LITERARY HISTORY The Renaissance Renaissance literature Renaissance 1485

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LITERARY HISTORY The Renaissance

LITERARY HISTORY The Renaissance

Renaissance literature Renaissance 1485 – 1603: Nowadays the Renaissance is seen as a very

Renaissance literature Renaissance 1485 – 1603: Nowadays the Renaissance is seen as a very complex period that started long before the 16 th century (esp. in Italy, 1350). The transition period mainly comprised the change from faith to secularism and from faith to reason.

Renaissance literature Renaissance 1485 – 1603: The Renaissance was caused by a growing interest

Renaissance literature Renaissance 1485 – 1603: The Renaissance was caused by a growing interest in religion, economics and greed/expansionism. In Italy the Renaissance started in 1450, in England only in 1500 (after the Reformation).

Renaissance literature Renaissance 1485 – 1603: Renaissance = rebirth 1453 - Fall of Constantinople

Renaissance literature Renaissance 1485 – 1603: Renaissance = rebirth 1453 - Fall of Constantinople scientists and artists emigrated to the West, mainly to Rome and Italy. There is a transition from Medieval thinking towards modern thinking. Greek and Roman thinkers became examples for the arts and therefore a new way of thinking arose.

1453 - Fall of Constantinople Renaissance literature

1453 - Fall of Constantinople Renaissance literature

Renaissance literature The Renaissance was a rebirth both of Man and of Classical Learning

Renaissance literature The Renaissance was a rebirth both of Man and of Classical Learning and Culture

Renaissance literature The Rebirth of Man in the Middle Ages, man was valued for

Renaissance literature The Rebirth of Man in the Middle Ages, man was valued for being like others, whereas in the Renaissance man was valued for the way in which he differed from others. Therefore, the Renaissance attempted to develop all man’s potentialities.

Renaissance literature The Rebirth of Classical learning and culture is shown in Renaissance Humanism:

Renaissance literature The Rebirth of Classical learning and culture is shown in Renaissance Humanism: § A preference for original classical scholarship § A critical mind § Emphasis on life on earth § A taste for the ethics of ancient Greece and Rome mixed with Christian principles § Acceptance of Plato’s theories § Science: change from deductive methods to the inductive method of Francis Bacon

Renaissance literature William Caxton (ca. 1415~1422 – ca. March 1492) was an English merchant,

Renaissance literature William Caxton (ca. 1415~1422 – ca. March 1492) was an English merchant, diplomat, writer and printer. He is thought to be the first English person to work as a printer and the first to introduce a printing press into England. He was also the first English retailer of printed books (his London contemporaries in the same trade were all Flemish, German or French). Ideas could now be spread because of the art of printing.

Renaissance literature Caxton Showing the First Specimen of His Printing to King Edward IV

Renaissance literature Caxton Showing the First Specimen of His Printing to King Edward IV at the Almonry, Westminster, Daniel Maclise, 1851

Renaissance literature Renaissance Changes Religion: § memento mori became carpe diem § Decline of

Renaissance literature Renaissance Changes Religion: § memento mori became carpe diem § Decline of the influence of the Catholic church § Man’s broadened horizons § Spread of learning § bookprinting

Renaissance literature Renaissance Changes Politics: The break-up of the Feudal system (based on a

Renaissance literature Renaissance Changes Politics: The break-up of the Feudal system (based on a two-class society and the RC Church) had 3 main causes: § men are not of equal talent, ambition or imagination § the Church lost its influence over society § economic changes (brought about by the Crusades)

Renaissance literature Renaissance Changes Society: § important to investigate life on earth (reaction on

Renaissance literature Renaissance Changes Society: § important to investigate life on earth (reaction on medieval times) § New attitude towards women (Middle Ages: despised (Eve) or worshipped) § society expanded rapidly

Renaissance literature Renaissance Changes Economics: § Columbus & Vasco da Gama discovered that the

Renaissance literature Renaissance Changes Economics: § Columbus & Vasco da Gama discovered that the world was not flat § Foreign trade – money – knowledge § Spirit of adventure

Renaissance literature Renaissance Changes Art: § Art for art’s sake § Rise of individualism,

Renaissance literature Renaissance Changes Art: § Art for art’s sake § Rise of individualism, men are not of equal talent, ambition, imagination § focus on feelings: e. g. love § New interest in the Classics § sonnet (classical form derived from Italian Latin poetry) § travel stories

The Vitruvian Man Renaissance literature Leonardo da Vinci (1452 -1519) was one of the

The Vitruvian Man Renaissance literature Leonardo da Vinci (1452 -1519) was one of the era’s leading polymaths, making important contributions to the arts, sciences and humanities. We can call him a Homo Universalis, which is typical for the Renaissance.

Renaissance literature The English Reformation (1509 -1547) § Henry VIII broke free from the

Renaissance literature The English Reformation (1509 -1547) § Henry VIII broke free from the Catholic church and founded the Anglican church. The Monarch became the head of the church. § Main shift: viewpoint from other-worldly to the here and now. England occupied a position in between, with neither Reformation (like in Germany), nor Renaissance (like in Italy). Something new was added in the Renaissance (19 th century view).

Renaissance literature Henry VIII (1491 -1547) Henry VIII was King of England from 21

Renaissance literature Henry VIII (1491 -1547) Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.

Renaissance literature Henry VIII (1491 -1547) Besides his six marriages, Henry VIII is known

Renaissance literature Henry VIII (1491 -1547) Besides his six marriages, Henry VIII is known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry's struggles with Rome led to the separation of the Church of England from papal authority, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and establishing himself as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Yet he remained a believer in core Catholic theological teachings, even after his excommunication from the Catholic Church.

Renaissance literature The Six Wives of Henry VIII HENRY VIII divorced beheaded survived! Wives:

Renaissance literature The Six Wives of Henry VIII HENRY VIII divorced beheaded survived! Wives: Catherine of Aragon Anne Boleyn Jane Seymour Anne of Cleves Kathryn Howard Katherine Parr Married 1509 -1533 -1536 -1537 1540 -1542 1543 -1547 Children (Bloody) Mary Elizabeth Edward

Renaissance literature The Elizabethan Worldpicture (1558 -1603) The Elizabethan age is of a piece

Renaissance literature The Elizabethan Worldpicture (1558 -1603) The Elizabethan age is of a piece with what went before and what came after it. The Elizabethans could afford to indulge in drama precisely because the moral standards were so powerful. Order, sin and redemption were fused in practice. At the same time the Elizabethans could combine extremes of optimism and pessimism, there was no tyranny of general opinion one way or the other. This one of the things that seperates the Elizabethans from the Victorian world (doctrine of progress).

Renaissance literature The Elizabethan Worldpicture (1558 -1603) The Elizabethans pictured the universal order under

Renaissance literature The Elizabethan Worldpicture (1558 -1603) The Elizabethans pictured the universal order under 3 main forms: § a chain § a series of correspondences or planes § a dance

Renaissance literature The Elizabethan Worldpicture (1558 -1603) The Chain of Being: The chain stretched

Renaissance literature The Elizabethan Worldpicture (1558 -1603) The Chain of Being: The chain stretched from the foot of God’s throne to the meanest of inanimate objects. The idea began with Plato’s Timaeus, was developed by Aristotle, was adopted by the Alexandrian Jews, was spread by the neo-Platonists and from the Middle Ages till the 18 th century was a commonplace, more taken for granted than set forth. http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Great_chain_of_being

Renaissance literature The Elizabethan Worldpicture (1558 -1603) existence/life/feeling + understanding = man existence+life+feeling: sensitive

Renaissance literature The Elizabethan Worldpicture (1558 -1603) existence/life/feeling + understanding = man existence+life+feeling: sensitive class existence+life: vegetative class mere existence: animate class

Renaissance literature The Elizabethan Worldpicture (1558 -1603) The Chain of Being: Shakespeare, though always

Renaissance literature The Elizabethan Worldpicture (1558 -1603) The Chain of Being: Shakespeare, though always concerned with man’s position in the chain, only in The Tempest considers the chain itself.

Renaissance literature Petrarca Francesco Petrarca (20 July 1304 – 19 July 1374), known in

Renaissance literature Petrarca Francesco Petrarca (20 July 1304 – 19 July 1374), known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar and poet, and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the “Father of Humanism”.

Renaissance literature The Petrarcan Sonnet A Petrarcan sonnet is almost always about an impossible,

Renaissance literature The Petrarcan Sonnet A Petrarcan sonnet is almost always about an impossible, hopeless and cleansing love for an unattainable lover who has this almost heavenly beauty.

Renaissance literature The Petrarcan Sonnet A Petrarcan sonnet contains 14 lines: -1 octave (=

Renaissance literature The Petrarcan Sonnet A Petrarcan sonnet contains 14 lines: -1 octave (= 2 quatrains = 2 stanzas of 4 lines - 1 sextet (= 2 terzets = 2 stanzas of 3 lines - a maximum of 5 rhymewords - possible rhymeschemes: abba cdd cee abba cde

Renaissance literature Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503– 1542) was a 16 th-century English ambassador and

Renaissance literature Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503– 1542) was a 16 th-century English ambassador and lyrical poet, who lived at Henry VIII’s court. He is credited with introducing the sonnet into English.

Renaissance literature Whoso List to Hunt Whoso list to hunt, I know where is

Renaissance literature Whoso List to Hunt Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, But as for me, alas, I may no more - The vain travail hath worried me so sore, I am of them that farthest come behind. Yet may I, by no means, my wearied mind Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore, Fainting I follow. I leave off therefore, Since in a net I seek to hold the wind. Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt, As well as I, may spend his time in vain. And graven with diamonds in letters plain There is written her fair neck round about: “Noli me tangere”, for Caesar's I am, And wild FOR to hold, though I seem tame.

Renaissance literature Whoso List to Hunt - rhymescheme Whoso list to hunt, I know

Renaissance literature Whoso List to Hunt - rhymescheme Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, But as for me, alas, I may no more - The vain travail hath worried me so sore, I am of them that farthest come behind. Yet may I, by no means, my wearied mind Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore, Fainting I follow. I leave off therefore, Since in a net I seek to hold the wind. Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt, As well as I, may spend his time in vain. And graven with diamonds in letters plain There is written her fair neck round about: “Noli me tangere”, for Caesar's I am, And wild FOR to hold, though I seem tame.

Whoso List to Hunt o c t a v e s e x t

Whoso List to Hunt o c t a v e s e x t e t Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind, But as for me, alas, I may no more - The vain travail hath worried me so sore, I am of them that farthest come behind. Yet may I, by no means, my wearied mind Draw from the deer, but as she fleeth afore, Fainting I follow. I leave off therefore, Since in a net I seek to hold the wind. Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt, As well as I, may spend his time in vain. And graven with diamonds in letters plain There is written her fair neck round about: “Noli me tangere”, for Caesar's I am, And wild FOR to hold, though I seem tame. quatrain chute terzet

Renaissance literature The Shakespearean Sonnet Later poets, like William Shakespeare, were deeply inspired by

Renaissance literature The Shakespearean Sonnet Later poets, like William Shakespeare, were deeply inspired by Wyatt but developed the much freer English or Shakespearean sonnet.

Renaissance literature The Shakespearean Sonnet A Shakespearean sonnet also contains 14 lines but uses

Renaissance literature The Shakespearean Sonnet A Shakespearean sonnet also contains 14 lines but uses a different format: - 3 quatrains = 3 stanzas of 4 lines - 1 couplet/duplet = 1 stanza of 2 lines - a maximum of 7 rhymewords - rhymescheme: abab cdcd efef gg

Renaissance literature WS: Sonnet 130 My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral

Renaissance literature WS: Sonnet 130 My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress when she walks treads on the ground’. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.

Sting: Sister Moon Sister moon will be my guide In your blue shadows I

Sting: Sister Moon Sister moon will be my guide In your blue shadows I would hide All good people asleep tonight I'm all by myself in your silver light I would gaze at your face the whole night through I'd go out of my mind, but for you Lying in a mother's arms The primal root of a woman's charms I'm a stranger to the sun My eyes are too weak How cold is a heart When it's warmth that he seeks? You watch every night, you don't care what I do I'd go out of my mind, but for you My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun My hunger for her explains everything I've done To howl at the moon the whole night through And they really don't care if I do I'd go out of my mind, but for you

Renaissance literature The development of the English Language Short history: Ca. 400 – 1066

Renaissance literature The development of the English Language Short history: Ca. 400 – 1066 AD: Old English (1066: Battle of Hastings) 1066 – ca. 1500 AD: Ca. 1500 AD – NOW: Middle English Modern English 1450 – 1700: Great Vowel Shift

Renaissance literature The development of the English Language Ca. 400 – 1066 AD: Old

Renaissance literature The development of the English Language Ca. 400 – 1066 AD: Old English Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,

Renaissance literature The development of the English Language 1066 – ca. 1500 AD: Middle

Renaissance literature The development of the English Language 1066 – ca. 1500 AD: Middle English does not really exist. The period can be marked as a transition period between old and modern English.

Renaissance literature The development of the English Language

Renaissance literature The development of the English Language

Renaissance literature The development of the English Language 1450 – 1700: Great Vowel Shift

Renaissance literature The development of the English Language 1450 – 1700: Great Vowel Shift Vowels tended to become closer or become diphthongs. This took place between 1400 and 1600. The Early Middle English Vowel Shortening resulted in the difference in pronunciation between for example sane and sanity. Generally speaking long vowels were raised, becoming closer vowels.

 1450 – 1700: Great Vowel Shift § In earlier days the pronunciation corresponded

1450 – 1700: Great Vowel Shift § In earlier days the pronunciation corresponded to the spelling (like in modern Italian). § William Caxton (bookprinting!) decided to use the written language of the area with the greatest influence. § A lot of words though had already undergone a change in pronunciation and that is one of the reasons that there are so many differences in English between writing and speaking.

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare (lower middle class) (26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare (lower middle class) (26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616) English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare: A Language Magician Examples of insults used in Shakespeare’s plays:

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare: A Language Magician Examples of insults used in Shakespeare’s plays: § Thou surly open-arsed infection! § Thou lumpish shag-haired gudgeon! § Thou arrogant prick-eared whore-master! § Thou tongueless toad-spotted hag-seed! § Thou mangled flap-mouthed joithead! § Thou abominable decayed plebian! § Thou pestilent plume-plucked hugger-mugger!

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare’s Plays Shakespeare wrote: § Histories, e. g. Richard III, Henry

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare’s Plays Shakespeare wrote: § Histories, e. g. Richard III, Henry VI § Comedies, e. g. Midsummer Night’s Dream § Tragedies, e. g. Macbeth, Hamlet, The Tempest § Romances, e. g. Cymbeline

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare’s Plays Shakespeare’s work can be divided into 4 periods: First

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare’s Plays Shakespeare’s work can be divided into 4 periods: First period (1590 -1596) § Comedy, only entertainment, no instructions, influenced by Plautus (classical tradition) § Recurring theme: mistaken identity § only 1 tragedy: Titus Andronicus

Lavinia (from Titus Andronicus)

Lavinia (from Titus Andronicus)

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare’s Works In his second period Shakespeare experimented and there were

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare’s Works In his second period Shakespeare experimented and there were lots of technical innovations. He also became more philosophical. Second period (1596 -1600) § Great comedies (MSND, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night § The Great History plays: Richard II, Henry IV (parts I + II) § Tragedies: Romeo & Juliet

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare’s Works In 1596 his son Hamnet died. In the 1600

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare’s Works In 1596 his son Hamnet died. In the 1600 s he gave up acting. Third period (1600 -1608) § Bitter Comedies: the comedies are no longer funny and don’t end harmoniously (Measure for Measure, All’s Well that Ends Well)

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare’s Works Fourth period (1608 -1616) § Famous Tragedies: Hamlet, Macbeth,

Renaissance literature William Shakespeare’s Works Fourth period (1608 -1616) § Famous Tragedies: Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear § Romances: The Tempest, Pericles, The Winter’s Tale, Cymbeline

Renaissance literature Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) King of England

Renaissance literature Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field was the decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses and is sometimes regarded as the end of the Middle Ages in England. He is the subject of an eponymous play by Shakespeare. http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=A 9 z. Iw 84 d. D_Y

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe (upper class) (baptised 26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593)

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe (upper class) (baptised 26 February 1564 – 30 May 1593) English dramatist, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe was the foremost Elizabethan tragedian of his day. He greatly influenced Shakespeare, who was born in the same year as Marlowe and who rose to become the pre-eminent Elizabethan playwright after Marlowe's mysterious early death. Marlowe's plays are known for the use of blank verse, and their overreaching protagonists.

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe’s Plays Marlowe’s main themes are the search/struggle for power and

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe’s Plays Marlowe’s main themes are the search/struggle for power and good versus evil. § Tamburlaine (1587): gaining power through sheer force § Jew of Malta (1588): gaining power through money/wealth § Dr Faustus (1588): gaining power through knowledge

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe’s Plays TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT is a play in two parts,

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe’s Plays TAMBURLAINE THE GREAT is a play in two parts, loosely based on the life of the Central Asian emperor Timur “the lame“ and was written in 1587/1588. The play is a milestone in Elizabethan public drama; it marks a turning away from the clumsy language and loose plotting of the earlier Tudor dramatists, and a new interest in fresh and vivid language, memorable action, and intellectual complexity. Along with Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy, it may be considered the first popular success of London's public stage.

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe’s Plays THE JEW OF MALTA was probably written in 1589

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe’s Plays THE JEW OF MALTA was probably written in 1589 or 1590. Its plot is an original story of religious conflict, intrigue, and revenge, set against a backdrop of the struggle for supremacy between Spain and the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean that takes place on the island of Malta. The Jew of Malta is considered to have been a major influence on Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe’s Plays THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe’s Plays THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS is a play based on the Faust story, in which a man sells his soul to the devil for power and knowledge. Doctor Faustus was first published in 1604, 11 years after Marlowe's death and at least 12 years after the first performance of the play. “No Elizabethan play outside the Shakespeare canon has raised more controversy than Doctor Faustus. There is no agreement concerning the nature of the text and the date of composition. . . and the centrality of the Faust legend in the history of the Western world precludes any definitive agreement on the interpretation of the play. . . ”

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe’s Plays In these three plays, the main characters (Tamburlaine, the

Renaissance literature Christopher Marlowe’s Plays In these three plays, the main characters (Tamburlaine, the Jew of Malta, Dr Faustus) are all so-called “overreachers” or “Marlovian Heroes”. They are all destroyed by their own passion and ambition. Other examples of overreachers: Macbeth, Icarus, and…?

Renaissance literature DR FAUSTUS (overreacher) GOD MONARCH NOBILITY MERCHANTS LOWER WORKING CLASS SLAVES

Renaissance literature DR FAUSTUS (overreacher) GOD MONARCH NOBILITY MERCHANTS LOWER WORKING CLASS SLAVES

Renaissance literature THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS §This

Renaissance literature THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS §This play is about a lower class man who has studied everything he is legally allowed to, yet still wants to know more. §Initially, he wants to know as much as God does so that he can help mankind, but his human weakness causes him to use all his knowledge for his own benefit. §He “buys” this knowledge from the devil, Mephistophilis, in exchange for his soul (cf. Everyman or the movie Crossroads). §The devil tells him he will come for him in 24 years’ time.

Renaissance literature THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS In

Renaissance literature THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS In a medieval play the writer would allow God to have mercy and save Faustus’ soul. The fact that Marlowe makes Faustus suffer the consequences of his own actions and decisions is a very Renaissance thing: in the new, individualist way of thinking you can make your own choices, but the consequences are also for you.

THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS The fragment in

THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS The fragment in the book on pages 38 -40 deals with Faustus’ last hour on earth, right before the devil comes to take him away to hell (http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=j. UGq 5 y. MUKMI) § Lines 1 -25: The clock strikes 23: 00 Faustus talks to himself; he wonders if he can repent and ask God forgiveness and maybe not go to hell. § Lines 35 -45: The clock strikes 23. 30 Faustus says in line 41 that he wants to make a deal with God. His deals become more and more desperate. § Lines 55 -66: The clock strikes 24: 00 Faustus’ time is up. The devil comes into his house and takes him away. His screams are heard around town.

Renaissance literature The English Middle Ages http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Mk. LPxrte. X 3

Renaissance literature The English Middle Ages http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Mk. LPxrte. X 3 g&feature=relmfu The English Renaissance http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=4 SL 50 pc 7 C 3 o