Download I - Humble ISD

I. The Renaissance
- means “rebirth” or “revival”
-age marked by curiosity about science and art in addition to a focus on human
achievement
A. Faith
-medieval was a time of blind faith
-everything that happened was attributed to God
-everyone was bound by a common religion
-Renaissance sees a shift
-saw man’s ability to think and reason
-emphasized balance- faith & reason/intellect & emotion
B. Economy
-the development of towns and cities at the end of the medieval period
switches us to a money based economy
-economy is now based on banking, commerce, and land ownership
C. Education
- people begin translating ancient Greek and Latin texts
-this provides new knowledge in the fields of astronomy, botany, medicine,
physics, and mathematics
-new knowledge results in a surge in scientific experimentation &
investigation
D. Humanism
-new philosophy
-people interested in the here and now not the here after
-the art of living
-not anti religious, they were just more tolerant of human frailty
-fascinated with the connection between man and the world and
emphasized man’s place in the world
- this caused a shift in the subject of art and literature > instead of a focus
of religious values we now see a focus on worldly values
-saw the hypocrisy between the preaching’s of a society that looked to
religion and then was consumed by greed > wanted to look at the way the world really
was and try to improve it
E. Renaissance Man
-someone that had several abilities and talents > well rounded
-these talents needed to be used to benefit society
II. Tudor Dynasty
-leads England into the Renaissance and turns them into a political force and the
dominant culture
A. Henry VIII
-first Tudor king
-established a center of power
-dabbled in European politics and established contacts with power
countries
-broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church
of England leading to his excommunication by the Pope
-all happened over divorce > Henry wanted to get rid of his wives so he
could have a male heir
-1st wife, Catherine, was locked up, had a daughter Mary
2nd wife, Anne Boleyn, was beheaded, adultery, daughter Elizabeth
3rd wife, Jane Seymour, died during childbirth, son Edward
4th wife, Anne
5th wife Catherine Howard, beheaded
6th wife, Catherine Parr, outlived him
-had been the model of the Renaissance man in his youth, but shifted with
age
B. Edward VI
-only 10 when his father dies and he took over
-started a time period of intrigue and political maneuvering
-dies at 16
C. Mary
-reestablishes Catholicism as the national religion
-marries the Spanish king
-goes on a rampage trying to rid England of Protestants
-religious purges would result in the name “Bloody Mary”
D. Elizabeth
-one of the most powerful rulers of her time
-immediately severs England’s ties with Rome – no church
-wanted to spread influence to the new world
-was blocked by Spain
-funded pirates to attack Spain’s ships and denied it
-Spain becomes angry and attacks
-smaller English vessels could maneuver around bulky Spanish
ship and with the aide of a storm, England emerges vicotirous
-this establishes England as the strongest nation in the world
E. James
-unifies England, Scotland, and Wales for the first time in history
-major contribution is the commissioning of the King James Bible
III. Literature
-England becomes the ideal setting for the Renaissance, model of social order
-court becomes a center for artistic creativity, encouraging poetic talent
-Queen Elizabeth functioned as a major inspiration for Renaissance poetry, drama
and fiction
A. Poetry
- most significant development was the introduction of the sonnet brought
over from Italy and the rise of great verse dramas
-the English sonnet, or Shakespearean sonnet was actually developed by
an Earl by the name of Henry Howard
B. Drama
-noted as the finest achievement in English during the Renaissance period
-Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are professional writers
that gain favor with the court and leave a lasting impression on the time period.
C. Shakespeare
-used blank verse in his plays like other writers but also used prose and
lyric verse
-he and his theater company were supported by the courts of both Queen
Elizabeth and King James
-he would write plays as tributes to royalty to keep himself in their favor
-Macbeth was written as a tribute to King James and his ancestors
-used to “Chronicles of Scottish History” or the “History of Scotland” to
research his characters and to provide his story line
IV. The Real Characters of Macbeth
A. King Duncan
-in our play he is wise and well liked
-in reality he was a very weak and inefficient ruler
B. Macbeth
-in our play he gets manipulated down the wrong path and has no
legitimate right to the throne
-in reality he was an excellent king with a legitimate right to the thrown
-he was defeated by Duncan’s son Malcolm both in history and our play,
but the location of the defeat was changed to make set changes swifter and easier
C. King James
-he was believed to be a descendent of Duncan’s clan
-Shakespeare’s play shows his family to be strong and smart and the true
rulers of the land > the appealed to his sense of divine right