RENAISSANCE LECTURE NOTES 1

THE RENAISSANCE (1485-1625) or THE ELIZABETHAN AGE (1558-1603)

Renaissance - a French word meaning “_______________”

• refers to the renewed interest in classical learning—studying the writings of ancient ___________&__________ (ex: The Odyssey, The Aeneid, etc.) – Latin, therefore, spread immensely among the educated (although most people still could not read)

• renewal of the human spirit—curiosity and creativity

• “_____________________________” = an energetic, productive human interested in science, literature, history, art

• began in ___________________ (Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, esp.)

• art in Italy was financed by the ________________ Church (ex: Michelangelo paid to paint the “Creation” on ceiling of Sistine Chapel by Pope Julian II)

• _____________________ – intellectual movement in which people wanted to answer such questions as “What is a human being? What is a good life? How do I lead a good life” – __________________ sought answers and found answers to these questions by combining the ________________ and _________________________ – the _______________________ wanted to attain _______________

• fashionable dress (see p. 206-207)

The House of Tudor

a) Henry VII – a Tudor (another Royal House) 1485- 1509 * defeated King Richard III: Battle of Bosworth Field, 1485

* marriage to a York--ended Wars of the Roses * shrewd, patient, stingy and he brought peace and order to the kingdom which allowed the Renaissance to occur * America discovered 7 yrs. into Henry VII’s reign

RENAISSANCE LECTURE NOTES 2

b) _________________________ (son of VII) – 1509-1547 - wanted marriage annulled (“did not exist”) from

___________________________ (didn’t produce male heir) – in 1533, the ________________ did not grant his request, so he declared himself the head of the Church of England and appointed his own Archbishop of Canterbury, who of course, recognized the annulment

- ___________________________ – young lawyer and humanist; friend of Henry VIII, but remained loyal to the Pope; ____________________ by Henry VIII, 1535

- est. “Church of England” or ___________________ Church - est. the Royal Navy for protection - Protestants/Catholics still fight today – esp. in Ireland * Henry VIII – had three children: 1) __________ (daughter of the Spanish princess, Catherine of Aragon), 2) __________________ (daughter of Anne Boleyn), 3) ____________________ (son of noblewoman Jane Seymour). - ________________ ruled first; sick; died. (r. 1547-1558) - Mary (“______________________”) – married Phillip II of Spain; burned three hundred of her subjects at the stake, hence the name; died of fever, so ___________ became queen:

c) Elizabeth I – 1558 – 1603: (“The _____________ Queen”) long, illustrious rule led to the naming of an entire period after her - “__________________” is a state named after her - reestablished the ____________________________ (Pope excommunicated her) - resisted marriage but pretended like she wanted to marry her brother-in-law, Phillip II - had her cousin, ___________________ (Queen of Scots) Stuart beheaded because ________________ tried to have Liz killed over a period of 20 years!!!

1588 – English defeat ______________________ ( Phillip II wanted to reestablish Catholicism in England & he used Mary’s execution as an excuse to invade—Mary was a Catholic) - a great feat for England; brought ________________________

RENAISSANCE LECTURE NOTES 3

d) ____________________ – 1603 – 1625 – Scottish: England at

last ruled by one monarch “Great Britain” - peaceful ruler - sponsored new translation of Bible

e) ____________________ – 1625-1649 – beheaded in 1649 by

his own subjects

• Parliament and Puritan dictator, ______________________________ ruled from 1649-1660

• End of Renaissance is usually marked by return of the exiled king, ___________________ from France in 1660

Early 1500s Religious Revolution * ___________________________ Reformation

- before this all Christians were _________________ - a “protest” against Catholic Church and Church of

England (Anglican Church was too much like the Catholic Church)

- __________________________ (German: 1483-1546) and _________________________ (French) were main figures/leaders

- Protestants disagreed with the actions, conduct, and beliefs of the Catholic church

1599- East India Co. – world trade and colonization began Renaissance and Literature

* English people (authors) began writing as never before! * Writers wrote plays, poems, stories for __________________, and/or they tried to represent her mythologically in their works (as a goddess) * Most Elizabethan Age writing is poetry (or plays written in verse)

RENAISSANCE LECTURE NOTES 4

* Some great writers wrote great works even after she died: Shakespeare wrote plays throughout the first quarter of the 1600s

Renaissance Titles and Authors (see reading list for titles) Sir Thomas Wyatt – p. 339

- brought the love sonnet (Petrarchan sonnet) from Italy to England ex: “Whoso list to hunt” - his sonnets were actually adaptations of Italian sonnets - supposedly dedicated a love sonnet to Anne Boleyn

Queen Elizabeth – p. 350

- See notes about her on previous pages

Edmund Spenser – p. 357 - very famous, well-known poet (Chaucer, Spencer, and

Milton are regarded as England’s greatest nondramatic poets) - known best for Faerie Queene (about 33,000 lines) - blended Chaucer’s and Elizabethan English in FQ

Christopher Marlow – p. 456 Sir Walter Raleigh – p. 442 William Shakespeare – p. 492

- Hamlet (c. 1601) - Wrote comedies, histories, tragedies - Wrote numerous sonnets