The Renaissance

-          Profound change at the end of 15th century.

-          EVENTS:

-          End of the Wars of the Roses in 1485.

-          William Caxton prints his first English text in 1474 à Birth of modern English.

-          1492: Columbus discovers America.

-          Globe circumnavigation.

-          Copernicus denies the central position of Earth within the universe.

-          The world has suddenly changed and expanded à No longer a fixed and stable cosmos.

-          Old order of ideas weakened, individuals and society moving away from their medieval beliefs.

-          Shift away from an essentially religious world view to an essentially secular world view.

-          Dynamic society based on trade and commerce.

-          Rediscovery of the classical world of Greece and Rome.

-        Age of questions: the world is larger, destruction of the old certainties and theories, reverse of the foundations of morality and religion à Define things again.

-          Change à Uncertainty and Restlessness, but also vitality and creative tension.

-          Harmony of mind and body necessary.

-          Less stable, less confident view of the world.

Political situation in England:

-          Consolidation of the Tudor dynasty with the reign of Elizabeth I.

-          (1533: Henry VIII declares himself Head of both Church and the State as the Pope doesn't allow him to divorce.)

-          (Mary I, "Bloody Mary", brings Catholicism back to England à Hundreds of people are burned as heretics.)

-          Elizabeth I:

-          Provides political stability.

-          Avoids civil wars (between Catholics, Protestants and old and new aristocracy).

-          Makes sure that the Church of England remains a Protestant Church à new religious faith and moral attitude.

-          Faces serious economic problems.

-          Great increase of trade and exploration.

-          Birth of scientific learning.

-          Flourishing of literary culture.

Literature:

-          Inspired by Italian poets and scholars.

-          Not religious prospective on life, but individual expression to give the world a meaning.

-          Central Theme: clash between individual and social order.

-          Focus on the man and his weaknesses, flaws and qualities.

-          Reflects the wide range of interests and the new vitality of language.

-          DRAMA:

-          "University wits": Christopher Marlowe, Robert Greene and Thomas Nashe à New life to classical models.

-          Shakespeare: variety and depth, all kinds of sources, deep knowledge of the human heart, portrait of life without imposing a personal prospective.

-          POETRY:

-          More personal and private than drama, unprecedented peaks of lyricism and beauty.

-          Shakespeare's sonnets.

-          John Donne and George Herbert = Metaphysical poets.

-          (Talk about religion and love in a violent, direct and intellectually complex language.)

-          (Use of conceits, metaphors and paradoxes, relationship between the individual, God and the universe).

-          (Borrow images from contemporary scientific discoveries and theories.)

-          (Wish to expand human horizons.)