to his loyal followers • Sir Thomas More is executed (former friend and advisor) because he will not renounce faith • Marries Ann Boleyn- she is already pregnant with Elizabeth • Henry marries 4 more times… • Three live children: Mary (Catherine); Elizabeth (Anne); Edward (Jane)

  9. C. Edward VI- crowned at age 9, dies at 15 • Further establishes Anglican Church, Book of Common prayer is required for public worship • Advised heavily by step mother and father’s former advisers • D. Mary I- TOOK the throne from cousin- Bloody Mary • Reinstated the Roman Catholic Church • Married cousin: Philip II of Spain- alienates many in England who see her move as a subjugation of England • Committed many violent acts against Protestants

  10. E. Elizabeth I (1559- 1603) • Renaissance Woman • Patron of the Arts • Reinstated the Anglican Church • Instituted a policy of religious moderation- but she was in hot water with both Protestants and Catholics • Played France and Spain (and all of Europe) off of each other- who would she pick to marry? • Imprisons her cousin (Mary, Queen of Scots)- 19 years… She is the great-granddaughter of Henry VII. • Seen by many as the true heir to the throne • Executed after convicted of plotting against Elizabeth- was it true or was it a set up? 1587 • Advocates piracy… Drake and Hawkins • 1588- Spain attacks; she defeats them

  11. F. James I: The beginning of the Stuarts- 1603-25. Son of Mary, Queen of Scots • Era often called Jacobean- Jacobus= Latin • Sponsored colonialism in Americas • Believed in the “Divine Right of Kings”- often conflicted with Parliament because of this • Liked to spend the $$$ • Charles I (1625- 1649 • Like father, lacked the political savvy and frugality of Elizabeth • 1629- dismisses Parliament for 11 years- • Calls them when he needs $$ to fight Scotland- leads to Civil strife (1637) and then war • 1645- Parliament wins Civil war- stiff penalties for Royalists • 1649- Charles I is beheaded

  12. III. Achievements of the Age • Literature • Architecture • Music • Art • Education

  13. A. Literature • Vernacular is popularized • More, Utopia 1516 • Wyatt introduces the Sonnet • Surrey introduces blank verse

  14. B. Poetry • Lyric Poetry (short, tightly structured, w/ speaker focused on conveying feelings or thoughts) thrived; various forms are experimented with • Sonnet Cycle- group of sonnets loosely fit together to tell a story ( Sidney- Astrophel and Stella) • Edmund Spencer- (1552- 99) sonnets, imaginative epics • Faerie Queen- dedicated to QEI.. Used Spenserian stanzas- 9 line unite, 8 are iambic pentameter, last is alexandrine (12 syll) with ababbcbcc rhyme • Spenserian Sonnet- abab, bcbc, cdcd ee with no break between octave and sestet

  15. Marlowe (1564-93)- playwright, lyric poet • Popularized pastoral verse- idealizes rustic life • Sir Walter Raleigh (1552- 1618)- Poet. Historian, courtier, soldier, explorer • Executed by James I

  16. William Shakespeare (more later) • The Sonnet- 14 lines, set rhyme scheme, 1st 8 lines present the situation, a question, or a problem; last 6 lines answer the first 8. 3 types- (Petrarchan, Shakespearean, Spenserian)

  17. C. Drama • Full bloom during this time • Turn away from religious themes to secular • Tragedies are reintroduced • Mainly written in blank verse • Big shots- “Shake-a-Spear” and Marlowe • Prose • Scholars still preferred Latin- carried over into long words, ornate sentences; difficult for the modern reader to understand • Forerunner of the novel- Thomas Nash’s Unfortunate Traveler (1594) • Francis Bacon- essayist, wrote on many topics including science, philosophy, religion and literature; said once that his life’s work was to learn as much as he could

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