Titans of the Renaissance n essayists thinkers Sidney major

Titans of the Renaissance n essayists/thinkers: 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. n Philip

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)

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 (300) 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

Shakespeare’s Language • Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English. ” (not very different from “Modern English”) • Much is written in Blank Verse : 1. unrhymed verse 2. iambic (unstressed, stressed) 3. pentameter( 5 “feet” to a line)

comedy or tragedy n In the end, characters get together. n Common issues and ordinary people. n The heroes were figures from the nobility. n was about separation. Its characters ended by being isolated from one another. n could take place in the countryside, but were most often set in the city. n tended to end in death.

n Protagonists came from the middle or the working classes. n was set in the court or in battlefields. n husbands, wives, and children find themselves reunited or with a marriage that promised beginning of a new family. n open in moments of tension, where characters who will ultimately unite are separated from one another and at odds. n tends to be more democratic. n 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 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.

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

Tragedy A serious play or drama typically dealing with the problems of a central character, leading to an unhappy or disastrous ending brought on, as in ancient drama, by a fate and a tragic flaw in this character n in modern drama - usually by moral weakness, psychological maladjustment or social pressures. n

tragic hero A tragedy is a dramatic play of human actions that produces exceptional suffering, ending in the death of a tragic hero. 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

Restoration and the Eighteenth Century 1660 -1800 The Augustan Age The Neoclassical Period The Age of Reason The Age of Enlightenment

Charles I James I Oliver Cromwell Charles II

Petition of Rights in 1628 n 1642 - Civil war. Charles I beheaded n After the Civil War, Commonwealth was created—type of government with no king & ruled by Parliament n Oliver Cromwell led the Commonwealth, but did not use democracy— he became a military dictator n

New Commonwealth n Life in the Commonwealth was harsh because it was led by Cromwell & the Puritans; Forced strict religious rules on people of England: n It was illegal to go to theaters & sporting events; n “merrymaking” & “amusement” were illegal

Restoration n In 1660 the Anglican Church was restored as the official Church of England King Charles II was restored to power n In 1660, Charles II (“Merry Monarch”) brought back theatres, sporting events, dancing & he got along with Parliament n The monarchy was restored without shedding a drop of blood.

Brought out of Civil War (1641 -1651) n Charles II united England, Scotland, and Ireland. n Parliament strengthened the Church of England— only Anglicans could attend universities, serve in Parliament, be priests in Anglican Church n Parliament created Constitutional Monarchy based on Magna Carta & Petition of Right (Guaranteed rights of people & limited king’s)

n “The Augustan Age” – like Emperor Augustus of Rome, the Stuart kings brought peace to their country tired from warfare. n “The Neoclassical Period” – emphasis on Latin classics and emulating Latin works to bring around a “new classical” period.

n was born in 1608 into bourgeois class n at a very early age decided to be a great poet n educated at Cambridge, the Protestant University (poems: Pensaroso, L’Allegro, Lycidas, Comus) n received his B. A. in 1629 and his M. A. in 1632 n 1638 traveled in Europe n returned home in 1640, concerned about the political turmoil

Strongly supported the Puritan Reformation n felt it was his duty as a poet to support the Parliamentary party n n Wrote with strong independence and on a variety of topics – Church government – Divorce – Republicanism Was given a position of Latin Secretary to the Council of State n 1652 – blind n 1660 – lost his property n

Pamphlets n • • • During the 1640 s, Milton wrote and published several pamphlets arguing for radical causes: Of Reformation (1641), defending religious liberty Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce (1643) Of Education (1644), against strictly vocational education Areopagitica (1644), against censorship before publication The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates (1649), arguing that Kings could be overthrown

mmm In 1660 he published The Free and Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth • In 1660, when monarchy was restored with Charles II (son of Charles I) on the throne, Milton was in danger of being executed for treason; he went into hiding • After a short time, he was assured that he would be safe, and he came out of hiding, but remained in retirement, and began to write his great epic, Paradise Lost • Paradise Lost was first published in 1667; revised version in 1674 •

Milton planned to write an epic to celebrate a great “British” hero like King Arthur n Instead, he wrote an epic poem that celebrates “Christ” as a hero n This causes problems, because Christ doesn’t act like a typical “human” hero n Many readers—most famously the poet William Blake—have seen Satan as the actual hero n

Milton’s reputation q During 17 th century, he was seen as a dangerous rebel q After 1800, he was associated by most people with Bible-reading q Historians associate Milton with humanism, republican revolution, individualism, the rejection of censorship and religious intolerance q Feminists see him as a misogynist, but one who produces a complex view of gender relations between Adam and Eve

Epic poem n An epic poem is a long narrative poem in an elevated style that presents characters of high position in adventure that prove important to the history of a nation or race.

The Epic Form Epic Poetry is a classic literary form. Homer recorded the first major epic poems—The Iliad and The Odyssey. • Characters are usually VIP (immortal or royal) • The setting is vast, covering great nations and even the world • The action consists of deeds requiring great courage or superhuman strength • contain gods, demons, monsters, or supernatural creatures who intervene in the tale

Paradise Lost, Book I Milton begins with an “invocation” of his “muse” The invocation of the muse is a characteristic feature of classical Greek and Roman epics, like the Iliad, the Odyssey and the Aeneid Milton adapts this tradition for his “Christian” epic by invoking a “muse” that turns out to be the Holy Spirit Lines 1 -49 invoke the muse and describe the topic of the poem Adam and Eve’s disobedience and Satan’s rebellion against God:

The theme n The origin of evil itself. n Milton believed, evil is embedded in man’s nature. n The subject of the poem – ‘of man’s first disobedience’ & the resulting loss of paradise.

Paradise Lost n n n epic poem in 12 books blank verse describes the Christian story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. begins in media res (into the middle of things), after Satan and the other rebel angels have been defeated and cast down by God into Hell. The protagonist of this Protestant epic, is the fallen angel, Satan.

Milton presents Satan almost sympathetically, as an ambitious and prideful being who defies his creator, omnipotent God, and wages war on heaven, only to be defeated and cast down. Some critics regard the character of Satan as a Byronic hero. n Later, Lucifer enters the Garden of Eden, where he successfully tempts Eve, wife of Adam, to eat fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. He dooms himself. By commiting himself to the destruction of Adam & Eve, he also destroys himself. n

n Milton was a firm believer in the doctrine of felix culpa “happy sin” (happy fall) - the belief that man was greater, potentially, because of the fall and redemption than he had been before. n Milton’s misogyny. The poem is very focused on the fall of man; woman is there, not as a partner, but as a subsidiary cause, created out of one of Adam’s less important bones.

n On April 27, 1667 the blind, impoverished Milton sold the copyright of Paradise Lost for £ 10.

n Later in life, Milton wrote Paradise Regained, charting God's returning to man the possibility of paradise. This sequel has never had a reputation equal to the earlier poem. n In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, William Blake commented: The reason Milton wrote in fetters when he wrote of Angels & God, and at liberty when of Devils & Hell, is because he was a true Poet and of the Devil's party without knowing it.