1. The English Renaissance 1485-1625

3. What is the Renaissance? ► French word: “rebirth” or “renewal” ► Began in Italy ► Return to studying ancient texts…  Greece  Rome

4. What made the Renaissance? ► Interest in humans ► Introduction of universities ► Gutenberg and moveable print ► Use of vernacular ► Age of Exploration ► Reformation

5. How do the ideas of the Reformation arrive in England?

6. Arrival of Reformation in England ► Henry VIII  Originally, Catholic  Wanted divorce …  Refused!  Remarries  King becomes religious leader of England  Break with Rome

7. The Tudors ► Edward VI  Only surviving son of Henry VIII  Becomes king…  Then dies

8. The Tudors ► Mary I (“Bloody Mary”)  Roman Catholic ► What are the implications for her rule?  Restore authority of Roman church  Return England to Catholic country  Oppression of Protestants

9. The Tudors ► Elizabeth I  Educated during Renaissance  Unity under Protestant Religion  Friend of the Arts

10. What does this have to do with literature?

11. Renaissance in Literature ► New developments in three areas:  Poetry  Prose  Drama

12. Renaissance Poetry ► Lyric poetry:  Not a full story  Single speaker ► Sonnets and sonnet cycles  Sonnets: 14-lined lyric poem  Sonnet cycle: Group of sonnets on single theme

13. Renaissance Poets ► Philip Sydney  Sonnet cycles  Key to shaping sonnet form ► Edmund Spenser  Epic poem The Faerie Queen  Spenserian stanzas: nine-line units

14. Renaissance Poets ► Christopher Marlowe  Playwright  Lyric poet  Pastoral verse: looking at the country life ► William Shakespeare  Playwright  English sonnet/Shakespeare sonnet

15. Elizabethan Drama and Prose ► No longer religious ► References to ancient texts ► Drama written in verse ► King James Bible

16. What will we experience in future readings?