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Elizabethan Literature Slide 2 1485: Accession of Henry VII inaugurates age of the Tudor sovereigns. 1509: Accession of Henry VIII. 1558: Accession of Queen Elizabeth I. 1576: The Theatre is built. 1588: Defeat of the Spanish Armada. 1603: Death of Elizabeth I. Important Historical Events in the Sixteenth Century (1485-1603) Slide 3 Renaissance The Renaissance is the humanistic revival of classical art, architecture, literature, and learning that originated in Italy in the 14th century and later spread throughout Europe. In northern Europe, Desiderius Erasmus cultivated Christian humanism, and writers such as Franois Rabelais and William Shakespeare produced works that emphasized the intricacies of human character. Slide 4 English Renaissance and Elizabethan literature "English Renaissance" is a term used to describe a cultural and artistic movement in England from the early 16th century to the early 17th century. It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance. "Elizabethan literature" refers to the body of works written during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). Slide 5 The Elizabethan era is the greatest age in the history of English literature. This period reached a remarkable achievement in the genres of poetry, drama, and a variety of prose. Important poets in this period were Edmund Spenser and John Milton. Important playwrights were Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare. Important philosophers were Sir Thomas More and Sir Francis Bacon. Slide 6 William Shakespeare (1564-1616) actor playwright producer poet William Shakespeare is a British poet and playwright, often considered the greatest writer in world literature. Slide 7 Born in Stratford-upon- Avon in 1564, he spent his early life there, receiving at most a grammar-school education. Slide 8 He married a local woman, Anne Hathaway, at age 18. Slide 9 By 1594 he was a rising playwright in London and an actor in a leading theatre company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later King's Men). Slide 10 Shakespeares Works Shakespeare wrote 11 tragedies, 17 comedies, and 10 histories, and 154 sonnets. Slide 11 Shakespeares Works His plays are traditionally organized into three groups: Tragedies, Comedies, and Histories. His plays are marked by extraordinary poetry; vivid, subtle, and complex characterization; and a highly inventive use of English. The first collected edition of his plays, or First Folio, was published in 1623. Slide 12 Shakespeares Four Great Tragedies Macbeth Hamlet King Lear Othello Slide 13 He retired to Stratford before 1610 and lived there until his death in 1616. Slide 14 English Renaissance Theatre English Renaissance theatre is English drama written between the Reformation and the closure of the theatres in 1642. Important sources of English Renaissance drama was the mystery plays and the morality plays. Other sources include the University drama, the Commedia dell'arte and the masques. Companies of players attached to noble households became the foundation for the professional players. Slide 15 Theatres sprang up in London suburbs thanks to the Queen's taste for plays and the Privy's support. London's total theatre capacity reached 5,000 spectators around 1580 and exceeded 10,000 spectators after about 1610. The first purpose-built theatre was the Theatre built by James Burbage in 1576. The acting companies functioned on a repertory system. Slide 16 Elizabethan Theatre Slide 17 Slide 18 Slide 19