Unit 2 – The English Renaissance

“What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculties! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel!”

The Renaissance is an exciting time in history. It blossomed first in Italy. Learning and support of the arts was important. It eventually spread north and led to the English Renaissance ( ) English scholars wanted to bring about a rebirth of civilization.

A great burst of sea exploration began. Navigators were aided by the development of the compass and by advances in astronomy. Columbus arrives in the Western Hemisphere in John Cabot laid the foundation for English claims in North America.

A growing sense of nationalism led many Europeans to question the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Some felt the church was corrupt. Some questioned the teachings and hierarchy. A split occurs I the church in 1517 with a German monk named Martin Luther. This sparked Lutheranism – The Protestant Reformation.

Tudor Dynasty begins in The rise of monarchs assured stability – increasing their power and undercutting the strength of the nobles. During the reign of monarchs, England goes from a small island nation to a world power. Henry VII was the first Tudor monarch.

The monarchy was depleted and exhausted from civil war, but he restored the nations treasury and established law and order. He was succeeded by his athletic and handsome son Henry VIII. He was a Catholic and wrote a book against Martin Luther, which caused the Pope to grant him the title “Defender of the Faith”.

His good standing with the Pope did not last long. Catherine of Aragon >Catholic > Mary > Divorce Anne Boleyn > Protestant >Elizabeth > Beheaded Jane Seymour >Catholic > Edward > Died Three more wives – little significance to the monarchy.

Henry the VIII’s son becomes King Edward the VI at age nine – and dies at age 15. Edward made many changes during his short reign. English replaced Latin in church rituals Created the Anglican prayer book The Common Book of Prayer – required in public worship England was on its way to being a protestant nation.

Mary – Edward’s half-sister took the throne after Edward and tried to restore Roman practices to the Church of England. She also restored the authority of the Pope over the English Church. She ordered the execution of approximately 300 Protestants – earning her the name Bloody Mary.

Mary died after a 5 year reign and was succeeded to the throne by Elizabeth. She received a Renaissance education. She read widely in Greek and Latin. She was a patron of the arts. She kept company with all the great writers of her time.

Elizabeth put an end to religious turmoil. She reestablished the monarchy’s reign over the Church of England. She instituted a policy of religious compromise, enforcing reforms that both moderate Catholics and Protestants could accept.

Because Catholics did not recognize the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn – they believed that Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland was the true heir. Mary devised many plots against Elizabeth and Elizabeth finally had her jailed. Ultimately, the Parliament insisted on Mary’s execution. She was beheaded in 1587.

Elizabeth died in The Renaissance continued to flourish after her death. Elizabeth named the son of her former antagonist (Mary Queen of Scots) the next in succession to the throne. James I, however, was a Protestant.

Jacobus, Latin for James. The period during James rule. He too was a patron of the arts. He expanded England’s position as a world power. He demonstrated religious intolerance towards Puritans in Parliament. As a result, a group of Puritans left England and migrated to America in 1620.

Explosion of cultural energy. Love songs Poetry Paintings Sculptures Literature expresses the same spirit of the Renaissance as the art of the time did.

Lyric over narrative poetry. Experimented with new poetic forms. Perfected the sonnet. 3 sonnets – Sidney, Spenser, and Shakespearean. (further instruction later) Pastoral Poetry – idealizes the rustic simplicity of rural life.

Playwrights turned from religious subjects and began writing more complex and sophisticated plays. They drew on the classic models from Greece and Rome. Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are contemporaries of the period.

Prose took a back seat to poetry. The most monumental prose achievement is found in The King James Bible. 54 scholars labored for seven years to bring this magnificent work to fruition.

The English Renaissance ushered out the Medieval times into the modern world. No writers since have surpassed the literary achievements of Shakespeare or the King James Bible. They are the standard by which all English literature is judged.