The Renaissance

1. The Renaissance

LECTURE 2
The Renaissance

2. The Revival of learning

The Renaissance
=
The Revival of learning

3.

lasted from the 15th till the 17th century

4.

!!!
the period when
European culture
reached the highest
level of its
development

5.

It's the epoch of the
revival of interest in
ancient Greek and
Roman culture, art
and literature

6.

intellect, experience, science
HUMANISM

7.

Sir Thomas More (1478-1535)

8.

an English lawyer
social philosopher
author
statesman
noted Renaissance humanist

9.

born in London
educated at Oxford
a lawyer and became a member of Parliament
was a Catholic, but fought against the Pope
and the king's absolute power
was thrown into the Tower of London and
beheaded there as a traitor

10.

political essay "Utopia"
illustration for the 1516
first edition of Utopia

11.

2 parts
a description of the author's
imaginary conversation with a
traveller Raphael Hythloday
1st part deals with Hythloday's ideas of England: its
political and social evils, laws, etc
2nd part shows an unknown land Utopia which he has
seen in an unknown sea

12.

It is an ideal republic where the top
priority of everyone is being healthy
and wise but not rich

13.

The book was especially popular with
the 19th century socialists

14.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

15.

English philosopher
statesman
scientist
orator
essayist

16.

scientific rationalism
the purpose of knowledge was "the benefit
and use of man", and the method proposed
was a "laborious and sober inquiry of truth"

17.

ENGLISH vs. LATIN
?
Most of his philosophy was written in Latin –
in the belief that it would remain the
language of international learning forever.
But his essays, written in an aphoristic style
were written in English

18.

“The Advancement of learning”
(published in 1605 in English)
was addressed to king James I

19.

The rise in his career was very
rapid (he entered Parliament
in 1584), but although he
advocated truth and virtue,
his public life came to an end
after he was charged with
taking bribes when he was a
judge.

20.

Style
impresses with its logic and sense of confidence
Bacon manages to reduce the complex area of
human relations to a neat, schematic
generalisation.

21.

Roger Ascham (1515-1568)

22.

one of the most
likeable
of the early
humanists
Queen Elizabeth I's
tutor

23.

best known for his enlightened book
on education, “The Schoolmaster”
Style
formal, without being oppressively
elaborate

24.

Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)

25.

received a broad, humanist education
under the tutelage of Cambridge scholars
became proficient in French, Italian, Latin,
and Greek

26.

received a broad, humanist education
under the tutelage of Cambridge scholars
became proficient in French, Italian, Latin,
and Greek
her love of literature, music, drama and
dancing stayed with her until her death,
and she left behind several poems as well
as translations of Greek and Latin works

27.

Women writers
increase in the numbers of women writers
(over one hundred works were composed or
translated by Englishwomen between 1500 and 1640)
prose narratives, poetry, prayers, essays,
confessions, diaries, letters, prefaces, and
translations
subjects: religion, motherhood, social
commentary

28.

Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542)

29.

a popular member of the
court of
Henry VIII
(1509-1547)

30.

twice arrested
1) in 1536 with the fall of
Anne Boleyn
(Henry's second queen)
2) in 1541 with the fall of his
patron,Thomas Cromwell

31.

Style
much influenced by Italian verse forms
- direct and personal as though the "voice" of
the poem was not only that of a "dramatic
persona"
- modern critics argue that T.Waytt's rhythms
are deliberately rough: they give the poem's
dramatic impact.

32.

None of his poems had been published in his lifetime
(except few entitled “The Court of Venus”).
His first published work was “Certain Psalms”
(1594).
It wasn't until 1557, 15 years after T.Wyatt's death,
that a number of his poems appeared.
Until modern times it was called simply “Songs and
Sonnets”.
The rest of T.Wyatt's poetry, lyrics, and satires
remained in manuscript until the 19th and 20th
centuries "rediscovered" them.

33.

NB:
T.Wyatt is usually credited with introducing
the love sonnet form into England.

34.

Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586)

35.

one of the finest of the
Elizabethan sonnet cycles,
“Astrophel and Stella”(1591)

36.

“An Apology for Poetry” (published as “A
Defense of Poetry”) was written in 1579

37.

None of P.Sidney's works were published in
his lifetime as he wrote for his own
amusement and that of his friends and
family.
Despite that much of his poetry was
distributed in manuscript form and some of
his works were widely know within certain
circles.

38.

Edmund Spenser (1552-1599)

39.

E.Spenser is rather unfashionable nowadays
but in his days he was thought to be the
greatest English poet since G.Chauser and
equal of the great classical epic poets

40.

‘the prince of poets’

41.

“The Shepheard's Calender”(1579),
verse dialogues in a rural setting, a mixture of nature songs,
satires, laments and praise of Queen Elizabeth
“The Faerie Queene” (1589-1596),
an unfinished allegorical romance combining the medieval
Arthurial legend with religious and Platonic idealism and
political commentary
“Amoretti”(1595)
love sonnets in honour of his bride, Elizabeth Boyle.

42.

Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)

43.

Despite his classical learning, Ch.Marlow is
thought to have been a man of violent, and at
times, criminal temperament.
In fact he lost his life in a quarrel over a bill in
a tavern.

44.

Style
His plays are powerful, intense and frequently
lyrical.

45.

“Edward II” (1592) tells the story of the execution of the
king's favourite and the subsequent murder of Edward II after
his abdication. The play is full of pathos) and horror but has
fewer of the broader historical and political implications of a
Shakespeare play. Nevertheless, it is a fine early historical
drama.
“Doctor Faustus” (1588-published 1604) is a tragedy in blank
verse with some comic episodes in prose.
In many aspects it resembles a medieval Morality Play, in that
Faustus sacrifices his soul to the devil (Mephistopheles) in
return for 24 years of life and unlimited power.