1. 1485-1660, p. 286-297 THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE

2. Unit 2 Themes Group discussion: 1. Should religion be tied to politics? 2. Why is love so complicated? 3. What is the ideal society? 4. Why do people seek power?

3. Key Literary Terms Renaissance - a period from about 1485 to 1660, during which England experienced a revival of artistic and intellectual achievement Sonnet - a lyric poem of 14 lines, often about love, commonly written in iambic pentameter Tragedy - a work of literature in which the main character (tragic hero), suffers some type of defeat. Rhyme Scheme – the pattern of rhymes in a poem Personification - describing objects, animals, or ideas as if they were human Couplet – a pair of lines that rhymes in poetry Quatrain – a four-line stanza Slant Rhyme - the use of rhyming sounds that are not exactly the same, such as same/home

4. Historical Context: The Monarchy & the Church  As kings and queens rose to power and varying forms of Christianity became the law of the land, writers found themselves either celebrated for their work or censured for it.  Sir Thomas More and Sir Walter Raleigh were put to death for their writing  Kings and Queens of this time had widely differing views about almost everything, but particularly about religion Sir Thomas More Sir Walter Raleigh

5. The Tudors In 1485, Henry Tudor took the throne as Henry VII (after winning the War of the Roses)  Negotiates favorable commercial treaties abroad  Built up the nation’s merchant fleet  Financed expeditions that established English claims in Americas  Son Arthur engaged to princess of Spain, Catherine of Aragon (created an alliance with Spain)  When Arthur suddenly died, brother Henry married Catherine instead Catherine of Aragon

6. The Protestant Reformation  During the reign of Henry VIII, there was dissatisfaction within the Roman Catholic Church  Wealth and power of the church led to corruption  Cardinals lived in luxury  Friars traveled the countryside selling “indulgences” (forgiveness for sins) Henry VIII

7. The Protestant Reformation  In response, a German monk named Martin Luther wrote out 95 theses, or arguments, against such practices and nailed them to the door of a church  The pope condemned Luther as a heretic  Still, Luther’s criticisms created a sensation  Printed copies were soon in circulation across Europe  Other protesters wanted more than reform, and created the Protestant church Martin Luther

8. Roman Catholic Beliefs Church services should be held in Latin Priests were believed to link God to the people Dedicated their lives to the Church, wore special robes, celibate Priests and pope able to forgive sins – for a price Churches should be elaborate as a symbol of their celebration of God Church services should be held in vernacular Priests were believed to be ordinary people Only God can forgive sins Churches should be plain so that celebrants could focus on the sermon Roman Catholic vs. Protestant Protestant Beliefs http://www.the-tudors.org.uk/tudor-religions.htm

9. The Church of England  Henry VIII at first remained loyal to Rome  BUT: Henry VIII became obsessed with producing a male heir to his throne  Sought an annulment from his wife (Catherine of Aragon, who had given him only a daughter)  The pope refused  Henry VIII broke with Rome and in 1534 declared himself head of the Church of England  Married Catherine’s court attendant, Anne Boleyn  Henry VIII went through six wives but only produced one son – Edward VI (succeeded at 9 but died at 15)

10. The Church of England  During Edward’s reign, a group of radical Protestants believed the church needed even more reform  Sought to “purify” it of all Roman practices  This group became known as the Puritans  Following Edward, Mary (Henry VIII’s daughter) took the throne.  To avenge her mother (Catherine of Aragon), Mary brought back Roman Catholicism.  Persecuted Protestants and earned the nickname Bloody Mary  Died in 1558, and her half-sister Elizabeth took the throne “Bloody” Mary Tudor

11. The Elizabethan Era Elizabeth I, the unwanted daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, proved to be one of the ablest monarchs in English history.  During Queen Elizabeth’s reign, England enjoyed unprecedented prosperity and international prestige  Elizabeth was a consummate politician, exercising absolute authority while remaining sensitive to public opinion and respectful of Parliament  Elizabeth  kept England out of costly wars  ended the unpopular Spanish alliance  encouraged overseas adventures Elizabeth I

12. The Elizabethan Era  Elizabeth steered a middle course in religion  Reestablished the Church of England  Used it as a buffer between Catholics and Puritans  Catholics thought Mary’s cousin, Mary Stuart, was the rightful heir to the throne  After enduring years of conspiracies, Elizabeth ordered Mary beheaded  In response, Spain sent their Spanish Armada  Defeated by Elizabeth’s great military power Mary Stuart

13. The Rise of the Stuarts Elizabeth died in 1603 and was succeeded by her cousin James VI of Scotland – became James I of England (son of Mary Stuart) James supported Church of England  Angered Roman Catholic Church and Protestant extremists Charles I took the throne in 1625  Clashes with Puritans worsened Charles dismissed Parliament in 1629 and did not summon it again for 11 years  Religious conflict  England plunged into civil war James I Charles I

14. The Defeat of the Monarchy English Civil War: Pitted Royalists (mainly Catholics, Anglicans, and the nobility) against supporters of Parliament (Puritans, smaller landowners, the middle class) Under General Oliver Cromwell, the Puritan army soundly defeated the Royalists in 1645 The king surrendered a year later England established a commonwealth After Cromwell’s death, a new Parliament invited Charles II to the throne His reign ushered in a new chapter in English history, the Restoration Oliver Cromwell

15. Cultural Influences: The Renaissance The Renaissance, which literally means “rebirth” or “revival,” was marked by a surge of created energy and the emergence of a worldview more modern than medieval Began in Italy in the 14 th century, and spread throughout Europe Throughout the Middle Ages, Europeans focused on religion and the afterlife; during the Renaissance, people become more interested in life on earth A “Renaissance Man” was a well-rounded person who cultivated his talents to the fullest Writers Artists Scientists Scholars

16. Creativity & Exploration Renaissance Europeans delighted in the arts and literature, the beauty of nature, human impulses, exploration, and a new sense of mastery over the world Time of Shakespeare, Galileo, and Columbus Inventions and discoveries made many things possible The compass and astronomical advances allowed ships to venture into uncharted seas Gutenberg’s printing press meant books no longer had to be copied out by hand Elizabethan times allowed the theater to flourish James I commissioned a new translation of the Bible Shakespeare Galileo Columbus

17. Renaissance Literature: Pastoral Poems & Sonnets During the Renaissance, the creative energy of the English people burst forth into the greatest harvest of literature the Western world had yet known Members of the Elizabethan court competed to create the best poems Elizabeth I was also poet as well as patronizing others Sir Philip Sidney and Sir Walter Raleigh, who in turn was a patron to Edmund Spenser Raleigh and Christopher Marlowe wrote excellent pastoral poems – poems that portray shepherds and rustic life using courtly language Sir Philip Sidney Christopher Marlowe

18. Improving Nature The Elizabethans viewed nature as intricate, complex, and beautiful. However, it was not meant to be imitated but improved by creative minds Nature provided raw material to be shaped into art The greater the artificiality, the more admired the poet Poets created ingenious metaphors, elaborate allegories, and complex analogies, often within the strictures of a popular Italian verse form, the sonnet Introduced by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surry who changed it slightly to better suit it to the English language Became the most popular form of love lyric Often published in sequence Sir Thomas Wyatt Henry Howard

19. Shakespearean Drama Shakespeare had great contributions to poetry, but his drama is more significant Elizabethan drama emerged from three sources: medieval, 16 th century interludes, and Latin and Greek classics Mystery, miracle, morality plays: simple plays performed in churches, inns, and marketplaces as a way of spreading religious knowledge  Opportunity for actors and writers to develop craft within Biblical stories the audience is already familiar with Interludes: farces that ridiculed the manners and customs of commoners; secular themes Latin & Greek dramas: revived during Renaissance and studied at universities; modeled comedies and tragedies

20. Shakespearean Drama As products of the Renaissance mindset, dramas dealt with the complexities of human life on earth rather than with the religious themes of earlier times Often staged at court, homes of wealthy nobles, inn yards – audience would sit on the ground in front of the stage or on balconies overlooking it The Globe Theater was based on this model By 1600, London had more theaters than any other European capital – Globe most successful, due to Shakespeare Wrote 37 plays: tragedies, comedies, and histories The Globe Theater

21. Shakespearean Drama Shakespeare’s clever wordplay, memorable characters, and complex plots appealed to everyone in his audience “Groundlings” – uneducated who paid a penny to stand As an actor, Shakespeare knew limitations and capabilities of theater building and actors Actors had to: Memorize lines Sing and dance, wrestle and fence, weep No front curtain, so actors had to move in full view of audience If a character died, placement of death was vital on stage Groundlings

22. Shakespearean Drama Shakespeare is most well-known today, but was not the only playwright Christopher Marlowe was the first to use English Ben Jonson wrote boisterous comedies and satiric dramas that attracted aristocratic audiences After Elizabeth’s death in 1603, Puritans sought to close theaters While James I in power, Shakespeare wrote many tragedies, such as Macbeth Interest in issues of power may have been sparked by intense conflicts occurring between the King and Parliament When Charles I was overthrown in 1649, Puritans closed down all of the playhouses Ben Jonson

23. The Rise of Humanism Humanists studied the humanities: art, history, philosophy, literature – human, rather than sacred Looked to the classics (Greek and Latin) for wisdom and guidance Often devout Christians Tried to reconcile new ideas with religious beliefs Erasmus was a Dutch monk who led the movement – studied ancient Greek and Hebrew to read the Bible and other writings in their original text Criticized European society for falling short of ideals Erasmus befriended English monk and scholar Sir Thomas More Published Utopia in 1516 (Greek for “no place”) about a perfect society on an imaginary island Erasmus

24. The Rise of Humanism Humanists were concerned with classical learning Educate sons of nobility to speak and write in Latin Language of diplomacy and higher learning Writers – Latin or English? Many wrote in Latin, others wanted to improve the English language by writing ambitious works in it Reverence for classics combined with a pride in English language resulted in many new, distinguished translations of classic works Religion was a subject dear to most but agreed upon by few

25. Spiritual and Devotional Writings Despite the religious turmoil, England remained Christian, heavily influenced by the King James Bible Vernacular translations were believed to lead to a diminished church authority and heresy John Wycliffe translated it in the 14 th century and was attacked by a British archbishop William Tyndale was condemned and burned at the stake for translating the Bible After Henry VIII broke with Rome, translations abounded 1604, James I commissioned an “authorized” translation  Based on the original Hebrew and Greek as well as earlier translations from the Latin  Completed in 1611, its beautiful imagery, graceful simplicity, and measured cadences made it the principal Protestant Bible for 300 years; still most important and influential translation

26. Spiritual and Devotional Writings John Milton was one of the earliest writers to be influenced by the King James Bible; was a true “Renaissance man” Supposedly knew it by heart Paradise Lost, his epic, blank-verse poem, is based on the biblical story of Adam and Eve and how they were tempted by Satan John Bunyan was a Puritan, uneducated, a preacher, who spent many years in jail due to his beliefs Wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress, an allegory in which a character named Christian undertakes a dangerous journey from this world to the next Modeled his style on the English Bible, using concrete language and details familiar to most readers John Milton John Bunyan

27. Metaphysical and Cavalier Poets Two new poetic groups emerged in the early 17 th century Ben Jonson inspired one group Disliked the extravagant romance of Elizabethan lyrics and instead imitated classical forms Followers called “sons of Ben,” sophisticated young aristocrats called Cavaliers because many of them took Charles’s side in the civil war  Dealt mainly with themes of love, war, chivalry, and loyalty; “Carpe Diem” – seize the day John Donne inspired the other Metaphysical Poets – broke with convention, using unusual imagery, elaborate metaphors, and irregular meter to produce intense poems  Dealt with themes of death, physical love, and religious devotion John Donne

28. Works Cited McDougal Littell. Literature: British Literature. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2009. "Tudor Religions." Tudor Religions. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2012..