Download Unit 2: The English Renaissance (1485-1610)

Unit 2: The English Renaissance (1485-1610)
I.
Historical Context
A. The Monarchy & the Church
1. The Tudors
a. Henry VII –a shrewd leader
b. Built up political interest throughout Europe and America
(English claims)
2. The Reformation
a. Henry VIII’s reign
b. Catholic Church was looked down on because the great
wealth led to ______________ by the church leaders
c. Protestant church created as a result (split from Rome)
3. The Church of England
a. Henry VIII stayed loyal to the Catholic church until he was
unable to have a _______ heir, leaving the Catholic church
so he could divorce his wife Catherine
b. Henry VIII appoints himself the Head of the Church of
England
c. Henry VIII went through ____ wives and had only one frail
and sickly son Edward VI
d. Edward VI took reign at 9 years old and died at the age of
15
e. The __________ formed during Edwards reign –believing
the church needed more reforms
f. Catherine’s daughter Mary took the throne after Edward’s
death
i.
To ________ her mother and bring back the
Roman Catholic Church, she persecuted the
Protestants –Nicknamed “Bloody Mary”
B. The Elizabethan Era
1. Elizabeth I (the unwanted daughter of Henry VIII) was one of the
__________ and most ____________ rulers
2. Re-established the Church of England as a buffer between the
Catholics and Puritans –Catholic’s however, considered her
cousin Mary Stuart (Queen of Scotland) to be their rightful heir
to the throne
3. Elizabeth orders Mary’s __________ after several years of
conspiracies—in response Catholic Spain’s Philip II sent the
Spanish Armada (fleet of warships) to challenge the English
Navy
4. English ships defeat the Spanish Armada making Elizabeth and
England the undisputed leaders and great military _________
C. The Rise of the Stuarts
1. 1603 the Tudor dynasty comes to an end with the death of
Elizabeth
2. James VI of Scotland (Mary Stuart’s son) took reign with the
death of Elizabeth
3. In 1629 Charles I (James’ son) took reign and dismissed
Parliament and had a great ________ for the Puritans
a. Thousands of English citizens, especially Puritans,
emigrated to North America during this time
4. England was soon headed for a ______________ as Charles tried
to bring Anglican practices into Scotland
a. Thus lead to his need to re-establish Parliament—who
striped him of many of his powers
b. Charles then retaliated with military forces
D. The Defeat of the Monarchy
1. Civil War
a. _________ –Catholics, Anglicans, and the nobility
b. Supporters of Parliament—Puritans, some land owners, and
the middle class
2. 1645 the King surrendered after the Royalist were defeated
3. Parliament established the _________________
a. A government formed by the people’s wishes in which the
people ruled for the good “wealth” of all
4. In 1660 a new Parliament invited Charles II to return from exile
and assume the throne—known as the Restoration of England
II.
Cultural Influences
A. The Renaissance (“Rebirth or Revival”)
1. The Renaissance Worldviews
a. Up to this time Europeans focused their lives on religion
and the afterlife
b. Curiosity and interest in life on earth became the focus
c. New emphasis on the individual and a person’s _________
emerged
2. Creativity and Exploration
a. The arts, literature, beauty of nature, human impulses,
exploration and the desire to master the world were major
ideas and things that delighted people
b. Inventions and discoveries made unimaginable things
__________ ex: Compass—astronomy & travel; Printing
Press—the rate and amount of literature was shared with
the masses
c. Renaissance flourished in the Elizabethan period
d. With the reign of the Puritans—the Elizabethan era was
soon to end
III.
Renaissance Literature
A. Pastoral Poems and Sonnets
1. The creative energy of people burst forth like never known with
poets, playwrights, readers and listeners; all yearning for more
2. Elizabethan court was a focus of poetic creativity in which
Queen Elizabeth I wrote lyrics and helped pay for some of her
favorite poets
a. Sir Philip Sidney
b. Sir Walter Raleigh
c. Edward Spenser
3. Elizabethan’s viewed _________ as intricate, complex and
beautiful only to be proved upon by the creative mind
B. Shakespearean Drama
1. Elizabethan drama emerged from 3 sources: medieval plays, 16th
century interludes, and Latin/Greek classics
a. Medieval plays—mystery, miracles morality plays were
performed in churches, inns, and market places as a way of
spreading religious knowledge
b. 16th century interludes—noble families held their own
acting companies (with their own servants) to amuse their
patrons with brief interludes that ridiculed the
manner/customs of commoners (little to do with the Bible)
c. Latin/Greek dramas—revived during Elizabethan were
generally comedies and tragedies
2. Shakespeare’s Influence
a. London had more play houses than any other European
capital
b. The Globe Theatre was the most successful due to
______________________
c. Shakespeare contributed more than 37 plays: Macbeth,
Othello, A Mid Summer’s Night Dream—which appealed
to all audiences; rich or poor
d. By the time of Elizabeth’s death in1603, the Puritan
influence was close to closing the theatres as they felt they
were highly immoral
C. The Rise of Humanism
1. Another aspect of literature during the Renaissance was
____________ –the study of art, history, philosophy, and
literature
a. Humanist were often devout Christians who tried to merge
the new ideas/discoveries of man with their religious
beliefs
2. English Humanists—were concerned with classical learning and
yearned to have their noble sons learn and speak Latin, but to
also improve upon the English language (causing pride in the
English language)
D. Spiritual and Devotional Writings
1. Despite the religious turmoil of English History, England
remained a ____________ nation, its literature reflects the
beliefs of its people
2. The King James Bible, was commissioned by James I to be
written in the English language (before the Bible was only
written in Latin and was thought to be a sin against the church if
translated into other languages)
E. The Metaphysical and Cavalier Poets
1. Ben Jonson, a boisterous man and an accomplished poet—he and
fellow followers were called “Cavalier” for taking sides with
Charles I and his Royalist cavaliers
2. Cavalier poetry was charming, witty and dealt with themes of
love, war and carpe diem
3. John Donne wrote Metaphysical poetry—poems characterized by
themes of love, death, and religious devotion
4. Metaphysical poets used to explore life’s complexities