û The Renaissance: Definition and Origins
- Renaissance means "re-birth", marking a revival
in art, science, and thought from 1500 to 1600.
- It began in Italy in the 15th century, especially in
art and architecture.
- England rose as the most powerful European
nation in the late 16th century.
- Discoveries by Columbus (1492), Copernicus, and
Galileo reshaped worldviews.
ęHistorical Background in England
- King Henry VIII united church and state by
making himself head of the Church of England
(1529–1539).
- He severed ties with the Catholic Church and the
Pope in Rome.
- Monarchs were seen as closest to God in the
Great Chain of Being.
- The Tudors retained many medieval worldviews.
ȣ Queen Elizabeth I (1533–1603)
- Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, she
symbolized the Golden Age (1558–1603).
- Declared illegitimate in 1537, she endured a
lonely childhood.
- She was highly educated in Latin and Greek.
- Under Mary I’s reign (1553), Elizabeth’s position
became insecure.
- Imprisoned for alleged rebellion involvement,
then placed under house arrest (1554).
- Upon accession in 1558, she restored moderate
Anglicanism.
- She refused marriage, using it as a diplomatic
tool.
- She funded government from her own revenues
and called Parliament only 13 times.
- Her tolerance won loyalty from both Catholics
and Puritans.
é Renaissance Impact
- The Renaissance marked the beginning of the
modern world in geography, science, politics,
religion, society, and art.
- London became the capital of the known world.
- English evolved into a modern language through
writers like Shakespeare.
- Printing pened literature to all literate people.
- Theatre became the most important form of
expression.
ʬ Periods of English Renaissance
Literature
1. Early Renaissance (Late 15th – Mid 16th
Century)
- Rise of English scholars and humanists.
- Study of classical philosophy and literature.
- Oxford and Cambridge trained the first
humanists.
- Printing press development boosted humanist
culture.
- William Caxton (1422–1491) was England’s
first printer.
2. Elizabethan Period (Late 16th – Early
17th Century)
- Flourishing of English Renaissance literature.
- Creation of new literary forms.
- Shakespeare’s masterpieces emerged.
3. Post-Shakespearean Period (Until 1640)
- Decline of Renaissance literature.
- Poetry influenced by Chaucer, folk songs, and
Italian verse. .
- Common themes: love and courtly hypocrisy.
ʯ Elizabethan Poetry and the Sonnet
- Poetry was part of a gentleman’s education.
- The sonnet became a key poetic form.
- Originated from Petrarch’s Italian sonnet.
- Sir Thomas Wyatt introduced it to English.
- Sonnets featured 14 ten-syllable rhymed lines.
- Collections included works by many poets.
William Shakespeare: Life, Works, and Legacy
- He composed his plays during the reign of
Queen Elizabeth I, during the early part of the
reign of her cousin James VI of Scotland.
- During this period, England saw an outpouring
of poetry and drama, led by Shakespeare,
Edmund Spenser, and Christopher Marlowe, that
remains unsurpassed in English literary history.
- April 23 has traditionally been accepted as his
date of birth.
- The third of eight children. Shakespeare seems to
have arrived in London after attaining success as
an actor and playwright.
- The 154 sonnets describe the devotion of a
character, often identified as the poet himself, to
a young man and a mysterious, unfaithful dark
lady.
- The sonnets are prized for their exploration of
love in all its aspects.
- Sonnet 18, ranks among the most famous love
poems of all time.
- Shakespeare’s reputation today is based
primarily on the 37 plays that he wrote,
modified, or collaborated on.
- His theatrical company was known as the Lord
Chamberlain’s Men.
- Shakespeare never seems to have bothered about
publication; he sought only performance as the
public forum for his plays..
- Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616—the same
month and day traditionally assigned to his birth.
- Shakespeare had no hand in the publication of
his plays and received no money from the printed
editions.
- In the absence of modern copyright laws,
publishers could buy a manuscript and publish it
without needing to verify authorship.
- Two fellow actors, Heminges and Condell,
collected 36 of his plays and published them in
the First Folio in 1623. seven years after
Shakespeare’s death.
- The First Folio divided the plays into three
categories: comedies, histories, and tragedies.
Modern critics added a fourth: tragicomedies.
Made by Ziad A Suleiman