British Literature Exam - ENG202 UofT

1485

King Richard III, of the Yorkist line, is defeated and killed by Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, at Bosworth Field. Henry Tudor becomes King Henry VII, symbolically ending Wars of the Roses by marrying Elizabeth of York. (Battle of Bosworth Field)

Tudor Dynasty

Began after the Bosworth Field Battle. King Henry VII brought to an end half a century of Civil War through the ruthless elimination of rivals and legal and financial reforms that concentrated wealth and power in the royal court. Henry VII signed treaties with France that ended centuries of intermittent and expensive warfare; reformed the tax code so that the wealthy were paying the crown; and established a nationwide system of Justices of the Peace.

Henry VIII

He develops the cultural celebration of royal magnificence; creates environment of secrecy, networks of spies and informants; centralizes power in his own person, inc. deposing wealth from ecclesiastical monasteries and shrines and declaring himself Supreme Head of Church in England.

Tudor Magnificence

The wealth, power, and extravagance of these monarchs and their courts. They used the arts to glorify their rule and to impress visitors with their magnificence.

Iconoclasm

Opposing or even destroying images, especially those set up for religious veneration in the belief that such images represent idol worship.

Petrarchanism

A poetic style pointing to the Italian Poet Francesco Petrarch. Characterized by language previously reserved for only the religious experience. Gave us a set of images to explain and explore love. Cupid; Paradoxes (set free by bondage); obsessiveness; strong images; pain and pleasure.

Lyric

A short type of poetry that explores the poet's personal interpretation of and feelings about the world.

Sonnet

a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line.

Stanza

A group of lines in a poem

Blank Verse

Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter

Utopia

an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect

Tragedy

A serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character

Sprezzatura

a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it

Humanism

An intellectual movement that focused on human potential and achievements

Symbol

A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

Elizabeth I

(1533-1603) Queen of England and Ireland between 1558 and 1603. She was an absolute monarch and is considered to be one of the most successful rulers of all time.

Elizabethan Settlement

Implemented from 1559 to 1571, and marked the end of the English Reformation. Although it didn't fully resolve the divide created by the Reformation, it did stabilize the Church of England. Many of the religious decisions made during this time remain part of the Anglican church today.

English Reformation

result of the disagreement between Henry VIII and the Pope, created the Church of England or Anglican Church which was separate from the Catholic Church, still left little room for religious freedom

Drama

a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

Allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

Comedy

A humorous work of drama

Anti-Petrarchanism

A rhetorical style that deliberately rejected, parodied, or grotesquely inverted Petrarchan conventions.

James I

The first Stuart to be king of England and Ireland from 1603 to 1925 and king of Scotland from 1567 to 1625

Metaphysical poets

A group of 17th century poets who focused on philosophical issues. Their work combined indirect language with complex images, paradoxes, and conceits. Robert Herrick, Abraham Cowley, John Donne, and Andrew Marvel are examples.

Metaphysical conceit

A type of simile which establishes a striking parallel between startlingly dissimilar things.

Carpe diem

Literally, "seize the day"; "enjoy life while you can," a common theme in life and literature.

Cavalier poets

wrote lyrical poems about love and the pleasures of this world

Charles I

King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1625-1649). His power struggles with Parliament resulted in the English Civil War (1642-1648) in which he was defeated. He was tried for treason and beheaded in 1649

English Civil War

Conflict from 1640 to 1660; featured religious disputes mixed with constitutional issues concerning the powers of the monarchy; ended with restoration of the monarchy in 1660 following execution of previous king

Republicanism

A form of government in which people elect representatives to create and enforce laws

Theodicy

the theological question that tries to connect belief in God's justice with the reality that sometimes good people suffer unjustly and die

Epic simile

A simile developed over several lines of verse

Restoration

the period of Charles II's rule over England, after the collapse of Oliver Cromwell's government

"Dr. Faustus" - Christopher Marlowe

Tale of a scholar who finds himself dissatisfied with the boundaries of academic pursuits.

Themes: Quest for knowledge, sin, Protestant influence

"Allegory"

Utopia, Thomas More

- Depicts an idyllic island society and its religious, social, and political customs.

- Influenced many Enlightenment and communist ideas, as well as modern literature; discussed the ills of European society.

Paradise Lost, John Milton

Raphael tells Adam about Satan's revolt and expulsion; Satan as serpent tempts Eve to eat forbidden fruit and Adam does also; Sin and Death enter world; Michael leads them out of Garden of Eden