European ll
RENAISANCE LITERATURE
The term RENAISANCE means REBIRTH or REVIVAL.
Given to the historical period in Europe that succeeded the Middle Ages.The Renaissance period broadly spanned from the 14th century to the 17th century, with its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries. Middle Ages started at 476 AD (Anno Domini. In the year of our lord.) Until 1520 This period marked the reawakening of a new spirit of the intellectual and artistic inquiry, which was the dominant feature of this political religious, and philosophical phenomenon, was essentially a revival of the ancient GREECE and ROME.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom and he was born on April 23, 1564. While the exact details of his baptism are not well-documented, it is widely accepted that he was baptized shortly after his birth, which aligns with the practice of the time.
Often called the English national poet and considered by many to be the greatest dramatist of all time.
Became England's national poet and Bard of Avon after the success of his renowned tragedies.
WORKS: HAMLET, OTHELLO, MACBETH, ROMEO AND JULIET
THE FOLLOWING ARE TE NOTABLE WORKS IN THIS ERA
HAMLET By William Shakespeare
Prince Hamlet and his attempts to exact revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother.
THE PRINCE
By Niccolo Machiavelli
A practical guide for rulers on how to acquire, maintain, and consolidate political power, often advocating pragmatism over conventional morality.
DON QUIXOTE
By Miguel de Cervantes
About a middle-aged man who, obsessed with chivalric romances, becomes a self-styled knight-errant and embarks on fantastical adventures with his squire, Sancho Panza.
KING LEAR
By William Shakespeare
King Lear tells the story of an elderly monarch in pre-Roman Britain who decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters according to how much they profess their love for him.
PARADISE LOST
By John Milton
An epic poem that recounts the biblical story of the fall of man, exploring Satan's rebellion, the temptation of Adam and Eve, and humanity's loss of innocence, while addressing themes of free will, obedience, and redemption.
UTOPIA
By Sir Thomas More
Depicts an idealized island society that critiques European social, political, and economic systems while exploring themes of equality, communal living, and justice.
ROMEO AND JULIET
By William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story about two young lovers from feuding families whose secret romance ends in their untimely deaths.
THE DIVINE COMEDY
By Dante Alighieri
An epic poem by Dante Alighieri that explores the journey of the soul through the realms of the afterlife: Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.
ENLIGHTENMENT AND ITS GREAT WRITERS
ENGLIGHTENMENT
The Enlightenment (the Age of Reason) is defined as the period of rigorous scientific, political and philosophical discourse that characterised European society during the 'long' 18th century: from the late 17th century to the ending of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU
Born in Gevena, Switzerland on June 28, 1712. One of the most influential thinkers during the Enlightenment in 18th century Europe. His first major philosophical work, A Discourse on the Sciences and Arts, was the winning response to an essey contest conducted by the Academy of Dijon in 1750.
VOLTAIRE
Voltaire was a versatile and prolific writer, producing works in almost every literary form including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2.000 books and pamphlets.
Letters on Quakers, The Sermon of the Fifty, La Princesse de Babylone, The Age of Louis XIV, are some of his notable works.
DENIS DIDEROT
A French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the Encyclopedie.
EX:
Philosophical Thoughts (1746) In this book, Diderot argued for a reconciliation of reason with feeling so as to establish harmony.
The Skeptic's Walk (1747) A deist, an athiest, and a panthiest have a dialouge on the nature of divinity.
ROMANTICISM WORKS AND WRITERS
ROMANTICISM
The term "Romanticism" was originally used to describe literature in 17th century Europe that writers saw as unrealistic, filled with emotions or over the top in its stylistic tendencies.
Many people have come to used the terms "romantic." and "gothic" interchangably to describe this type of literature.
Romatic-style literature caught on first in Germany and England.
VICTOR HUGO
One of the most famous French writers of all time. Outside France, his most well known works are Les Miserables, 1862, and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (French name: Notre-Dame de Paris) 1831
Hugo was the forefront of the Romantic literary movement with his play Cromwell and drama Hernani.
EDGAR ALLAN POE
He was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. He is best known for his poetry and short stories, particullarly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States, and of American literature.
HIS BEST KNOWN WORKS:
This includes his Poems "To Helen" (1831) "The Raven" (1845) and "Annabel Lee" (1849); the short stories of wickedness and crime "The Tell-Tale Heart" (1843) and "The Cask of Amontillado" (1846); and the suppernnatural horror story "The Fall of the House of Usher." (1839).
MODERNISM
MODERNISM
Like realism, provided critique of morality of the middle class society.
However, unlike realism, this focuses on aesthetics, rather than social issues.
Mordernism mirrored the upheaval seen in societyy as a result of WWI.
Proponents of Modernism toyed with new forms and style of writing, including a technique called Stream of Conciosness
POST-MODERNISM
POSTMODERNISM
Literary and societal response to the elitism of high modernism, as well as the horrifying events of WWII.
Characteristics of high and low culture.
Authors began to use PASTICHE, that had not been seen as appropriate for literature before, in order to create a more complex story, filled with allusios to events and style of another literary works that took a certain level of education to recognize or even begin to appreciate.
JOANNE ROWLING
Also known by her pen name J.K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote Harry Potter, a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The series has sold over 500 million copies, been translated into at least 70 languages, and spawned a global media franchise including films and video games