Transcript Celebrating Humanity

Unit 2 – The English Renaissance
CELEBRATING HUMANITY
SHAKESPEAREAN QUOTE: (HAMLET)
“What a piece of work is a man! How
noble in reason! How infinite in faculties!
In form and moving how express and
admirable! In action how like an angel!”
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
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The Renaissance is an exciting time in history.
It blossomed first in Italy.
Learning and support of the arts was
important.
It eventually spread north and led to the
English Renaissance (1485-1625)
English scholars wanted to bring about a
rebirth of civilization.
THE AGE OF EXPLORATION
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A great burst of sea exploration began.
Navigators were aided by the development of
the compass and by advances in astronomy.
Columbus arrives in the Western Hemisphere in
1492.
John Cabot laid the foundation for English
claims in North America.
RELIGION
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A growing sense of nationalism led many
Europeans to question the authority of the Roman
Catholic Church.
Some felt the church was corrupt.
Some questioned the teachings and hierarchy.
A split occurs I the church in 1517 with a German
monk named Martin Luther.
This sparked Lutheranism –
The Protestant Reformation.
THE TUDORS
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Tudor Dynasty begins in 1485.
The rise of monarchs assured stability –
increasing their power and undercutting the
strength of the nobles.
During the reign of monarchs, England goes
from a small island nation to a world power.
Henry VII was the first Tudor monarch.
THE TUDORS
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The monarchy was depleted and exhausted
from civil war, but he restored the nations
treasury and established law and order.
He was succeeded by his athletic and
handsome son Henry VIII.
He was a Catholic and wrote a book against
Martin Luther, which caused the Pope to grant
him the title “Defender of the Faith”.
HENRY VIII
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His good standing with the Pope did not last
long.
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Catherine of Aragon >Catholic > Mary > Divorce
Anne Boleyn > Protestant >Elizabeth > Beheaded
Jane Seymour >Catholic > Edward > Died
Three more wives – little significance to the
monarchy.
THE WIVES OF HENRY VIII
THE CHILDREN OF HENRY VIII
RELIGIOUS TURMOIL
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Henry the VIII’s son becomes King Edward the
VI at age nine – and dies at age 15.
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Edward made many changes during his short reign.
English replaced Latin in church rituals
Created the Anglican prayer book
The Common Book of Prayer – required in public
worship
England was on its way to being a protestant
nation.
MARY I
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Mary – Edward’s half-sister took the throne
after Edward and tried to restore Roman
practices to the Church of England.
She also restored the authority of the Pope over
the English Church.
She ordered the execution of approximately
300 Protestants – earning her the name Bloody
Mary.
ELIZABETH I
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Mary died after a 5 year reign and was
succeeded to the throne by Elizabeth.
She received a Renaissance education.
She read widely in Greek and Latin.
She was a patron of the arts.
She kept company with all the great writers of
her time.
ELIZABETH I
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Elizabeth put an end to religious turmoil.
She reestablished the monarchy’s reign over
the Church of England.
She instituted a policy of religious compromise,
enforcing reforms that both moderate Catholics
and Protestants could accept.
ELIZABETH I AND MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS
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Because Catholics did not recognize the
marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn – they
believed that Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland
was the true heir.
Mary devised many plots against Elizabeth and
Elizabeth finally had her jailed.
Ultimately, the Parliament insisted on Mary’s
execution.
She was beheaded in 1587.
OFF WITH HER HEAD!
STUARTS AND PURITANS
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Elizabeth died in 1603.
The Renaissance continued to flourish after her
death.
Elizabeth named the son of her former
antagonist (Mary Queen of Scots)
the next in succession to the throne.
James I, however, was a Protestant.
JACOBEAN ERA
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Jacobus, Latin for James.
The period during James rule.
He too was a patron of the arts.
He expanded England’s position as a world power.
He demonstrated religious intolerance towards
Puritans in Parliament.
As a result, a group of Puritans left England and
migrated to America in 1620.
LITERATURE OF THE RENAISSANCE
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Explosion of cultural energy.
Love songs
Poetry
Paintings
Sculptures
Literature expresses the same spirit of the
Renaissance as the art of the time did.
ELIZABETHAN POETRY
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Lyric over narrative poetry.
Experimented with new poetic forms.
Perfected the sonnet.
3 sonnets – Sidney, Spenser, and
Shakespearean. (further instruction later)
Pastoral Poetry – idealizes the rustic simplicity
of rural life.
ELIZABETHAN DRAMA
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Playwrights turned from religious subjects and
began writing more complex and sophisticated
plays.
They drew on the classic models from Greece
and Rome.
Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare
are contemporaries of the period.
ELIZABETHAN AND JACOBEAN PROSE
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Prose took a back seat to poetry.
The most monumental prose achievement is
found in The King James Bible.
54 scholars labored for seven years to bring
this magnificent work to fruition.
RENAISSANCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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The English Renaissance ushered out the
Medieval times into the modern world.
No writers since have surpassed the literary
achievements of Shakespeare or the King
James Bible.
They are the standard by which all English
literature is judged.