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The Renaissance
Introduction to a Literary Period
The Beginnings of the Tudor Rule
History of the Times
• Henry Tudor defeats the
Yorkist king Richard III and
establishes the Tudor
dynasty, which rules for
118 years.
• Henry marries Elizabeth
of York to secure his
position, and acts to
ensure peace with
foreign powers.
The Beginnings of the Tudor Rule
History of the Times
By the time of Henry VII’s death in 1509,
England is prosperous and fairly united, the
throne protected. Henry accomplished this by
• expanding commerce
• supporting the English
merchant class
• reducing the power of the
nobles
• awarding offices to loyal
men from the middle class
The Beginnings of Tudor Rule
Literature of the Times
• The fifteenth century was a key
period for literacy in England.
• The printing press is introduced
in England.
• Humanism becomes a major
influence on English literature.
The Beginnings of Tudor Rule
The Printing Press
around 1455
• The printing press is
invented by Johannes
Gutenberg.
in 1476
• William Caxton sets up a
press in England.
by 1500
• Books become widely available
throughout western Europe.
The Beginnings of Tudor Rule
Humanism—an intellectual movement that
greatly influenced Renaissance thinkers, writers,
and artists.
The humanists
• revived old Greek and Latin
classics
• studied the Bible and the
classics to explore questions
such as “What is a good life?”
• made history, literature, and
philosophy popular again
Secular – Non-Religious
The Beginnings of Tudor Rule
Two Friends—Two Humanists
Sir Thomas More
Desiderius Erasmus
• English lawyer
• wrote Utopia
• held important offices
• beheaded by order of
Henry VIII in 1535
• Dutch monk
• traveled throughout
Europe
• taught Greek
Both men wrote in Latin; loved life,
laughter, and classical learning; were
dedicated to the church.
The Protestant Reformation
History of the Times
• Henry VIII, most famous for his six wives,
reigns from 1509 to 1547.
• Like his father, Henry VIII knows a male
heir is essential to securing the throne.
• With no son after 24 years of marriage,
Henry appeals to pope to annul the
marriage.
• Pope Clement’s denial prompts Henry to
reform the Catholic Church in England.
• Henry VIII creates Church of England and
Royal Navy, increasing England’s power.
The Protestant Reformation
Henry VIII (reigned 1509—1547)
• “Renaissance man”—poet,
musician, athlete, hunter
• supported humanism
• married six wives
• desperate for male heir
• coarse, arrogant in old age
• created Royal Navy, ending
foreign invasion and spreading
England’s power, language,
and literature around globe
The Protestant Reformation
1533
• Pope refuses Henry VIII’s
request for annulment
• Henry breaks from Rome
and appoints new
archbishop of Canterbury,
who grants annulment
1534
• Henry declares himself
head of the Church of
England
The Protestant Reformation
Annulment
An annulment cancels or puts an end to a
marriage. The children of an annulled couple
become illegitimate.
Divorce was not allowed, so Henry was looking for
a loophole.
He asked Pope Clement VII to annul his marriage,
that is, declare that he was not properly married
to Catherine of Aragon.
The Protestant Reformation
The Reformation in Europe
In various countries
• reformers reject authority of pope and Italian
churchmen
In Germany
• Martin Luther founds new kind of Christianity,
based on personal understanding of Bible
In England
• strong national identity makes English people
resent financial burdens imposed by Vatican
The Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation after 1534
• Henry closes monasteries.
• He seizes the Catholic Church’s
assets and sells Church land.
• Protestantism begins in England.
Some people want to
• get rid of “popish” things
(bishops, prayer book,
priests’ vestments)
• make religion solely a matter
between the individual and God
The Protestant Reformation
Literature of the Times
• The Renaissance that started
in Italy in the 14th century
begins to flourish in England.
• English writers set about
translating Greek and Roman
classics into English.
• Henry VIII supports
development of English
literature, authorizes translation
of Bible into English.
The Protestant Reformation
Renaissance
Learning
The Renaissance
encouraged individual
curiosity and creativity.
Bold thoughts, beautiful
poetry, and powerful
dramatic works emerged.
The Ambassadors (1533) by Hans Holbein
the Younger. Oil on canvas.
The instruments shown in
this painting suggest the
ambassadors have
mastered astronomy,
mathematics, and music.
England’s Greatest Monarch
History of the Times
• Elizabeth I inherits kingdom after deaths
of her brother Edward and sister Mary.
• England under “Bloody” Mary was torn by
religious feuds after she restored power
to Catholics and executed Protestants.
• Elizabeth’s first task was to restore law and
order and reestablish Church of England.
• The “Virgin Queen” foiled several murder
plots by her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots.
• Queen Elizabeth’s defeat of the Spanish
Armada was one of her finest hours.
Key Concept:
England’s Greatest Monarch
Heirs of Henry VIII
Edward VI
(r. 1547–1553)
• sickly “boy king”
• rules in name only
• dies at age 15
Mary Tudor
(r. 1553–1558)
• “Bloody Mary”
• restores pope’s power
• hunts down and
executes Protestants
Elizabeth I
(r. 1558–1603)
• “The Virgin Queen”
• brilliant, successful monarch
England’s Greatest Monarch
Elizabeth I—literary connoisseur; beloved symbol
of peace, security, prosperity
• likely most brilliant,
successful British monarch
• excommunicated after
rejecting pope’s authority
• Parliament begs her to
marry; she refuses
• Rebuffs proposal from Philip
of Spain; unleashes navy on
his Spanish Armada
England’s Greatest Monarch
Mary, Queen of Scots
• heir to English throne, daughter of James V
• a devout Catholic, she’s ousted from throne
in Protestant Scotland
• engineers several plots to kill Elizabeth
In 1587
After enduring Mary’s plots
for twenty years, Elizabeth
sends her to the chopping
block for treason.
Key Concept:
England’s Greatest Monarch
1588
• Philip of Spain sends the Spanish Armada, a vast
fleet of warships, to invade England.
• England’s smaller ships
defeat Armada with help
from storms in Irish Sea
• Spain might have
conquered Britain
• Victory assures England’s
independence from
Catholic countries of the
Mediterranean
Key Concept:
England’s Greatest Monarch
Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada was the largest fleet of ships
ever assembled.
• England set eight small
frigates, or warships,
ablaze and sailed them
into the Armada.
• Heavy winds wrecked
the Spanish ships off the
stormy coast of Ireland.
Key Concept:
England’s Greatest Monarch
Literature of the Times
• Armada’s defeat is a catalyst for Renaissance
writers, who celebrate Elizabeth I as a symbol of
peace, prosperity, and security.
• Poetry, drama, religious allegory, and
philosophical works flourish in this golden age.
• Elizabeth’s court becomes a center of literary
culture for gifted writers.
• The plays of William Shakespeare and his
contemporaries are created for the general
public, rather than aristocratic theater patrons.