The Renaissance

1. The Renaissance 1485-1625

2. Three Sources of Knowledge • Five senses: hearing, seeing, tasting, feeling, and smelling • Helps to understand world around us • Smell citrus, feel tough outer skin, see the color orange • Children start out in this state • Slave to desires/needs A child is but a slave To that which he needs Crying for milk Tears coming down in beads

3. The Second Source of Knowledge • Reason and Intellect • “Reason is a mental faculty (or ability) found in humans, that is able to generate conclusions from assumptions or premises. In other words, it is amongst other things the means by which rational beings propose specific reasons, or explanations of cause and effect.1” • First establish by Greeks such as Aristotle and Plato One elevates by reason To a lofty station Concluding from nature To reach the Destination 1http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reason

4. The Third Source of Knowledge • Revelation (الوحي) • Al-Qur’an • Al-Hadith • Story of Imam Abu Hanifah Sufficient for us What is in the nass From Allah we learn To Him we return

5. Muslim ‘Aqidah • ‘Aqidah • عقد is literally to tie a knot • العقيدةهوعقدالقلب • ‘Aqidah represents the beliefs of the heart • Originally Surah al-Ikhlaswas sufficient

6. Introduction of Greek Philosophy • Early in 9th century CE (2rd century AH) saw an influx of Greek texts into Muslim lands • Mostly the translators were Christians • Caliphs at the time pushed for this (Al-Ma’mun (CE 813-33) and Al-Mu’tasim (CE 833-42)) • Many of the ideas challenged Islam • Example: One of the basic axioms of Greek philosophy is that “nothing can come from nothing” (Walzer13). • Allah created the entire world from nothing.

7. Reactions • Some completely embraced Greek philosophy • Others completely rejected • Others still found a middle road of using Greek philosophy to explain depth of ‘Aqidah • IbnRushd (Averroes) said Greek philosophy and religion are both paths to the same destination • Similar trend in European history

8. The European Middle Ages • High emphasis on religion • Beowulf: dealt with pagan themes but put a Christian spin on it

9. The Renaissance • French word: “rebirth” or “renewal” • Began in Italy • Printing press: 1450’s • Return to studying ancient texts of Greeks and Romans

10. The Renaissance Cont. • Humanism • Celebrated the individual • Stimulated the study of Greek and Roman literature and culture • Was supported by wealthy patrons • Jacob Burckhardt says the Renaissance represented “the discovery of the world and of man.”

11. The Other Side • Middle Ages – highest wisdom was knowledge of divine things • Learned by God’s grace and through revelation • Renaissance – deprecation of contemplative life rooted in faith and praise of active life and study of political and social man • Etienne Gibson says, “The difference between the Renaissance and the Middle Ages was not a difference by addition but by subtraction. The Renaissance, as it has been described to us, was not the Middle Ages plus man, but the Middle Ages minus God, and the tragedy is that in losing God the Renaissance was losing man himself” (Barnet X).

12. Christopher Marlowe • Parents: John and Katherine Marlowe • Father was shoemaker • Lived in Canterbury, England • Received scholarship to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University

13. Christopher Marlowe Cont. • BA in 1584; MA in 1587 • 1587 Cambridge first refused to grant his Master’s because of Marlowe’s absences from college, but Queen Elizabeth’s Privy Council sent a letter stating: “that in all his accions he had behaved him selfeorderlie and discreetliewherebie he had done her Majestie good service, & deserved to be rewarded for his faithful dealinge…” • Frequent trips to Rheims, France--to visit or spy on Catholics?

14. Death • May 30, 1593 • Murder said to have been committed in the private room of house in Deptford • Puritans gloated that it was a judgment from God • Marlowe had been arrested on May 20th. • Charged with Atheism • Heresy • Burning at the stake • Was released with a lesser sentence

15. Death • Marlowe was with friends and acquaintances of Walsingham • An argument erupted • Marlowe drew the dagger of Ingram Frizer • tried to stab Frizer • Instead, received fatal stab wound over his right eye • Some speculate his death to be a government plot • Frizer was released without trial within 28 days of the brawl

16. Works • Dido Queen of Carthage (1586) • Tamburlaine, I and II (1587-88) • The Jew of Malta (1590) • The Massacre at Paris (1590) • Edward II (1592-93) • Dr. Faustus (1594)

17. Probably written in 1592 Reinvention of an old motif Individual who sells his or her soul to the devil for knowledge Based on a real person Johannes Faustus Disreputable German astrologer (early 1500’s) Dr. Faustus

18. Immediate source is a German work from 1587 Marlowe’s Faustus is the first famous version of the story Later, Romantic writers would revisit it Goethe “Faustian bargain” – any deal made for short-term gain with great costs in the long run More about Faustus

19. Sources • www.wepapers.com/Papers/.../The_English__Renaissance.ppt • teacher.cgs.k12.va.us/rsmith/English9/Faustus%20BD%202.ppt • gosps.net/faculty/WSigler/.../Faustus/Faustus%20pwr%20pnt.ppt • Walzer, Richard. Greek Into Arabic: Essays on Islamic Philosophy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1962. Print. • Marlowe, Christopher, and Sylvan Barnet. Doctor Faustus. New York: Signet Classics, 1969. Introduction. Print.