1. The Renaissance 1485 - 1660

2. The Renaissance in Europe The Renaissance began in Italy during the fourteenth century. Renaissance means “rebirth” of those artistic and intellectual energies characterized by Greek and Roman civilizations. Donatello DaVinci Michaelangelo

3. Discovery Italy’s Lorenzo de’Medici died in 1492 but that was also the year that Columbus discovered the new world. The beginnings of European colonial and commercial domination. The beginning of the modern world.

4. The Renaissance in England England was slow to participate in the Renaissance due to political turmoil. War of the Roses – Yorks vs. Lancasters. King Henry VIII came to the throne in 1509 and wanted to be known as a Renaissance prince.

5. The Reformation In the beginning of the sixteenth century there was protest against the authority and corruption of the Catholic Church by the Protestants. In 1517, Martin Luther declared objections to the Church. Henry VIII declared himself the head of the Church of England (Anglican Church) when the pope would not annul his first marriage to a wife that did not bear him an heir.

6. England’s break with Catholicism Sir Thomas More refused to accept Henry VIII’s divorce and new marriage to Anne Boelyn, as well as his self- appointed title as Head of the Church of England. Sir Thomas More was imprisoned and executed by Henry VIII due to what he saw as a political necessity.

7. Queen Elizabeth I 1558 - 1603 Daughter of Henry VIII’s second marriage Queen at twenty-five Through Elizabeth, the Renaissance was finally allowed to grow and flourish in England. Elizabeth promoted peace between Catholics and Protestants.

8. Elizabethan Literary Achievement The greatest and most distinctive achievement of Elizabethan literature is the drama. Religious and morality plays By the 15 th century, non- religious themes and characters appeared Richness of spoken language William Shakespeare Public theaters

9. Elizabethan Tastes and Attitudes The most striking feature of the Elizabethan artistic taste is a delight in the elaborate pattern and complicated ornament and artifice. For Elizabethan’s the word artificial is a word of praise, a positive extension of the word art itself. The “Great Chain of Being”: Every living thing created by God was ranked. Humans, having free-will and souls ranked above animals but below angels.

10. The Jacobean Era 1603 - 1625 After Elizabeth’s peaceful rule ended with her death in 1603, her cousin James Stuart, already King of Scotland, took her place. He was not as practical in politics as Elizabeth and religious unrest resurfaced. The Puritans decided to head to the New World to escape where they could practice their beliefs freely.

11. Disruption and Change Under James I’s son, Charles, England was on it’s way to a civil war due to both religious and political reasons. Charles tried to rule without the input of Parliament. Long-haired “cavaliers” fought on the side of the King while short-haired “roundheads” fought on the side of Parliament.

12. Disruption and Change cont. Charles’ I son set up exile in France and his followers eventually had enough of the strict Puritan rule and brought him back to England in what is known as “The Restoration”. England more than ever became a country of multiplicity and diversity.

13. The Sonnet A sonnet is a fourteen line poem written in iambic pentameter (each line contains ten syllables, five of which are usually stressed). The word comes from Italian meaning “little song” or sonetto. Petrarchan or Italian Shakespearean or English Spencerian

14. The Shakespearean Sonnet A Shakespearean sonnet contains: Fourteen lines Iambic pentameter Three quatrains and a couplet Rhyme scheme Abab cdcd efef gg

15. William Shakespeare Born in 1564 in Stratford- on-Avon to a prominent father. Did not attend university Married Anne Hathaway, and had three children, a daughter in 1583 and twins, a boy and girl in 1585. By 1592 he was working in London as a playwright and actor.

16. William Shakespeare cont. In 1593, when the theaters re- opened after the Plague, Shakespeare became a member of the most successful company of actors in London, The Chamberlain’s Men. His troupe performed private plays for Queen Elizabeth I. He retired to Statford-on- Avon in 1610 and died April 23 rd, 1616 (probably his 52 nd birthday).