The English Renaissance The English Renaissance Microcosm and MacrocosmMicrocosm and Macrocosm

From 1509 (Henry VIII)

to 1660 (Restoration)

The English RenaissanceThe English Renaissance

It developed later than in the rest of Europe

MAIN FEATURES:

Strong Protestant and Puritan basis

Reformation under the reign of Henry VIII

he broke with Rome and declared himself as the Supreme Head of the English Church

The English RenaissanceThe English Renaissance

It lacked the pagan serenity of the Italian Renaissance

It was less devoted to visual arts

New Learning / HumanismNew Learning / Humanism

Training in classical imitation

It was established in the two universities of Oxford and Cambridge

It encouraged confidence in the power of human reason to interpret Man and Nature

Literature: instrument of reason

Universal order

� From the medieval

background it inherited

a system of beliefs based

on a general conception

of order

� the universal order

chain cosmic dance

The Chain of BeingThe Chain of Being

The chain stretched from God to the

lowest of inanimate objects

First there is the inanimate class:

1. The elements

2. Liquids

3. Metals

Then there is the vegetative class

Then there is the animal class leading to man who has existence, life, feeling and understanding

Then the angels freed from attachment to lower faculties

The Cosmic Dance

�The universe was in a state of

music, of perpetual dance

�It was governed by the divine will

�Nature = God’s instrument

�The social hierarchy = product of Nature

Order and Unity

Order and unity =

natural rules for the state

The Sovereign = symbol

of stability and unity

New Discoveries

• New geographical discoveries

• New wealth

The old order of ideas was weakened

by new cultural influences

Nicolaus Copernicus created a new

model of the Solar System

the Sun at the centre of the

Universe, and the planets moving around it

Expansion

of markets

New Discoveries

The invention of the telescopeby G. Galilei proved that the Earth revolved around the sun

The Italian astronomer established the scientific method

study of the physical world by

sensory observation, experiment

and by mathematical measurement

The Royal Society 1662

Beginning of modern science: foundation of the Royal Society

To overcome the mysteries of all the works of nature

Elements that contributed to the development of the English character

•• PuritanismPuritanism hard working attitude

•• Civil War Civil War 17th century

settlement of Parliamentsettlement of Parliament

a guarantee that the Royal asbolutism should never be established in England

self-confidence: belief in progress

The TudorsThe Tudors

Henry VIII

• He made his monarchy supreme and turned England into a strong modern state

• Foreign policy: England’s trading position stronger

• Creation of a merchant fleet

• Increase in military strength

The ReformationThe Reformation

Religious revolution arising from a quarrel between Henry VIII and the Pope

Henry VIII was married to Catherine of Aragon from whom he had a a daughter, Mary

Fallen in love with Anne Boleyn, he asked the Pope for a divorce

The Pope refused to declare the marriage invalid

The ReformationThe Reformation

Henry broke with Rome

he declared himself

“Supreme Head of the Church”

he dissolved the monasteries

social charities disappeared

Ireland

It remained Catholic

beginning of the Irish Question

Mary I (Bloody Mary)

Daughter of Henry VIII e Catherine of Aragon

She refused to comform to the new religion: she was a Catholic

She repealed anti-Catholic legislation

She persecuted 300 Protestants

Queen Elizabeth I

In 1558 she bacame queen of a divided nation (anti-Catholic and anti-Spanish)

She had a strong personality and a lively intelligence

She could speak French, Latin and Italian

She was a political genius

Queen Elizabeth I

The country needed order and harmony

Elizabeth brought unity and defeated English enemies

She ruled wisely through the Privy Council of 20 members (nobles and officials)

Her court was brilliant full of musicians, actors and poets

Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth was unmarried: she used to say that she was married to her people

“The Virgin Queen”

Spain was the main trade rival and

England’s enemy

Overseas trade expanded making England a commercial power

Sea-captains like Francis Drake were engaged in piracy captured Spanish ships that carried precious metals and slaves from America and Africa

In 1588 the war against Spain broke out

The Defeat of the Spanish Armada

Spanish ships were slow and heavy

English ships were lower and faster

The Spanish Armada was defeated

The Defeat of the Spanish Armada

Queen Elizabeth died in 1603

The Tudor line died

James VI of Scotland bacame the first Stuart king

James I Stuart (1603-1625)

He believed in the theory of the “divine right of kings”

As a monarch he was the representative of God on Earth

He summoned Parliament only to ask for money BUT its members refused to give money unless for war

James I Stuart (1603-1625)

Religion was the most urgent problem

Catholics were fined if they refused to attend the Church of England

The Puritans refused the rites and bishops of the Church of England

They had a high sense of duty and were against any form of entertainment

James I Stuart (1603-1625)

1603-1625

great progress overseas

peace with Spain

English colonial possessions in North America

The Pilgrim Fathers, religious dissenters, left England for America (1620)

The Civil War (1642)

Charles I (1625-1649) could not avoid confrontation with the Puritan party (middle class)

Social and political movement having the majority in Parliamnet

Puritans wanted a balance of power between king and Parliament

The Civil War (1642)

Charles I firmly believed he was king by divine right

clash with Parliament

in 1642 the Civil War broke out

Royalists Parliamentarians

(Cavaliers) (Roundheads)

The Civil War (1642)

Royalists Parliamentarians

(Cavaliers) (Roundheads)

lords the new gentry

The Church artisans

of England puritans

small landowners

The Civil War (1642)

• The king was made prisoner

• Cromwell took control of London

• The king was executed

• Monarchy was abolished

• The country was ruled as a

republic = Commonwealth

The Restoration Charles II (1660-1685)

• The king returned from his exile in France

• It was the most immoral court in English history

• The Englishmen were relieved by his return because they were oppressed by the strict rules of the Puritans

The Restoration Charles II (1660-1685)

Two great catastrophes hit England

the Great Fire outbreak of

of London bubonic plague

The Glorious RevolutionBloodless Revolution

Cooperation between

Crown and Parliament

William of Orange and his wife Mary became joint monarchs

London

• Trasport improved

• Shops grew larger

• Most of England’s foreign trade passed

through its port

• The reasons for its influence were not only

economic, but political and cultural