THE RENAISSANCE

15th to 17th century

RENAISSANCE’S CHARACTERISTICS

Humanism: a new view of human beings that emphasized individual ability. From this the concept of

“Renaissance Man”, a universal person who was capable of achievements in many areas of life. People

were interested in expanding their knowledge.

Art: the development of realistic linear perspective and of the other techniques like the light, the

shadow and the study of human anatomy (Leonardo da Vinci). Artists tried to reconcile religious

subjects with scenes and objects from life of everyday.From this, the concepts of naturalism and realism.

Science: “the scientific method”, the process for discovery. The new scientific method led to great

contributions in the fields of astronomy, physics, biology, and anatomy. Very famous are the

“Copernican and Galilean” Revolution. But not only. The Renaissance was the time of change in

technology. For example very important for the publication of classic texts and so for the diffusion of the

culture was the invention of printing.

Literature: Renaissance writers didn’t write in the Classic Latin because they used the “vernacular”.

Then they wrote for self-expression or to portray the individuality of their subjects. Also women wrote.

They wrote about their personal subjects, not politics. The emblem of the English literature is William

Shakespeare who is considered the greatest play write ever and who used the classics as an aspiration.

Religion: the new ideals of humanism developed against a Cgristian backdrop, especially in the Northern

Renaissance. The Renaissance, in fact, began in times of religious turmoil. The Church was accused of

nepotism,simony,absenteeism luxury and lovers. As times changed, in fact, with the coming of the

Renaissane, people began to question the Church.

RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION Key words: Christian / protest / reform

What was the Reformation? -The Reformation was a split in the Christian Church;

-It happened because people were unhappy about the Church;

-they protested and wanted the reform of Christianity.

Why reform? -This reform movement divided western Church into Catholic and Protestant groups;

-Popes were corrupted by power and loss focus of spiritual leadership;

-People wanted to know how to save their souls;

-Due to indulgences, release of a soul from purgatory for a monetary donation;

Who was the leader of this reformation? -Martin Luther was a German priest;

-He moved against the Church to overthrow Papal power;

-He was supported by many German princes because he needed their support;

-He wanted to introduce the movement of “Protestantism”;

CHURCH AUTHORITY The Catholic Church was the only Church in Western Europe.

The Bible was the only to be read by Priests or Bishops.

Church services were only in Latin language.

In 1517 a priest started offering indulgences to anyone offering money to rebuild St.Peter ‘s cathedral in Rome.

This was the last straw for Martin Luther, a German monk.

Salvation is achieved through faith alone.

The Bible is the sole source of religious truth.

All Christian had equal access to God through faith and Bible.

Against the indulgences.

Luther’s main argument was faith alone could save people.

Luther was excommunicated by the Church but he continued to preach his message and to encourage people to search the truth,

questioning the Church.

LUTHER’S TEACHINGS

LUTHER’S 95 THESES

“THE MODERN AGE”

Some historians consider it the beginning of the modern history.

Its influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics,

science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry.

Renaissance scholars employed the humanist method in study, and

searched for realism and human emotion in art.

It has origins in late 13th century in Firenze, in particular with the writing

Dante and Petrarca and with the painter Giotto.

There is a keen observation of the natural world and a search for the

ideal beauty.

Renaissance scholars, influenced by the northern European

humanism ,focused themselves on studying Greek and Roman works of

the five humanities:poetry,grammar,history,moral philosophy and

rhetoric.

Printers and booksellers were very numerous.

The population and the price of food increased in 16th century.

It began in Italy in the Late Middle-Ages.

ITALY, MOTHER OF RENAISSANCE: WHY?

1.First of all, Italy had been the center of Roman Empire. So ruins and art surronded Italians and remined them of their past. It was natural that they became interested in Greek and Roman art and tried to make their own art as good.

2.By 1300s , Italy’s cities had become were wealthy. They could afford to pay painters, sculptors , architects and other artists to produce new works which increased the fame of these cities and characterized this period. For example Firenze was dominated by the “Medici family” which, together other ducats encouraged the development of many talents.

3.Italy was still divided into many small city-states. Firenze,Venice , Genoa, Milan and Rome were some of the most important cities of the Renaissance. The Italian city-states competed with each other. This helped bring about Renaissance.

RENAISSANCE IDEAS SPREAD:WHY?

By about 1450 , the Renaissance is finally starting to move outside of Italy.

Italy had a civil war and many of its writers and artists traveled north to get out the success.Thus spreading the classics to

northern Europe.

German painters began to paint the monarchs of England.

Printing press produced Bible’s copies, other books and music so these new artistic ideas and techniques were practiced.

While in Italy Renaissance was inspired by humanism with its emphasis on the revival of the values of classic antiquity, in Northern

Europe...

...in Northern Europe, change was driven by religious reform, the return to Christian values and the revolt against the authority of

the Church.

The rulers of England and France bought paintings of the artists to place in their palaces.

Population growth rebounded from the years of the plague and from the 100 years war between France and England ended.

Due in part to the plague and in part to the Hundred Years War, northern Europe had centralized power in the form of monarchies

because northern Europe didn’t have independent city-states. So it was mainly the kings and some nobles who were responsible

for the Renaissance’s spread, not wealthy patron families.

Northern Renaissance influenced the German Renaissance, French Renaissance, Polish Renaissance and English Renaissance.

THE NORTHERN RENAISSANCE BEGINS

THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE (1485-1625)

It’s a period of great change from Middle-Ages view.

It’s a flowering of literary, artistic and intellectual development.

It reached the highest point during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign.

The ideal man won’t be a medieval and simple knight but a courtier who was interested in music,

letters and art.

Social classes were enforced.

The period is also characterized by widespread religious wars, geographical discovery and

colonization, and major reforms of the state.

Literary culture was influenced by the advent of printing. 

Rise of rich and powerful merchants who abandoned feudal traditions and became interested in

art and culture. This phenomenon was called “patronage”.

Desire to beautiful cities which became political, economic and social centers.

It started after “The war of Roses” and when Henry Tudor took the throne and ended with king

James I.

THE TUDOR DYNASTY In 1485, a powerful nobleman named

HenryTudor(VII) defeated the King Richard III in the battle of Bosworth Field, bringing to the end a strife (War of Roses) between two families, the House of York and the House of Lancaster, that last almost a century.

Henry was declared the new king and was given to him the title of Henry VII. He established the powerful Tudor Dinasty, the first monarchy of English Renaissance which would rule Britain for over 100 years. With this dinasty England became the centre of literacy culture.

HENRY VII He came to the throne when “Wars of

the Roses” ended. He was not a member of the royal family,

so he needed to justify his new dinasty. He restored the reputation of the

monarch as one who rules, so as one who thinks to expande the power, not having legislative works.

He encouraged both trade, making advantageous commercial treaties, spending money on the building of ships and on extending the militar power.

PROTESTANTISM SPREADS TO ENGLAND: HENRY VIIIA king’s protest 1509, Henry VIII became king at the age of 17. Devout Catholic. Wrote angry protests against Luther. Received by the Church the title of “Defender of Faith”. 1525 the wife Catherine of Aragon gave birth to Mary.

Annulment Henry wanted male heir. Wanted marriage to Catherine annulled. Pope Clement VII would not agree to annulment.

Opposition Catherine & nephew H.R.E. Charles V, opposed annulment. Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn from who he had another

women,Elizabeth.

THE REFORMATION PARLIAMENT

Henry takes over Reformation Parliament declared England no longer under

authority of pope. Henry became head of “Church of England”,Anglican

Church.

Anglican Church Henry changed Church’s rituals. Closed Chatolic monasteries and convents.

Act of Supremacy 1533, Anne Boleyn & Henry married; marriage to

Catherine annulled. Act of Supremacy passed; Henry VIII “Supreme head of

Church of England”.

HENRY VIII’S Son of Henry VII Musician and linguist He was a famous public personality

He was very beautiful and he received a chilvary education

He has six wives Head of the Church of England

EDWARD VI Son of Henry VIII’s third wife,Jane Seymour

The achievement of his reign was the “Protestan Reformation”

Replaced the Old Latin like main language but also the English language for religious books

Assumed the throne at 9 Died at 15

MARY I Daughter of Henry VIII’s first

wife,Catherine of Aragon Restored England to Catholicism Restored Pope’s authority over

the English Church Married her cousin Phillip,

making England appear to be an apendage of Spain

Ordered the death of 300 Protestants

ELIZABETH I Daughter of Henry VIII’s second wife,Anne Boleyn Her main achievement was the settlement of the religious question Elizabeth was very well educated and cultured Her court was more brilliant than her father Edward VI’s She was not a beautiful woman She started going bald when she was young She had a magnetic personality and she was very sensible She never married She use the fact she was unmarried like a political weapon She used to say her love affair was with nation A lot of men wanted to get married with her to condivide her powerful She increased the role of the Parliament and of the government Thanks to her, England had some “coloniae” in India She drafted new Supremacy Act , splitting England from Rome

Physical characteristics Phisically “Elizabeth I” had a large forehead because it was a symbol of intelligence. Elizabeth’s high forehead in her paintings may

have been natural but may have been exaggerated by the painters or may have been due to the fact that the Queen wore wigs and may have shaved the front of her hair or she may have been some hair loss.

Very famous is heir collar. Even today, in fact, is called so the classic collar for dogs.

Elizabeth, the sex and the men.

Elizabeth had certanly the opportunity to be in love , in fact she was constantly surrounded by men and because she was in advantageous political position. All her relationships were not passional. Elizabeth’s sex life remains a topic of considerable interest and debate, also today. Rumors suppose nobody wanted to marry her because she was infertile or had some sexual deformations. But it could be also that Elizabeth would have been afraid of marriage from a young age , since her father killed many of his wives.

ELIZABETHAN AGE (1558-1603) The reign of Elizabeth I was a turbulent

period, but she successfully coped with all the difficulties. England was threatened by the superpowers of the age (Spain and France).

Elizabeth was excommunicated by the Pope in 1570. She was in a constant fear for her life.

Elizabeth managed to maintain a relative peace between the Protestants and the Catholics.

She tried to unite her people, by insisting that they are all English. So the people developed a sense of national pride.

During the 45 years she was in power, Elizabeth brought her nation together and England’s position became stronger: it was the…

…”Golden Age of English Literature”

ENGLISH LITERATURE

The English Literary Renaissance consists of four subsets: the Elizabethan Age, the Jacobean Age, the Caroline Age and the Commonwealth Period.

The Elizabethan era saw a great

flourishing of literature, especially in the field of drama. The other major literary style was “lyric poetry”

Many of the most important dramatists were also excellent poets.

ELIZABETHAN POETRY Before and during Elizabethan Age, medieval

tradition blended with Renaissance spirit of optimism and freedom

Most writers to the early Renaissance drew inspiration from classical antiquity: some of them, in fact, wrote in Latin

Authors began to describe everyday situations

and characters. Their heroes were explorers, teachers, merchants and craftsmen so the old medieval knights, kings and lovers disappeared

At that time, the writing of poetry was part of

the education of gentleman

SONNET:THE DOMINIANT FORM OF POETRY OF ELIZABETAN POETRT Origins: Italy, 13° C. – Petrarch with the “Canzoniere” established the

sonnet as one of the major poetic form: love poem. The themes: -Unrequited love; -Desperate love; -Eternal love; -Tragic love.

The structure: 14 lines divided into two distinct paths; The octave -Introduces a situation, presents a problem or raises a question; -Rhyme scheme:abbaabba; -First 8 lines.

The seste -Where the speaker comments on or resolves the problem or question; -Rhyme scheme:cdecde; -The last 6 lines.

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ENGLISH OR SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET

Shakespeare changed the pattern and rhyme scheme of the “Petrarchan sonnet”, creating the English sonnet.

Shakespeare’s sonnets broke conventions of his time.

Sonnets were… -more complex; -less predictable -addressed death, change etc…, not just love.

The structure: -3 quatrains and a couplet -rhyme scheme:abab cdcd efef gg

The language is full of oxymora, a figure of speech which combines two usually contradictory terms in a compressed paradox

The subjects: the traditional remained the love but Shakeseare introduced the theme of beauty, decay and art.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 1564-1616 English poet playwright 154 sonnets Nine tragedies: (Othello, Romeo

and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth 38 plays Powerful language Understanding of human nature Expanded dramatic potential