Scarica English Renaissance: Literature, Culture, and Society (15th-17th Century) e più Schemi e mappe concettuali in PDF di Letteratura Inglese solo su Docsity! THE ENGLISH RENAISSANCE (late 15th century – early 17th century) Historical context: brief overview. Printing press is introduced in England by William Caxton. 1476 The last battle in the Wars of the Roses is fought, and the first Tudor (Henry VII) ascends to the throne. 1485 In 1492, Columbus first expedition to the Americas changes the social and cultural paradigm in Europe: people start to open their minds to new worlds and ways of seeing life. 1492 The artistic movement we call Renaissance, developed in Italy during the 14th century, didn’t reach England until the late 15th century. Late 15th century The English Renaissance reaches its peak during the reign of Elizabeth I 1558–1603 The reign of Elizabeth I • England acquires a strong and independent sense of nation and identity. • Establishment of the Church of England. • Victory against the Spanish Armada. • Expeditions that mark the start of England’s trade expansion -> beginning of Imperialism.ç • The East India Company is founded in 1599. • Threats against the Queen by neighbouring Catholic countries and the Scots. • Puritanism. ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD English Renaissance • Ideas and trends brought from Italy, imitating the style of Classics. • Humanism was the first step towards Renaissance in England. • The last decades of 16th century marked the greatest era in literature. Books were printed incessantly, and readers’ demand increased exponentially. • Elizabethan literature would be marked by drama and poetry, but most importantly drama. • Literature in this period established the domination of the English language, and it also greatly reflected the way in which English was changing at the time. (Early Modern English) • Translations played a key role in this period. English Renaissance Drama • Medieval plays are replaced by new theatrical works that can be accepted by authorities. • Earliest dramas of the period establish comedy and tragedy as the main types of drama. • Theatre reflected English nationalism and sense of identity: history plays. • Drama moved from medieval tendences until classical influences found their definite breakthrough in the late 16th century through Marlowe’s tragedies. • University Wits: Marlowe, Greene, Peele, Nashe, and Lodge. • Elizabethan theatre: from the streets to fixed buildings. be
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Drama Genres: Comedy • Multiple influences shaped Renaissance comedy plays. - Roman playwrights such as Plautus and Terence. - Medieval comic interludes during performances. • Characterised by a ridiculous imitation of life’s errors and confusions. • Satirical tone.
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Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542) • English poet and diplomat in the court of Henry VIII. • First to introduce Petrarchan sonnet form in England. • In his poems we find the first recorded instance of amour fou in English poetry. • Widely criticised by some critics, but his legacy is undeniable. Esta foto de Autor desconocido está bajo licencia CC BY-SA Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517-1547) • Main author – along with Wyatt – that appears in the first collection of sonnets to be published in England, Tottel’s Miscelany (1557) • He perfected the English sonnet form and established the blank verse in England. • He was the image of medieval chivalry, participating in jousts and tourneys and dedicating his poetry to his one unrequited love. Esta foto de Autor desconocido está bajo licencia CC BY-NC-ND John Donne (1572-1631) • Main metaphysical poet of the 17th century. • Son of a Catholic merchant, he abandoned his faith in order to access positions of power. • Innovation and transfiguration of Petrarchan tradition. • Clash between reason and instinct, both in his poetry and his personality. • He wrote satires, elegies, and religious poems. • His poetry is mainly characterised by topics such as love, death, the passing of time, and God. Just as well, the prevalence of figures such as conceits, questions, and imperatives, along with the apparent simplicity in is poetry, links him to the metaphysical tradition. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46467/the-flea Esta foto de Autor desconocido está bajo licencia CC BY-NC-ND Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) • One of the greatest dramatists of this period, but he died a premature violent death. • His genius for dramatic creation is undeniable: subversive, rhetorical, and radical. • His heroes are often exaggerated in both faults and qualities. Main works: • Tamburlaine the Great (1587-88). • The Jew of Malta (printed in 1633). • Doctor Faustus (1589) Ben Jonson (1572-1637) • Arguably second only to Shakespeare, Jonson’s legacy has been often ignored by scholarship. • Among the first to be aware of his condition as author. • He popularised the comedy of humours in England. • Main works: - Volpone (1606) - The Alchemist (1610) - Bartholomew Fair (1617)
