the english renaissance 1485-1625 renaissance-flowering of literary, artistic, and intellectual...

The English Renaissance1485-1625

Renaissance-flowering of literary, artistic, and intellectual development

Began in Italy in the fourteenth century• Medici family/banking

“Rebirth” of intellectual and artistic energies that characterized ancient Rome and Greece

Also a time of territorial exploration and discovery>both in Asia and the Americas

The English Renaissance1485-1625>The Tudor Dynasty

Henry VII married Elizabeth of York Ended the Wars of the Roses Symbol>the Tudor rose

• Eight-petaled design that combined the old white (York) and the red (Lancaster) designs

Ruled the country for more than a century Time of stability and confidence Progress of the Renaissance in

England>slow and fitful

The Tudor Rose: A combination of the white (York) and the red (Lancaster)


Henry the VIII came to the throne when his father died in 1509• Willful and audacious man

• Wanted to be thought of as “enlightened Prince of the Renaissance”

• Brought stability; made court patronage of artists/writers possible

• Sir Thomas More’s Utopia (Greek for “no place”)

• First masterpiece of English Renaissance

• Center of active/brilliant circle>Humanists>Erasmus

Henry VIII

Henry VIII and his six wives


Sir Thomas Wyatt/Henry Howard, Earl of Surry• Two gifted poets in Henry’s court

• Sonnets>based on Italian (Petrarchan) style

Movement of religious protest• Martin Luther>Germany>Ninety-five Theses

• Objections to church abuses

• Became Protestant Reformation

• No religious alignment for England>political

The English Renaissance1485-1625>The Tudor Dynasty Henry VIII>married Catherine of Aragon(#1)

• Spanish>Roman Catholic>no male heir• Henry wanted divorce>Pope refused• Henry had marriage annulled• Mary>daughter=illegitimate

The Act of Supremacy>Henry=head of church and state>Anglican church established

Sir Thomas More refused to swear allegiance to Henry>imprisoned/executed (A Man for All Seasons)

Catherine of Aragon and daughter, Mary (Mary Tudor/Mary I/Bloody Mary

Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth

Jane Seymour and her son, Edward

The English Renaissance1485-1625>The Tudor Dynasty Henry kept mass, all rites, left doctrine

unchanged Henry’s six wives:

• Catherine of Aragon---Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary)• Anne Boleyn---Elizabeth I• Jane Seymour---Edward VI• Anne of Cleves• Catherine Howard• Catherine Parr

“Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived”

The English Renaissance1485-1625>The Tudor Dynasty Henry died in 1547>succeeded by nine-year old

son>Edward VI>died of tuberculosis at fourteen Edward VI succeeded by Mary Tudor (Mary I,

Bloody Mary)• Wife of Phillip II of Spain

• Instituted a reign of terror against Protestants

• Had Elizabeth imprisoned in Tower of London• Two months>then put her under house arrest at country

estates for five years

• Died after five-year reign

• Succeeded by Protestant half-sister>Elizabeth

The English Renaissance1485-1625>The Tudor DynastyElizabeth I (1558-1603)

Only 25 when she came to the throneSchooled in French, Italian, Spanish, Greek,

and LatinMother>Anne Boleyn, 2nd wife of Henry VIIIHad a sharp intellect & excellent Renaissance

educationAccomplished linguist & poetClever, skillful diplomat>shred, even ruthless

politician


Internal tension between Protestants and Catholics

Promoted peace and prosperity

Moderate religious course

Foreign affairs>the wonder of the era

Balanced financial affairs with realistic ingenuity


Leader in pursuing explorations to the New World

Sir Francis Drake>Golden Hind• First Englishman to circumnavigate the world• Pirate>preyed on Spanish ships• Brought much-needed funds• Drake knighted>Phillip II furious• Led to the Spanish Armada>1588

Defeat of the Spanish Armada made England “Mistress of the Seas” and the most powerful nation in the world


Elizabeth I used her unmarried status as a way to gain support from other nations, but she claimed to be married to the throne of England

Died childless in 1603 James VI of Scotland became James I

of England>begins the House of Stuart

The English Renaissance1485-1625>The House of Stuart

the english renaissance 1485-1625 renaissance-flowering of literary, artistic, and intellectual...

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