THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE

1485-1660

The Renaissance: Historical Context

A. The Monarchy and the Church1. The Tudors

a. Henry Tudor took throne of England 1485

b. good leaderc. arranged for son Henry to

marry Catherine of Aragon (Spanish)

The Renaissance: Historical Context

A. The Monarchy and the Church2. The Protestant Reformation

a. dissatisfaction with Roman Catholic Church due to corruption

b. Martin Luther: (1517) led the reformation

c. creation of Protestant church as separate

from the Catholic church

The Renaissance: Historical Context

A. The Monarchy and the Church3. The Church of England

a. King Henry V111 (8th) wanted a male heir

b. Wanted to divorce first wife, Catherine, in

order to marry Anne Boleyn in order to have a

sonc. Pope of Catholic Church refusedd. 1534: Henry broke away from Church,

declared himself head of Church of England, married Anne

The Renaissance: Historical Context

B. The Elizabethan Era1. Elizabeth I (the First)a. daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleynb. powerful leaderi. kept England out of warsii. Encouraged overseas adventuresiii. Sensitive to public opinionc. leader of a great military power after defeating Spanish armada

The Renaissance: Historical Context

C. The Rise of the Stuarts1. King James I and his son, Charles I, angered the English people

a. they were too extravagant in religious beliefs (followed the Anglican Church which was closer to Catholicism than Protestantism)

b. fought with the Puritansc. led the country into civil war

The Renaissance: Historical Context

D. The Defeat of the Monarchy1. Civil War

a. Royalists (Catholics, Anglicans, nobility) vs. supporters of Parliament (Puritans, smaller landowners, middle class)

b. Puritans won = life became very strict (no theaters, forms of recreation suspended, Sunday was day of prayer only)2. 1660: new parliament and monarchy was restored

The Renaissance: General

“Renaissance” = rebirth, revival Marked by surge in creativity and

modern worldview Began in 1485 (Henry VII took the

English throne) Full force during the reign of Queen

Elizabeth I Ended in 1660

The Renaissance: Worldview

People began to place importance on: Life on earth The individual The development of human potential

“Renaissance man” = well-rounded person who worked to achieve ultimate potential in many areas.

The Renaissance: Parts of life focused on:

Arts, theater, and literature Beauty of nature Human impulses Exploration Mastery over the world

The Renaissance: Creativity and Exploration

Important People: Shakespeare Galileo Columbus

Important Inventions: The compass Gutenberg’s

printing press

Pastoral Poetry

• presents shepherd in idealized rural settings• Images of beautiful countryside • Portrays shepherds and the simple

country life• Courtly language (fancy words that

peasants would not use.

• expresses feeling and thoughts about love and other subjects

Inverted Syntax

InversionExample: “And we will

all the pleasures prove” (line 2)

RewriteExample: “And we will

prove all the pleasures”

“The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”

1. What is the shepherd’s attitude regarding love?

a. Whom is the speaker addressing?

b. What words does the speaker choose to use that tell you how he feels about love?

c. What images does the speaker use give evidence of how he feels about love?

“The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd”

1. What is the speaker’s attitude regarding love?

a. Whom is the speaker addressing?

b. What words does the speaker choose to use that tell you how she feels about love?

c. What images does the speaker use give evidence of how she feels about love?