Renaissance Period

• It is the rebirth of classical literature and art forms


  Renaissance
• Renaissance


  • Occurs when life is good (people are not fighting for survival)
  • It is a high time for art and literature
• Italian Renaissance


  • Occurred from 1300-1550 A.D.
  • Marked as high time in art
  • Authors: Petrarch (sonnets) and Castiglione (courtier book)
  • Influenced the English Renaissance Period
• English Renaissance


  • Occurred between 1400-1600 A.D.
  • Began with Henry VIII and ended with King James I
  • Highest point occurred during Queen Elizabeth I's reign
  • High time in literature: Sidney, Spencer, Marlow, Shakespeare
  • Courtiers (professional kiss-ups) were very important
  • Social classes were strictly enforced
  • Theaters thrived but were considered low-class
• During this time period, it was nearly impossible to rise above your birth—if you were born a peasant, you died a peasant
• Patronage


  One way to try and rise above your birth, though how far you could rise was pre-determined by your family name
• Henry VIII's wives


  • Catherine of Aragon (divorced)
  • Anne Boleyn (beheaded)
  • Jane Seymour (died)
  • Ann of Cleves (divorced)
  • Kathryn Howard (beheaded)
  • Katherine Parr (survived)
• Henry VIII


  • Divorced the Catholic Church in order to marry his mistress
  • Wanted a male heir
  • Fathered two daughters (Mary and Elizabeth) and one son (Edward)
  • Was Catholic, Protestant, Catholic, Protestant
• Prince Edward


  • The sole male heir to Henry's throne
  • He was a Protestant (What Religion?)
• Bloody Mary


  • After Edward's short reign and early death, Mary took the English throne
  • Devoutly Catholic and looking to vindicate her mother (Henry's first wife), Mary vowed to wipe out Protestantism
  • Ordered the mass execution of Protestants to restore the Catholic faith
  • Died of cancer
• Queen Elizabeth I


  • "Bastard" Queen, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
  • Was both acknowledged and disowned by her father when he was alive
  • Devoutly Protestant
  • "Virgin Queen"—never married, used her feminine wiles to gain and maintain power
  • The art of flirtation became a lucrative enterprise during her reign
  • Encouraged poetry and theater
  • Powerful, wise, and important monarch
  • Sustained many plots against her life
• King James I


  • Was Queen Elizabeth's Godson, inherited her throne
  • Patron of theater—Shakespeare's King's Men were his favorite acting troupe
  • Solidified the Protestant faith with the creation of the King James Bible
• Henry VIII


  King at the start of the English Renaissance, his children ruled during most of this period, the era ended soon after all of his children were dead
• William Shakespeare


  Was born while Elizabeth was Queen and became wealthy through King James I
• William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564

  
• Shakespeare was married at the age of 18 to 26 year old Anne Hathaway (she was pregnant)
• Shakespeare fathered three children (two girls, one boy)
• Shakespeare's son died young
• Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616

  
• Due to the lack of actual evidence of Shakespeare's life, many people have questioned whether he really existed or not
• The collection of works credited to him are all too similar to be the works of more than one person
• Educated guesses on the rest of Shakespeare's biography

  • William Shakespeare was one of seven children born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden
  • He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon
  • His family was respected and wealthy—but not noble
  • He attended grammar school and learned Latin
  • There is no evidence of further education beyond this
  • By the early 1590's Shakespeare had left his wife and three children in Stratford-upon-Avon and traveled over 100 miles away to London to pursue his acting and writing career
  • He lived there for most of his adult life
  • His marriage was not great—he rarely went home to visit his wife and upon his death, he willed Anne his SECOND-BEST bed
  • He became VERY wealthy in his life time which afforded him the chance to buy his family's coat of arms (a sign of nobility) and the largest estate in Stratford
  • His patrons included Sir Henry Wriothesley and King James I

  
• Shakespeare's career

  • Wrote 37 plays
  • Wrote comedies, tragedies, histories, and romances (not what you think)
  • Also wrote 154 sonnets and several narrative poems all dedicated to Sir Henry Wriothesley
  • He was an actor, writer, director, and business man
  • Became known for his imaginative use of language and timelessness

  
• Shakespeare's writings


  • Had to be adjusted based on who was in power in England
  • Under Elizabeth—women were portrayed as strong, Catholicism was mocked, marriage was not made to be the ultimate goal for characters
  • Under James—the practice of courtiership was mocked and Shakespeare was freer to fully develop his characters

  
• Romeo and Juliet


  • One of Shakespeare's earliest plays
  • It is a tragedy—there will not be a happy ending
  • It is the most famous love story of all time, BUT it is just as much about hate as it is about love
  • The action takes place in 5 DAYS!

  
• As we read Romeo and Juliet, try to identify how Queen Elizabeth affected the telling of this tale
• As we read Romeo and Juliet, look for messages about FATE / FREE WILL
• As we read Romeo and Juliet, determine what Shakespeare is trying to tell us about love
• PRINCE EDWARD


  - The sole male heir to Henry’s throne

  - He was a Protestant (What Religion?)