Renaissance n “Renaissance” means “Rebirth” (revival)-- Rebirth of interest in the Greek and Latin classics n Renaissance was a flowering of the arts that swept through Europe starting in Italy in about the late 14 th century
Gutenburg’s printing press 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. made it possible to mass-produce written works Books for everyone Rediscovered manuscripts Science & philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome – distributed on large scale Standardization of the English language Renaissance man: a person of broad education & interest (e. g. 4 -5 languages)
n Explorations: 1492 – New World Exploration n Christopher Columbus n Protestant Reformation: Erasmus questioned the Catholic Church’s interpretation of the Bible n In 1517, Martin Luther nailed a list of grievances to the church door (Ninety-five Thesis) = Protestantism
Protestant Reformation n n 1. 2. 3. 4. Protestant Reformation – swept through Europe, caused wars, persecution of both Catholics and Protestants Protestant Denominations: Germany – Lutherans Switzerland – Calvinism Scotland – Presbyterians England – Anglicans/Puritans
Philosophy of Humanism n They believed, as Alexander Pope was to phrase it much later, that "the proper study of mankind is man", rather than scholastic theology. Theology was no longer accepted as the mother of all sciences
The Tudors - Henry VIII n n n Catherine of Aragon and Princess Mary Anne Boleyn and Princess Elisabeth Jane Seymour and Prince Edward Anne of Cleves Catherine Howard Catherine Parr
Thomas More (1478 -1535) n n a lawyer, a scholar, Lord Chancellor for Henry VIII in 1529. Utopia (meaning: nowhere) - published in Latin in 1516 But More would not accept Henry as head of the church, and would not publicly deny the authority of the Pope. Henry thought to enforce the support of the distinguished man by imprisoning him in the Tower of London. More would not capitulate, and was executed in 1535 for treason. He was canonised four hundred years later.
n Prince Edward (age 9 -12) n Lady Jane Grey – 9 days (protestant) n Under Henry's daughter Mary, Catholicism was restored and Protestants persecuted: burnt as heretics. (Bloody Mary & Spanish king Phillip) n Elizabeth I (the Virgin Queen)
Titans of the Renaissance n essayists/thinkers: n Philip Sidney (major work -The Defense of Poesy - the first example of literary criticism in the English language), n Francis Bacon - the father of empiricism, he created a logical, verifiable way to conduct scientific research.
Titans of the Renaissance n the dramatists - William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson (Volpone, The Alchemist ) n poets: Edmund Spenser (epic allegorical play The Faerie Queene ), John Donne (the head of the metaphysical poetry movement, the works of which often used clever conceits and were philosophical and spiritual in nature)
The Apparition John Donne WHEN by thy scorn, O murd'ress, I am dead, And that thou thinkst thee free From all solicitation from me, Then shall my ghost come to thy bed, And thee, feign'd vestal, in worse arms shall see: Then thy sick taper will begin to wink, And he, whose thou art then, being tired before, Will, if thou stir, or pinch to wake him, think Thou call'st for more, And, in false sleep, will from thee shrink And then, poor aspen wretch, neglected thou Bathed in a cold quicksilver sweat wilt lie, A verier ghost than I. What I will say, I will not tell thee now, Lest that preserve thee; and since my love is spent, I'd rather thou shouldst painfully repent, Than by my threatenings rest still innocent.
courtier, a soldier, a political player, and politician n an assistant to the provincial governor in Ireland n 'A View of the Present State of Ireland' n n wrote this poem as a literary gesture of devotion to the court n n his reputation as a poet was outstanding the sonnet cycle Amoretti and his 'Epithalamion', published in 1595 - written for Spenser's bride-to-be, Elizabeth Boyle, to commemorate and celebrate their love
n based on the legends of Arthur n The subject of the poem is England itself, and it embodies the moral virtues of the nation in a band of knightly heroes n Spenserian stanzas (ababbcbcc) n A LONG narrative poem, an allegorical epic in six books. n “big three” literary devices—allegory, irony, and ambiguity
allegory n representing something abstract through something concrete - or, in the literary sense, it's using characters (or sometimes events or people) to stand in for higher ideas n each knight of Arthur's Round Table stands in for some kind of desirable virtue (a knight named Redcrosse is meant to represent holiness. The cross on his chest symbolizes Christianity, and it is red because it is by the blood of Christ that we are all redeemed) n another major part of Spenser's allegory was incorporating Elizabeth into his story as the Faerie Queen. Her name is Gloriana.
Drama n began to take on its modern form in the playhouses of London in the 16 th and 17 th centuries
enigmatic figure n n n an atheist (atheists were dealt with as harshly as heretics) leading a lawless life, keeping many mistresses, “all they that love not tobacco and boys are fools” lived the 'high life' of London's underworld it's suspected that he was a secret agent for Queen Elizabeth - served his country in France as a spy a violent and mysterious death in 1593 - murdered when he was only 29 years old a rival to Shakespeare - Had Marlowe lived, he might have become an even greater poet than Shakespeare. n He gave English literature blank verse n theme - man’s attempt to become greater than himself n
incredibly popular and influential playwright wrote some poems and translations of Latin works n Dido, Queen of Carthage (1587) n Tamburlaine the Great (1587) - an Asian emperor Timur the Lame - up from being a shepherd to being a ruler n a sequel - The Jew of Malta (1592) - the tale of a merchant, the Jew named Barabas, who plots revenge against Malta because they made him penniless (Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice ). n
posthumously n The Massacre at Paris (1593) - about the Saint n The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus (1592) - edited after Marlowe's death Bartholomew's Day Massacre in Paris in 1572 an adaptation of a German legend. Dr. Faustus, a scientist and magician who is obsessed by the thirst of knowledge. n (the most popular version of the story, the German playwright Goethe's rendition, came over 200 years later) n
The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus n n n focuses on the moral drama of the Renaissance man favorite themes - ambiguous protagonists Faustus, University of Wittenberg. He has mastered rhetoric, philosophy, and theology, law and medicine. He knows everything that a university can teach him, but he seeks the knowledge contained in necromantic books, books of the black art. Mephistopheles What, precisely, would you sell your soul for? Knowledge is power
n What might Christopher Marlowe have achieved had he not been killed so young? n He created some of the foundation stones on which the great edifice of Shakespearean drama would erect itself.
n n n Born April 23 rd, 1564 Stratford-on-Avon, England Grammar School from age 7 to 13 His father, John Shakespeare, owned a shop as a glove maker and also held several government positions, including Mayor of Stratford. Married young, Anne Hathaway worked as a schoolteacher or tutor, joined a troupe of traveling players. By 1594, he had risen to the top of London’s theatrical world as a playwright as well as an actor.
Shakespeare n n n Started out as an actor performing with “The Lord Chamberlain’s Men” (1592) (London theater co. ) Gave him a chance to write a play, principal playwright for them 1599 - Lord Chamberlain built Globe Theater where most of Sh. play’s were performed wrote 37 plays about 154 sonnets
Shakespeare’s Language n. Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English. ” n. Much is written in Blank Verse : –unrhymed verse –iambic (unstressed, stressed) –pentameter( 5 “feet” to a line)
an art of language Shakespeare’s art is an art of language, of an enormous control over the resources of language; n Shakespeare can be said to have reinvented the English language. n He has the largest vocabulary of any author who has ever written. Of that vocabulary, he invented fully 1, 800 words himself, and 1, 200 of those words are still common usage in England n
Critics Rank the Plays n n n Comedies- The Tempest, As You Like It, The Winter’s Tale, The Merchants of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Histories- Henry IV, Henry V, Richard III, Henry VIII Tragedies-Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Othello
Tragedy A tragedy is a dramatic play of human actions that produces exceptional suffering, ending in the death of a tragic hero. n A serious play or drama typically dealing with the problems of a central character, leading to an unhappy or disastrous ending n in modern drama - usually by moral weakness, psychological maladjustment or social pressures. n
tragic hero “Man of high standard who falls from that high because of a flaw that has affected many” – Aristotle n A tragic hero is the main character in a tragedy who makes an error in his actions that leads to his or her downfall. It can also be a flawed character trait. n
Shakespearean Tragedy Good always triumphs in the end. Although the hero has pulled down the world around him, there is someone who restores order at the end of the tragedy. n Tragedies contain the supernatural, such as witches and ghosts. n Tragedies contain characters who experience abnormal psychological states, such as Macbeth’s visions. n
Major tragedies n were composed in the darkest period of Shakespeare’s life and are permeated by a profound sense of gloom
Romeo and Juliet n the most persuasive and impressive representation of a young woman in love My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite
Romeo and Juliet n not a tragic flaw n Juliet’s tragedy is, in fact, her very greatness as a human being. Her tragedy is the fact that she loves without reservation. n not surpassed ever since
Hamlet The play was probably begun in 1599 n a subtle personal family background to Shakespeare’s tragedy of Hamlet - his only son, Hamnet, died at the age of eleven, three years before the play was written n n Hamlet is the most brilliant mind in the entire history of literature
Othello is the African commander of mercenaries for Venice, a figure with a fabulous past, who rose from being an outcast prince of Africa to a boy soldier and has fought his way into the esteem of all of Europe as a great mercenary captain n Desdemona is an extraordinary person, wonderfully capable of a selfless love. n
n based on Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland was written around 1605 -07 but was not published in the first Folio until 1623 n Set in Scotland n Written for King James I (formerly of Scotland, now England) n
What differentiates comedy from tragedy? n n n Drama of state The heroes of tragedy were figures from the nobility. Tragedy was set in the court or in battlefields. Tragedy was the drama of separation. Its characters ended by being isolated from one another. Because the ultimate form of isolation is death, tragedies tended to end in death. Tragedy negotiates notions of law and justice, asking us to worry about what is and is not fair.
What differentiates comedy from tragedy? n n n n Common issues and ordinary people. Comic protagonists came from the middle or the working classes. Comedies could take place in the countryside, but were most often set in the city. Comedy was the genre of unity. In the end, its characters got together. Comedies often wrapped up with husbands, wives, and children finding themselves reunited or with a marriage that promised the beginning of a new family. Comedies open in moments of tension, where characters who will ultimately unite are separated from one another and at odds. Comedy tends to be more democratic. In comedies, several points of view can coexist.
Sonnets In 13 th century Italy, poets introduced a poetic form called the sonnet, “little song” n 14 -line lyric poem with a complicated rhyme scheme and a defined structure. n Required technical skills n Francesco Petrarch (1304 -1374) perfected the Italian sonnet – Petrarchan sonnet. n set thematic course of the sonnet: pang and longing of the speaker’s unfulfilled love for an idealized lady – unobtainable Laura n
n Sonnet was introduced into English by Thomas Wyatt (1503 -1542) in the early 16 th century n Translated Petrarch n Wrote few of his own
Shakespeare’s Sonnets n 154 Sonnets, 60 songs (1590 th) n Written during the years 1592 -1594 when theaters were closed due to a plague outbreak n Love, broken trust of friend, loss of love, forgiveness, time, change, death, friend, rival poet, dark lady, fair lord
Shakespearean Sonnet n 14 lines with five iambic feet to the line (an iambic foot is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one). n Follows the rhyme scheme: abab cdcd efef gg n Shakespeare used the first twelve lines of each sonnet to present a problem that he resolves or restates in the couplet.
When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, (a) I all alone beweep my outcast state, (b) And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, (a) And look upon myself and curse my fate, (b) Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, (c) Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, (d) Desiring this man’s art, and than man’s scope, (c) With what I most enjoy contented least. (d) Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, (e) Haply I think on thee, and then my state, (f) Like to the lark at break of day arising (e) From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate; (f) For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings (g) That then I scorn to change my state with kings. (g)
Sonnet 29 n n 1 st quatrain: When the speaker finds himself depressed with no one else to listen to him or sympathize with him, he sits around cursing the heavens and himself 2 nd quatrain: Also wishes himself like more successful, richer, more popular men, but knows he won’t really be made happy by these things 3 rd quatrain: Then he thinks of his loved one and he is made cheerful Couplet: The love of his life brings so much “wealth” that he wouldn’t even want to change his situation with that of a king
Comedy n A drama or narrative with a happy ending or non-tragic theme. – Comedy of manners- depicts and satirizes the manners and customs of fashionable society. – High comedy- appeals to and reflects the life and problems of the upper social classes, characterized by a witty, sardonic treatment. – Low comedy- e. g. farce – Romantic comedy is usually based on a mix-up in events or identities. Shakespeare’s comedies often move towards tragedies (a death or lack of of resolution) but are resolved in the nick of time.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1595 Obvious plot links exist between A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet, and critics disagree about which play was written first. n THE ATHENIANS: Theseus (represents law and order) and his bride, Hippolyta The four lovers: Hermia, Lysander, Helena, Demetrius (They represent adolescent rebellion. ) Egeus (Hermia’s father) n
2. THE ACTORS: • Bottom (the rather vain “leader” of the group who wishes to play all the parts • Other members of the cast: Quince, Flute, Starveling, Snout, Snug, Philostrate 3. THE FAIRIES: Their realm is the woods where they interact with the humans who wander there. This setting is outside the walls of Athens and so disorder prevails. • Titania (Queen) • Oberon (King) • Puck (a. k. a. Robin Goodfellow) – Oberon’s loyal helper
“The course of true love never did run smooth” (Lysander) the trials of those “in love” both in the world of the Athenians and the world of the fairies n Comedy - conflicts, mix ups, and misunderstandings turn out well. n Other topics (besides “love”): n Reality versus illusion Friendship Parental authority Dreams
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