1. The Renaissance 1485-1660 Is a French word meaning “rebirth”; Refers particularly to a renewed interest in classical learning (primarily the writings of ancient Greece and Rome). Was the time of SHAKESPEARE!

2.  Let’s put this into context… Anglo Saxon Period: 55 B.C-1066 A.D -Celts/Roman/A.S -Beowulf -Spread of Christianity Middle Ages Period: 1066-1485 -Norman Conquest -Feudalism -Rise of Cities -Canterbury Tales The English Renaissance 1485-1660 -William Shakespeare -Humanism -Henry VIII Church Chasm -Spanish Armada

3. During the Renaissance,  People discovered old Greek and Latin classics.  There was a renewal of the human spirit (people were more curious about themselves and the world around them).  Extraordinary people who flourished during this time were Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Christopher Columbus, and Galileo.  There was increased CURIOSITY and CREATIVITY!

4. Catholic Church financed artistic endeavors… The Catholic Church financed artistic endeavors…

5. Medieval vs. Renaissance

8. Humanism  Was an intellectual movement during the Renaissance;  Was composed of followers called humanists;  Found no conflicts with the teachings of the Catholic church and those of ancient Romans and Greeks.  Sought to harmonize the teachings of the Bible and of the classics.

9. A Life of VIRTUE  Humanists believed the goal in life was VIRTUE; not success, wealth, or fame.  Humanists believed VIRTUE is the best possible human possession and the only source of true happiness.  Humanists focused their attention on life, the here and now, as well as on eternal life.

10. Question 1 What is the relationship between the values of Humanism and the realistic, even glorifying, portrayal of the human body? Answer- As people became more interested in the here and now, they focused in reality, including the good and bad. People became valued as individuals and were worth being portrayed realistically.

11. The Printing Press  Before the printing press, all books were written by hand! (This was difficult and expensive!)  German Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. (His first printed book was the Bible.)  In 1476, the printing press reached England.

12. Question 2: How did the Moveable Printing Press change literature? Why?

13. The Power of the Catholic Church  Roman Catholicism was the dominant religion of Europe and Britain.  The church was very rich and powerful, even in political affairs.  The Catholic church financed many intellectual and artistic endeavors.

14. The Reformation - 1530  Many English rejected the authority of the pope and Italian churchmen.  People resented the financial burdens imposed by the Vatican and the corruption.  New religious ideas were introduced.

15. King vs. Pope: Beginning of Protestantism  Henry VIII wanted a divorce after 24 years of marriage to Spanish wife Catherine of Aragon. (He needed a male heir plus he was in love with a younger woman, Anne Boleyn.)  The pope declined his divorce.  Henry declared himself head of the Catholic church and declared a new archbishop of Canterbury, who annulled Henry’s marriage.  Henry closed all of England’s monasteries and sold the rich buildings and land.

16. Renaissance Rulers…  Henry VII  Henry VIII  Edward  Mary Tudor  Elizabeth I  James I

17. Henry VIII  Had six wives; most of his wives had tragic lives.  Like to “play around,” but could not handle the idea of his wives doing the same.  Was a very important Renaissance figure (aside from his personal life).  Created the Royal Navy, wrote poetry, played many musical instruments, was a champion athlete and hunter, and supported the humanists.

18. Henry’s Three Children  Mary, daughter of Catherine of Aragon  Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn  Edward, son of Jane Seymour

19. Edward (r. 1547-1553)  According to the laws of succession, the son must be crowned first.  At age 9, Edward was crowned.  He was intelligent, but sickly.  He ruled by name only; his relatives wielded the power.  He died of tuberculosis 6 years after being crowned.

20. Bloody Mary (r. 1553-1558)  Mary was a devout, strong- willed Catholic.  She was determined to avenge the wrong done to her mother; hence, she tried to reverse all of her father’s policies.  She restored the pope’s power in England, and she ruthlessly hunted down all Protestants. She even burned 300 of her subjects!  She was known as “Bloody Mary” - a name she definitely lived up to...

21. Elizabeth, The Virgin Queen (r. 1558-1603)  Elizabeth was one of the most brilliant and successful monarchs in English history.  Her first task, after Mary’s bloody, psychopathic reign, was to restore law and order.  She re-established the Church of England and rejected the pope’s authority.  To keep Spain appeased, she pretended she might marry her widowed brother-in-law, King Philip.  She was sought after by many suitors.  She survived many plots against her life (Cousin Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, wanted the throne. Elizabeth ultimately beheaded Mary.)

22. An interesting fact...  Elizabeth, the virgin queen, gave the American colony,Virginia, its name!

23. So what? What does the monarchy have to do with Shakespeare? Everything! Now that the church was weakened, they are truly the highest rulers in the land! They ruled politically and socially. What they like, others will, too. (look at our celebrity endorsements today) If a ruler likes a play, everyone will go see it. If they don’t, the play could be shut down. “Creatives” needed sponsorship to feed themselves. Monarchy/ upper feudal meant $$$.

24. Patronage: Patronage is the privilege and often financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to artists, musicians, painters, and sculptors. King James was a patron to Shakespeare…

25. …providing Shakespeare with the funds to produce his plays.

26. Shakespeare’s MacBeth  Based on real person whose deeds were recorded in history, but highly stylized and dramaticized.  More interested in psychological truth than historical fact.  More contemporarily, the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 (in which several zealous Catholics plotted to blow up King James I)  Potentially, MacBeth was written to please the new monarch, King James I, who was interested in ancestry and witchcraft and who had recently been entertained by three prophetesses.

27. Types of heroes we have studied so far…

28. The Epic Hero  Epic literature is a stately, solemn celebration of national life in the heroic age. Its heroes are simple men, versed in the activities of common life...they are leaders not through class status or wealth or even birth, but through the excellencies of heart and mind and hands. Their motives are linked with the practical necessities of life.

29. The Chivalric Hero  The virtues of a chivalric hero are similar to those of his epic counterpart—valor, generosity, loyalty, honor, and skill in battle—however, the sense given to loyalty, at this period is more intricate and more significant—it is a quality of the soul. The chivalric knight must also know temperance, courtoisie, a reverence for women, and courtly skills. It is not enough that he perform on a field of battle; he must also be presentable at court.

30. The Tragic Hero “hamartia”—literally, “missing the mark” A tragic hero is an honorable protagonist with a tragic flaw, also known as fatal flaw, which eventually leads to his demise.protagonisttragic flaw An Aristotelian tragic hero must have four characteristics: 1)goodness, 2)superiority, 3)a tragic flaw, 4)and a realization of both his flaw and his inevitable demise.

31. The Anti-Hero  In literature and film, an anti-hero is a fictional character that has some characteristics of a villain or an outsider, but is nevertheless portrayed somewhat sympathetically. In particular, an anti-hero may have enough heroic qualities and intentions to align them with the heroes in the readers' minds.

32. Question 3 Give me an example of each: Epic Hero Romantic Hero Tragic Hero Antihero

33. Shakespeare’s words Shakespeare used language to set a scene develop his character “grab the candle” means “it’s dark” “stop shaking your gory locks at me” means the other character is shaking his head at Macbeth That’s why they talk about the time, the weather, and what each other is doing so much!

34. The Language Shakespeare wrote in Blank Verse. What is that? Unrhymed iambic pentameter: every line in the play is built on five iambs. Great. What’s an iamb? An iamb is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Blank Verse mimics everyday speech, but elevates it. Only the noble spoke in Blank Verse.

35. “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun!” -Romeo and Juliet “The evil that men do lives after them, The good is oft interréd with their bones.” -Julius Ceasar

36. Couplets! “Make all our trumpets speak; give them all breath, Those clamorous harbingers of blood and death.” -Macduff A couplet is two lines of rhyming iambic pentameter that signal the end of an idea, or, a scene. In the Elizabethan theater, there were no curtains to drop between scenes, nor any significant set changes. The words had to serve as a closing.

37. Reading Shakespeare-Tips  Don’t stop at the end of the line.  Do read the whole section to get a gist of what’s going on. Don’t let yourself get stuck on a line that doesn’t make sense to you.  Read the footnotes to find meanings of archaic words. Do you know what alarum, betimes, prithee, or knave means?

38. Shakespeare’s brilliance comes not only from the poetry of his words but also through the characters he creates. Each character is replete with subtle nuances that create a fully developed person on the stage with deeply complicated desires, fears, and flaws.

39. About the Man...  Shakespeare was first and foremost an ACTOR.  Nonetheless, he wrote thirty-seven plays: tragedies, comedies, histories, & romances before retiring in 1612.

40. The End >>