INTRODUCTION

Renaissance of Greek and Rome, the highest civilizations.

The Renaissance was the period that followed the Middle Ages. It was a time of renewed
interest in things of this world:

- Human beings and their conditions

- Education, art, literature and science
- Approximately 1300-1600

The Renaissance started in Italy where wealth from trade supported art learning.

- Here also capitalism was born. Private individuals or companies, not the government,
owned businesses. The main goal is profit.
- Republican government arose in most cities. Citizens participated.
- Patrons, wealthy from newly expanded trade, sponsored works which glorified city-
states in northern Italy.

Niccolo Machiavelli, in The Prince, said, basically, one must do whatever one must do to get
and stay in power. If it works, it is the “right” thing to do. Forget ideals; lie, cheat, even murder
if you must. A stable state is needed.

HUMANISM

Humanism, a system of thought and action concerned with human interests and values, was
the dominant movement of the Renaissance.

- Human beings have dignity and intelligence

- They (we) can change the world and make it a better place for all

The ideal so-called Renaissance man was successful in business, well-mannered, educated,
athletic, and brave.

- The goal of education became making people well-rounded.

- Religion remained important, but the authority and some practices of the church
began to be questioned.

GUTENBERG BIBLE

The Gutenberg Bible, named for the craftsman and inventor of printing by use of
moveable type, Johannes Gutenberg, was completed in 1455 at Mainz, Germany. The three-
volume Latin text arguably represents the greatest single innovation in the history of
communication technology, as well as a style of printing that existed almost unaltered until 20 th
century. Gutenberg’s invention and the dispersion of relatively cheap printed materials
ultimately stimulated enormous change – social, political, economic, and religious. Some forty
perfect vellum copies of Gutenberg’s masterpiece of technological advancement still exist in
the world.

IMPORTANT PEOPLE AT THAT TIME

Leonardo da Vinci painted Mona Lisa, studied geology, chemistry and anatomy,
designed buildings, canals and weapons, and sketched engines and flying machines.
 Michelangelo Buonaroti painted The Sistine Chapel ceiling, sculptured David, designed
buildings, and wrote poetry.

Desiderius Erasmus, a priest who wrote books, The Praise of Folly 1509, condemned
ignorance and superstition. He believed education could lead to more perfect societies.

Raphael

Titian

Shakespeare wrote plays showing humans as in God’s image, but part of this world as well.

REIGN OF HENRY VIII

Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon, but after some years, he decided to get
divorce. However, the Pope did not approve the divorce and he decided to declare himself boss
of the church. That’s the origin of the Anglican church.

It meant the beginning of the bad relationship between England and Spain. Also, it
caused the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE

Pirate, he collaborated in the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

LITERATURE

Literature flourished during the Renaissance

This can be greatly attributed to Johannes Gutenberg

RENAISSANCE LITERATURE AND DRAMA

Shakespeare wrote 37 plays categorised as comedies, tragedies and histories.

Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist and poet.

Dante the greatest of Italian poets.

Renaissance theatre derived from medieval theatre, such as mystery plays that formed
a part of religious festivals in England and was a favourite past time of the period.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

The Renaissance was a gory time for the punishment of crime.

Punishments were brutal and cruel and ranged from having body parts lopped off to
being stretched out on “the rack”.

1. WHAT WAS THE RENAISSANCE?

Renaissance is French for “rebirth”

It began in Italy in the 14th century and in England extended past the middle of the 17th
century (Keach, Richetti, and Robbins 128)

The Renaissance ushered in a new age of “modern” thinking, and separated itself from
the previous era called the Middle Ages or Dark Ages.
 Society saw a rebirth of the intellectual and artistic energies that characterized ancient
Greek and Roman civilization.

It awakened a whole range of new interests in human beings and the world they lived.

Erasmus of Rotterdam, a Dutch thinker, reflected this spirit of hopeful renewal: “I am

led to a confident hope that not only morality and Christian piety, but also a genuine and
purer literature, may come to renewed life or greater splendour”

1.1.THE RENAISSANCE WAS AN ARTISTIC MOVEMENT

The Renaissance shaped the works of great painters, sculptors, musicians and
architects, the visual arts flourished.

1.2.THE RENAISSANCE WAS AN INTELLECTUAL MOVEMENT

Before the Renaissance, Medieval thinking was defined by certain attitudes and beliefs:

- Medieval thought put an emphasis on God, relied heavily on faith, and saw this life as
preparation for the afterlife.
- The world and its pleasures were viewed as temptations and rejected as sinful.
- Society demanded unquestioning obedience to authority (to God, church, feudal lord,
or king).
- Community (under the system called feudalism) was more important than individuality.
- Tradition was not challenged.
2. HUMANISM, A NEW INTELLECTUAL MOVEMENT

The Basic Beliefs of Humanism:

- Saw the potential of life in the here and now, not just the afterlife.
- Emphasized the capacities of the human mind and the achievements of human culture
rather than the power of God.
- Replaced unquestioning faith with an instinct of curiosity, honest doubt, and
skepticism.
- Sought freedom from authority and valued personal independence.
- Believed in the dignity and potential of the individual.
- Valued individual expression.
- Cherished beauty and earthly pleasures, as the ancient Greeks and Romans did.
- Emphasized the importance of education, reason, and intellectual freedom; moved
away from the traditional study of logic, law, astronomy and philosophy to a study of
subjects we now refer to as the humanities: liberal arts, rhetoric, poetry, moral
philosophy.
2.1.IMPACT OF HUMANISM

Although humanism broke away from the traditions and superstitions of the Medieval
Era, God, and Christianity were still important. However, many Christian humanists
questioned the practices of the Roman Catholic church.

Humanism contributed to the thinking behind the Protestant Reformation.

It provided a crucial step towards later periods of scientific advancement.

It resulted in a more educated, literate and prepared people for literature with more
secular ideas.
3. THE RENAISSANCE – AN ERA OF EXPLORATION

Exploration and discovery of new worlds (including the Americas) supplied Europe with
goods and trade partners. The English were not pioneers in the discovery and exploration
of the new world, but they profited greatly as colonizers and merchant adventurers,
especially during the reign of Elizabeth I.

4. THE RENAISSANCE – AN ERA OF SCIENCE

Copernicus and Galileo (physicists, mathematicians, astronomers) hypothesized that

the Earth was not the centre of the universe as the Catholic Church traditionally believed.
Instead, they suggested that the Earth, as well as other planets, orbited around the sun.
For this reason, they were labelled as heretics by the Catholic Church.

5. GUTENBERG’S PRINTING PRESS

It was invented in 1440 in Germany by Johannes Gutenberg and introduced in England

a few decades later by William Caxton.

At a time when education was becoming more important, the printing press made
books cheaper and more widely available to a rising middle class.

In the early 15th century, about 30% of the people were literate compared to 60% by
1530.

The time was right for the flowering of the Renaissance literary movement.

6. POLITICAL INSTABILITY STIFLES THE RENAISSANCE IN ENGLAND

England was slow to participate in the European Renaissance mainly for political reasons.

The Yorks and the Lancasters battled each other for the throne in the Wars of the Roses
(1455-1485).

In 1485 Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, defeated Yorkist King Richard and was crowned
King Henry VII, reigning until 1509.

The Tudor dynasty was established and ruled the country for more than a century.

Henry VII’s reign brought the political stability necessary for Renaissance ideas to take
root in England.

It was not until the reign of his son, Henry VIII, that Renaissance ideas were able to
flower.

6.1.THE REIGN OF KING HENRY VIII (1509-1547)

Henry VIII was a political leader that admired what the Renaissance had achieved in
Europe.

He wanted to be thought of as “an enlightened Renaissance prince”

 In Henry’s court, famous poets such as Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard were
beginning their work.

Sir Thomas More became the centre of a brilliant circle of English Humanists. His
Utopia was an early Renaissance masterpiece.

But it was during his reign that religious and historical forces once again disrupted
literary and artistic development.

7. THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION

It was a movement of religious protest, against the authority and “corruption” of the
Roman Catholic Church.

It was already underway in Europe under the leadership of people such as Martin
Luther and John Calvin, who protested against the practices of the Roman Catholic Church
for religious reasons.

Henry VIII had political and personal motives for breaking away from the Church:

- Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, had not produced a male heir for the throne.
- The Pope refused Henry VIII a divorce.
- He defied the Pope, married Anne Boleyn, and declared himself Supreme Head of the
Church of England (the Anglican Church).
7.1.NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE REFORMATION ON THE RENAISSANCE

Sir Thomas More opposed the king’s divorce and refused to swear allegiance to him.
Henry imprisoned More and executed him.

More’s death is a reminder of how the cultural and artistic spirit of the Renaissance
was prevented from thriving under Henry’s lust for dynastic power and authority.

The nation was divided between Catholics and Anglicans.

It led to a lot of political and religious instability that hindered the advancement of the
Renaissance, even after Henry’s death in 1547.

Catholic was pitted against Protestant.

Edward VI, son of Henry and Jane Seymour, continued Protestant reforms.

Queen Mary, known as “Bloody Mary”:

- Daughter of Catherine of Aragon

- Married Philip II of Spain
- Instituted a reign of terror against English Protestants in an attempt to return England
to Catholic authority.
- Her time on the throne threatened England’s growing national identity and allowed
Spain to emerge as the dominant, most imperialistic power in the 16th century Europe.
8. ELIZABETH I

She ascended to the throne at the age of 25. She was very intelligent and had an
excellent Renaissance education. Her tutor was Roger Ascham, a famous English humanist.

She was an accomplished linguist and poet.

 She encouraged literary and artistic developments which allowed the Renaissance in
England to grow.

She was a clever diplomat and ruthless politician.

She used her unmarried status as a way to manipulate her traditional enemies, France
and Spain, who sought alliances with England through marriage to its Queen.

She promoted peace by navigating a reasonable religious track between the

Protestants and the Catholics.

In 1588, England’s navy defeated the Spanish Armada when Spain attempted to invade.

The victory marked Elizabeth’s authority in a country that had become one of the most
powerful in the world in less than a century.

With swelling national pride and new economic prosperity due to commercial trade in
the Americas, England was ready for a period of great artistic and cultural achievements.

Many individuals of talent came to Eliabeth’s court to distinguish themselves

artistically.

8.1.ARTISTIC TASTES OF ELIZABETHANS

22/09/2023

DAILY LIFE IN ELIZABETHAN ERA (POWERPOINT 2)

If you were born in Elizabethan England: 5% of you would die within the first week of
your life. 40% of you wouldn’t survive to your 15th birthday. Approximately one out of
every 100 mothers died in childbirth. A midwife and her attendants would assist at the
birth. Women gave birth in birthing chairs or stools, sitting up.

While boys were prized, the birth of a healthy child, regardless of the sex, was cause for
celebration. When a baby was born, families might consult an astrologer to determine if
the date and time of the baby’s birth was fortunate. People’s lives were thought to be
determined by God and could be read in the alignment of the stars and planets.

This is why the chorus refers to Romeo and Juliet as “a pair of star-crossed lovers.”
Their love story and their fates were foretold by the heavens. After birth, the baby was
bathed in warm, scented water, and wrapped tightly in swaddling clothes. Many babies
were given a coin to help drive the devil away.

Swaddling was to help encourage proper physical development.

Most babies born to middling and well to do families were breast fed by wet-nurses,
women hired out to perform this service. It was generally believed that a woman’s breast
milk contained elements of her character and so wet nurses known for their virtuous
character were in demand. Poorer women nursed their own children and might try to hire
themselves out as wet nurses to privileged families.

The Nurse was Juliet’s wet nurse, and says to her charge, “Thou wast the prettiest babe
that e’er I nursed.” The Nurse’s daughter, Susan, was nursed with Juliet. After Susan’s
death, the Nurse and her husband stayed with Juliet’s family and continued to care for
Juliet.

Because so many babies died in infancy, it was important for the baby to be baptized
soon after birth. Mothers did not attend the baptism. They were to remain at home
recuperating. When they were allowed out in public, the occasion was cause for
celebration, and the mother attended service at her church to give thanks for her safe
deliverance. This practice, in turn, was known as ‘churching.’

Like Juliet, babies were weaned at about 2 or age 3. Boys and girls both wore skirts
until they were toilet trained. Boys who were old enough to wear pants were considered
‘breeched’.

Babies were named after godparents or relatives. The most common names for girls
were: Elizabeth, Ann, Mary, Margaret and Katherine. The most common boys’ names were
Henry, Thomas, Edward, John, William and Robert. If a child died, his or her parents might
give the next child born the same name.

Children were considered miniature versions of adults with no consideration for a

child’s particular emotional, physical or spiritual needs out of infancy. Adolescence was not
considered a special period in a child’s life. Parental authority tended to continue into
early adulthood.

Young boys in middling and upper classes might go to grammar school, through their
parents’ guilds or a local parish church. Instruction was largely through rote memorization,
and discipline was notoriously strict. Schoolmasters were permitted to beat unruly
students.

Romeo says to Juliet, “Love goes toward love as schoolboys from their books, But love
from love, toward school with heavy looks”

Girls as a rule were not formally educated. Some girls born to wealthy parents might be
taught to read and write English, Latin or French as Queen Elizabeth herself was.

Most girls, however, were taught the skills most necessary to be housewives and
mothers. They learned to sew, collect and cultivate herbs for medicinal purposes, cook,
clean and keep house, manage servants if necessary, and run a household.

Children from noble families were frequently sent to other noble households to be
trained in etiquette, social graces and protocol. Young girls in service might learn to sing,
play an instrument or dance. Queen Elizabeth’s ladies in waiting came from the most
powerful and wealthy families in England.

After schooling, boys were typically apprenticed in a trade.

After seven years of apprenticeship, they could become a journeyman and work for
wages. A few of the middling classes might attend University, like Edmund Spenser who
wrote The Faerie Queene.
 Sonnet 60: Like as the waves make towards the pebbl'd shore
BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Like as the waves make towards the pebbl'd shore,
So do our minutes hasten to their end;
Each changing place with that which goes before,
In sequent toil all forwards do contend.
Nativity, once in the main of light,
Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crown'd,
Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight,
And Time that gave doth now his gift confound.
Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
And delves the parallels in beauty's brow,
Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth,
And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow:
And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand,
Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.
Two first lines: idea of repetition

Being crowned -> to become king or to lose hair (two possible interpretations)

Time -> it can be both good and bad

“Delves the parallels in beauty’s brow” -> Wrinkles

“Scythe” -> guadaña

Couplet (two last lines): the speaker claims that he is going to win time because its verses will
be eternal.

Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
May -> a changing month

Octave -> the speaker expresses why Summer is inferior to his lover

Sextet -> the speaker expresses why his lover is superior to Summer

Her lover’s beauty will be eternal thanks to his writings (eternal life)

Couplet: the speaker’s love will be eternal thanks to the poem

“Sonnet 18” is a poem written by William Shakespeare, where the author makes a comparison
between his lover and Summer. In the octave, the poetic persona remarks why “a summer’s
day” is inferior to his lover. For instance, he expresses that a summer’s day in May can be
changing, while his lover is always perfect. In contrast, in the sextet, he expresses why his lover
is superior to “a summer’s day”. In fact, his lover will be eternal thanks to these lines.