The English Renaissance (1485-1625)Adapted from: Prentice Hall Literature The English Tradition

The Renaissance was a flowering of literary, artistic, and intellectual development that began in Italy in the 14th century.

The movement was inspired by the arts and scholarship of ancient Greece and Rome, which were rediscovered during the Crusades.

Classical learning lived again as new generations of scholars and artists explored and extended the achievements of the ancients.

A great burst of exploration (the development of the compass, advances in astronomy)

Commercial expansionA growing sense of nationalism

(Erasmus 1466-1536, though, a Roman Catholic, and the Protestant Reformation; Martin Luther (1483-1546))

Protestantism (Lutherans in Germany, Calvinists in Switzerland (John Calvin of Geneva))

Some key characteristics of the Renaissance:The religious devotion of the

Middle Ages, with its emphasis on the afterlife, gave way to a new interest in the human being’s place here on earth.

Universities introduced a new curriculum called the humanities, which included history, geography, poetry, and modern languages.

The invention of printing from movable type made books available to more people than ever before. A German printer, Johann Guttenberg, published a Bible in the 1450’s that is believed to be the first book printed in the new manner.

While scholars used Greek and Latin to study the ancients and students learned those languages at school, more an more writers began working in the vernacular.

England under the Tudors (1485-1603)Time of stability and economic

expansionNew markets abroad for wool growersInvestments in far away places such

as IndiaLondon had grown into a metropolisElizabeth I, the last of the Tudors, was

a great patron of the artsJames I (the Stuarts) (1603-25) was a

great supporter of the arts as well.

Sonnet 31 by Philip Sidney1. What 4 lover’s complaints are

expressed in the sestet?2. What is the connection between

the appearance of the moon and the thoughts the speaker utters?

3. Judging by what is said in the sonnet, what do you infer about the speaker’s relationship with his lady?

Sonnet 31- Answers1. Constancy is treated as a form

of idiocy; beauties are too proud; they scorn those who love them; and they consider their own ingratitude as virtue.

2. The moon looks to him the way he feels, prompting his questions.

3. He hardly suggests a joyous romance.

Sonnet 130by William Shakespeare (1564–1616)1. What is less than perfect about the

mistress’s lips? cheeks? breath? voice?2. “Sonnet 130” is often called an anti-

Petrarchan sonnet. What do you think is meant by “anti-Petrarchan”?

3. There are indications even before the final couplet that the speaker loves his mistress despite her supposed imperfections. What is one such indication?

Sonnet 130 - Answers1. Her lips are not as red as coral. Her

cheeks are not like damasked roses. Perfumes offer more delight than her breath. Her voice is less pleasing than music.

2. In this context, anti-Petrarchan means repudiating the Petrarchan ideal of feminine beauty.

3. He says that he loves to hear her speak. Further, the tone throughout is good-humored and kind, not sarcastic and cruel.

Fear No MoreWilliam Shakespeare1. What are the 5 aspects of life

that the deceased no longer has to worry about?

2. In the last stanza, what do the 3 concerns mentioned have in common?

3. Judging by the things the deceased no longer has to fear, what status in life do you think she held?

Fear No More - Answers1. Five aspects of the life the deceased need

not contend with are the heat of the sun, winter’s rages, the frowns of the great, the lightning’s flash, and the thunder’s clap.

2. All are part of the supernatural and refer to harm.

3. In the play, Imogen is the daughter of the king, a fact that may not be conveyed by the words of the song, as it suggests that being clothed and eating are part of life’s chores along with frowns of the great.

ReferencesPrentice Hall Literature The

English Tradition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1989. Print