1. The English Renaissance

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
-Humanism: intellectual movement that stressed insight and reasoning; “How do I lead a good life?” “What is a good life?”
Reconciled the Bible and classical works of literature
Introduction of universities
Gutenberg and moveable print
1455: first book printed was a bible (Germany)
1476: reached England; William Caxton set up press
Reformation

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

6. Arrival of Reformation in England
Started with Martin Luther (German); new Christianity based on personal understanding of the Bible
Many people throughout Europe fed up with the corrupt practices of Catholic church
Henry VIII
Originally, Catholic
Wanted divorce from Catherine of Aragon; Pope refused
Breaks with Rome (1534); King becomes religious leader of England
Closed all monasteries and sold the buildings/land; beheaded those who didn’t support him (Thomas More)

7. Henry VIII, Cont.
Created the Royal Navy: put a stop to foreign invasions
Son of Henry VII (Henry Tudor), who usurped the throne in 1485
Six wives

8. The Tudors Edward VI Only surviving son of Henry VIII Becomes king…
Then dies 6 years later

9. The Tudors Mary I (“Bloody Mary”; daughter of Catherine of Aragon)
Roman Catholic
What are the implications for her rule?
Wanted to avenge her mother (the wife Henry divorced and put under house arrest)
Restore authority of Roman church
Oppression of Protestants (burned them at the stake)
No children, so succeeded by Elizabeth

10. The Tudors
Elizabeth I (Daughter of Anne Boleyn)
Educated during Renaissance
Unity under Protestant Religion/ re-established the Church of England/ rejected pope’s authority
Friend of the Arts
Success against the Spanish Armada (1588)
Celebrated by the people and within literature
Survived many attempts against her life by Mary (Stuart), Queen of Scots
Executed Mary when she came to England

11. Let’s Review…
What would be the difficulties each ruler faced when ascending the throne?
Henry VIII (Catholic Church; corruption)
Bloody Mary (Revenge; Catholicism vs. Protestantism)
Elizabeth (Kingdom torn by religious feuds)

12. What does this have to do with literature?

13. Renaissance in Literature
New developments in three areas:
Poetry
Prose
Drama

14. Renaissance Poets Christopher Marlowe
Playwright
Pastoral verse: looking at the country life
Idealized terms
Characters are naïve and innocent
Carpe diem poem: a call to “seize the day”; earthly pleasure cannot last

15. Elizabethan Drama and Prose
No longer religious
References to ancient texts
Drama written in verse
King James Bible
New translation of the Bible ordered by King James
corrected textual inaccuracies and removed interpretive comments

16. Clothing of the Period

18. Clothing, cont.