Renaissance

1450-1650

Renaissance = French word for "rebirth"

• Man should be the subject of study, not God.

Considered as the era of cultural revival and poetic evolution

The era in which the modern sense of English poetry begins

Lyrical spirit

• Poetry = natural language of people

• Full, free, and spontaneous

Tudor dynasty

• 1485-1603

• Instrumental in shaping the cultural, political, and religious landscape of England

• Promotion of humanism

• Church of England reformation

• Legal and political developments

Henry VII

• 1509-1547

• Strong central monarchy: undivided rule or absolute sovereignty by a single person (King)

Elizabeth I

• 1558-1603

• Political stability and the beginnings of modern bureaucracy

Renaissance Period

King James |. King Charles I

(1603-1625). (1603-1625)

What happened?

• Political tensions

• Religious rifts

• (Catholics vs. Protestants)

• Civil war

  (Parliamentarians and Royalists)

Monarchy restored

• Execution of Charles |

• Lengthy discussions = restoration of the monarchy in1660

Renaissance Period (Significant contributions in the world of English)

Drama

• Playwrights created masterpieces blending tragedy, comedy, and history in innovative ways

Major themes

• Love and physical beauty

• "Fair" = a sign of beauty

Printing press

• All books were handwritten before

  Invented by Johannes Gutenberg (1455) and was introduced by William Caxton (1476)

The Renaissance Period (Writers)

• Famous writers emerged

• Remarkable literary achievements

Geoffrey Chaucer

• The Canterbury Tales

• collection of stories and poems, each told by a group of pilgrims on their way to the Canterbury Cathedral

Thomas More

1480-1535

• Author of "Utopia"

• about an imaginary island where everything is perfect

Nicholas Machiavelli

• Published a book titled "The Prince" in 1513

• Contains theories about how a ruler should govern

King James I

• Ordered 47 scholars to produce a translation of the Bible in 1604 King James Bible

RENAISSANCE "REBIRTH"

• began in Italy, especially in architecture and art

Other significant events:

• 1492-discovery of America by Columbus

• Copernicus and Galileo-discovered stars and planets

• Ferdinand Magellan-sailed across the world

HUMANISM

• intellectual movement that greatly influenced Renaissance thinkers, writers, artists

The humanists

• revived old Greek and
  Latin classics

• explored questions such as "What is a good life?"

• made history, literature, and philosophy popular again

The Renaissance world was a Christian world.

What objections might some people have raised to the revived interest in ancient Greek and Latin texts?

• People might say that these old texts were heathen and couldn't be any good for Christians to read.

• Others are worried that the texts would lead people astray from church teachings.

How do you think Renaissance scholars overcame this objection?

• They also studied the Bible, and looked for Christian ideas in the ancient texts.

• They used the ancient texts to support Christian teachings and to show that questions of morality and virtue were important to people.

How might reading ancient texts (philosophy, ethics, and virtue) expand people's understanding of the world?

• These texts would offer people a different perspective about the world.

• One that wasn't tied to Christian beliefs (still dealt with issues of right and wrong and proper behavior) would also gain a better understanding.

HUMANISM

HUMANISM

Two Humanists

Sir Thomas More

• English lawyer

• wrote Utopia

• Lord Chancellor

• beheaded by order of

Desiderius Erasmus

• Dutch monk

• traveled throughout
  Europe

• taught Greek

Henry VIll

Both wrote in Latin; loved life, laughter, and classical learning; were dedicated to the church.

HENRY VIII BREAKS WITH THE CHURCH

Henry VIlI

• "Renaissance man"— poet, musician, athlete

• had 6 wives (Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr)

1533

• Pope refuses Henry VIll's request for annulment (Catherine of Aragon)

• Henry appoints new archbishop of Canterbury, who grants annulment

1534

• Henry declares himself head of the Church of England

Annulment

It cancels or puts an end to a marriage. The children of an annulled couple become illegitimate.

• Divorce was not allowed, so Henry was looking for a loophole.

• He asked Pope Clement VI to annul his marriage, that is, declare that he was not properly married to Catherine of Aragon.

Protestant Reformation

• Henry closes monasteries

• Protestantism begins in England

Some people want to

• get rid of "popish" things

• make religion solely a matter between the individual and God

Heirs of Henry VIII

Edward VI (1547-1553)

• son of Jane Seymour

• rules in name only

Elizabeth I (1558-1603)

• daughter of Anne Boleyn

• the "virgin queen"

• Elizabeth I-literary connoisseur; beloved symbol of peace, security, prosperity

  • restores law and order

  • reestablishes Church of England;

  • rejects pope's authority

  • never marries

  • Survives numerous assassination plots

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots

• Elizabeth's cousin, heir to English throne

• returned to Scotland in 1560 to reclaim the throne

• initiates several plots to kill Elizabeth In 1587 ..•

• after enduring Mary and her plots for 20 years, Elizabeth sends her to the chopping block

THE DEFEAT OF THE SPANISH ARMADA

• 1588

• Warships from Spain (Spanish Armada) sent to invade England

• England's smaller ships defeated the Armada

• Elizabeth's finest moment

• Assures England's independence from Catholic countries of the Mediterranean

Mary Tudor (1553-1558)

• a brilliant,

• "Bloody Mary"

• successful monarch

• restores pope's power

• hunts down and executes Protestants

DECLINE OF THE RENAISSANCE

James I (1603-1625)

• patron of the arts

• benevolent but uninspiring ruler

1649-1660

• England ruled by Parliament

  by the Puritan dictator Oliver Cromwell

Charles I (1625-1649)

• remote, autocratic, self-destructive

• beheaded by powerful

During this time ..

• Renaissance values gradually destroyed.

• Renaissance energies gradually gave out.