1485 -1660 THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE Renaissance

(1485 -1660) THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE

“Renaissance” means “Rebirth”--Rebirth of interest in the Greek and Latin classics Emphasis on humanistic education for statesmanship Focus on the individual and a concern with the fullest possible cultivation of human potential through proper education; focus on individual consciousness and the Interior mind Concern with the refinement of the language and the development of a national, vernacular literature

The Renaissance started in Italy where wealth from trade supported art learning. Humanism, a system of thought and action concerned with human interests and values, was the dominant movement of the Renaissance. The ideal so-called Renaissance man was successful in business, well-mannered, educated, athletic, and brave.

The Age of Exploration Renaissance thirst for knowledge lead to a great burst of exploration. Crusades opened routes to Asia soon monopolized by Italian merchants. Explorers from other nations searched for all-sea routes aided by compass and advances in astronomy. Culminated in Columbus’s discovery of the New World in 1492 --colonization

The Protestant Reformation: Questioning the Catholic Church A growing sense of nationalism led many to question the authority of the church. Complaints: the sale of indulgences payment to the church (like taxes) church leaders favored Mediterranean powers over northerly countries the educated questioned the Church teachings and hierarchy

Martin Luther German monk Martin Luther nailed a list of dissenting beliefs (“ninety -five theses) to the door of a German church. The intent was to reform the Catholic Church, but actually divided the church and introducing Protestantism.

Results of the Protestant Reformation Swept through Europe Frequent wars between rulers with different beliefs Persecution of Catholics and Protestants Division of Protestants—Lutherans and Calvinists (Puritans and Presbyterian sects)

The brilliant people of the period

Dante Alighieri (1265– 1321) THE DIVINE COMEDY

Francesco Petrarca (1304 – 1374) "Father of Humanism"

Giovanni Boccaccio (1313 – 1375 ) Decameron

Leanardo da Vinci (1452 -1519)

Michelangelo Buonaroti (1475 -1564)

Desiderius Erasmus (1469? -1536) The Praise of Folly 1509,

Raphael (1483 -1520)

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469 -1527), in The Prince (1513) said, basically, one must do whatever one must do to get and stay in power. If it works, it is the "right" thing to do. Forget ideals; lie, cheat, even murder if you must. A stable state is needed.

Chaucer's death starts the transition period in England full of significant changes. The King of England, after the Wars of Roses, assumed greater power than before. 2018/2/10 17

British Monarchs of the Period Last of the Plantagenet Dynasty - Richard II (1367 -1400) War of the Roses 1455 -1485 House of Lancaster House of York House of Tudor

Henry IV (1367 -1413) Lancaster

Henry V (1387 -1422) Lancaster

Henry VI (1421 -1471) Lancaster

Edward IV (1442 -1483) York

Edward V (1470 -1483) York

Richard III (1452 -1485) York

Henry VII (1457 -1509) Tudor o. Established the dynasty o. Inherited an England depleted by civil war o. Rebuilt the treasury and established law and order. o. Restored the prestige of the monarchy and set the stage for his successors.

Henry VIII (1491 -1547) Tudor Catherine of Aragon Anne Boleyn Jane Seymour Anne of Cleves Catherine Howard Catherine Parr

Henry VIII Catholic (even wrote a book against Luther) Relationship with the Pope did not last Marriage to Catherine of Aragon produced no male heir Henry tried to obtain an annulment to marry Anne Boleyn The Pope refused, but Henry married anyway

Henry’s Break with the Church Henry’s defiance led to an open break with the Roman Catholic Church. The Act of Supremacy (1534) gave Henry full control of the Church in England severed all ties with Rome. Henry became the head of the Anglican Church (the new Church of England). He seized Church property and dissolved the monasteries.

Edward VI (1537 -1553) Tudor

Lady Jane Grey (1537 -1554) 9 -day reign

Mary I (1516 -1558) Tudor

Bloody Mary I, Edward’s half sister; a Catholic Mary restored Catholic practices and papal authority to the Church of England. Mary married her Spanish cousin, Phillip II, making England a part of the powerful Spanish state. (During this period of nationalism, many found her acts unpatriotic) Mary also persecuted Protestants: she ordered the execution of some 200 Protestants during her reign, strengthening anti-Catholic sentiment in England

Elizabeth I (1533 -1603) Tudor Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Francis Drake Defeat of the Spanish Armada 1588

Elizabeth I After Mary’s five year reign, her half-sister, Elizabeth came to the throne. Elizabeth was the last of the Tudors, dying unmarried and childless. Elizabeth received a Renaissance education, became a patron of the arts, and Elizabethan came to describe the English Renaissance at its height.

Elizabeth and the Church Ended religious turmoil Reestablished the monarch’s supremacy in the Church of England Restored the Book of Common Prayer Instituted a policy of religious moderation

Mary, Queen of Scots Elizabeth’s Catholic cousin, Mary Stuart; queen of Scotland by birth and next in line to the British throne (granddaughter of Henry VII) Catholics did not recognize Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth’s mother, and considered Mary Stuart the queen. Mary was a prisoner of England for 19 years and the center of numerous plots on Elizabeth’s life. Eventually Mary was convicted of plotting to murder Elizabeth and went to the block in 1587, a Catholic martyr. “In my end is my beginning”—Mary’s death led Catholic Spain to declare war on England.

The Spanish Armada After Mary’s execution, King Phillip II prepared a Spanish armada of 130 warships to attack England. In 1588, English sailors defeated the Armada in the English Channel. This event marked the decline of Spain and the rise of England as a great sea power

The Spanish Armada After Mary’s execution, King Phillip II prepared a Spanish armada of 130 warships to attack England. In 1588, English sailors defeated the Armada in the English Channel. This event marked the decline of Spain and the rise of England as a great sea power

From Tudors to Stuarts Elizabeth’s death marked the end of the Tudor dynasty. To avoid civil strife, Elizabeth named King James VI of Scotland her successor (son of Mary Stuart). James was a Protestant. The reign of James I (1603 -1625) is now known as the Jacobean Era

King James I Strong supporter of the arts Furthered England’s position as a world power Sponsored the establishment of the first English colony in America—Jamestown Believed in “divine right” monarchy and had contempt for Parliament (power struggle) Persecuted Puritans (House of Commons)— James’s persecution prompted a group of Puritans to establish Plymouth colony in 1621

The English Renaissance Architects designed beautiful mansions Composers wrote new hymns for Anglican service and popularized the English madrigal Renaissance painters and sculptors moved to England (Hans Holbein the Younger was court painter to Henry VIII) Opened public schools (like private secondary schools today) Improvements at Oxford and Cambridge

Thomas More (1477 ～ 1535) was the leading humanist of his day. Scholar Thinker Statesman Utopia (1516) tells of a journey to an imaginary island named Utopia, where an ideal form of society exists. 2018/2/10 42

Utopia Its title comes from the Greek word meaning “ nowhere ” and was adopted by More as the name of his ideal commonwealth. 2018/2/10 43

Elizabethan Drama Reintroduced tragedies—plays in which disaster befalls a hero or heroine Reintroduced comedies—plays in which a humorous situation leads to a happy resolution. Began using blank verse

Christopher "Kit" Marlowe (baptised 26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593) • The first major English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. • The foremost Elizabethan tragedian next to William Shakespeare, • known for his blank verse, and his own mysterious and untimely death.

Tamburlaine (1587). It is among the first English plays in blank verse, The Dr Jew of Malta, Faustus (1604)

Sonnet A poem of fourteen lines. Renaissance sonnets often dealt with love from afar. A group of sonnets on the same subject are called a sonnet cycle or sequence. There are two popular types:

Sonnet Italian or Petrarchan: Divided into an Octave and a Sestet (8 and 6 lines) Rhyme scheme of abba cdecde

Sonnet Shakespearean or English: Four divisions- three quatrains and a rhymed concluding couplet Typical rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg Spenser sometimes combined the types with what is called a Spenserian Sonnet (very rare)

Edmund Spenser (c. 1552 ～ 1599) the most influential poet and the dominating literary intellect in the late 16 th century in England. 2018/2/10 50

The Shepherd's Calendar (1597) A poem in the traditional pastoral form and his first important work, established his poetic reputation. 2018/2/10 51

The Faerie Queene (1590) Spenser's masterpiece an allegorical epic poem in six books. he devised a verse form called the Spenserian Stanza eight ten -syllable lines, plus a ninth line of 12 syllables, abab bcbc c. 2018/2/10 52

Sir Philip Sidney (1554 -1586) A courtier, soldier, scholar and poet Respected for his intelligence & good judgment at the royal court Most famous work was Astrophel and Stella, England’s first great sonnet sequence Also wrote Defence of Poesy (1579), a defense of literature when it was attacked by the puritans

Francis Bacon (1561 ～ 1626) politician essayist the founder of English materialist philosophy and of modern science in England 2018/2/10 54