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Chapter5TheRenaissanceTheElizabethanAge1.HistoricalbackgroundThefallofConstantinople•In1453,theTurksseizedConstantinoplewhichhadbeenthecenterofMediterraneancivilizationforathousandyears.•theEnglishRenaissanceReformationofthechurchinEngland•HenrytheVIII(1509-1547)•In1534theActofSupremacyHenrytheVIII(1509-1547)ThereignofQueenElizabethI:•EnglandenjoyedaperiodofpeaceandprosperityunderthereignofQueenElizabethI(1558-1603)asaresultofapolicyoftoleranceadoptedtomaintainabalanceofpowerbetweenthefeudallordsandtherisingburghersaswellasbetweentheProtestantsandtheCatholics.QueenElizabethI(1558-1603)ThedefeatoftheSpanishArmada.•thedefeatoftheSpanishArmadabytheEnglishnavyin1588.•amightynavalpower.•thepowerofthemonarchwasstrengthened•theawakeningofnationalconsciousnesswasaccelaratedTheenclosuremovement•thewooltrade•someofthenoblesandtheburghersturnedvastarablelandintopasturesandlargenumbersofpeasantsbecamelandlessmen.(Thiswasatime,accordingtoThomasMore,“sheepdevouredmen.”)•thecapitalistclassandthelaboringclass.Renaissance•somanybrilliantwriters•anintellectualaswellasliterarymovement•ItsidealwasHumanism.•RenaissancewasaFrenchwordmeaning“rebirth”or“revival”inEnglish,tobespecific,therebirthofancientGreekandRomancultureafterlongyearsofneglect.Humanism•thewelfareofhumanbeings•itwasagainsthumannaturetosacrificethehappinessofthislifeforanafterlife.•manshouldbegivenfullfreedomtoenrichtheirintellectualandemotionallife.•Inreligiontheydemandedthereformationofthechurch.•shatteredtheshacklesofspiritualbondageofman’smindbytheRomanCatholicChurchandopenedhiseyesto“abravenewworld”infrontofhim.2.EdmundSpenser(1552?-1599)andTheFaerieQueene•ThelifeofSpenser(1552-1599)•Humbleorigin•Asolideducation(B.A.andM.A.atCambridge)•Variousjobs(livedinIrelandfor18years)•LeadthelifeofalandedgentlemaninIreland•In1599hediedinpovertyinLondonTheFaerieQueeneanunfinishedallegoricalromance.•originalplan12books,•eachtellingtheadventuresofoneofthe12knightsdispatchedbytheFaerieQueene,Gloria,whorepresentsGloryandQueenElizabethIinparticular.•“acontinuedallegory”andthethemeisto“fashionagentlemanornoblepersoninvirtuousandgentlediscipline”.•theideaofthe“gentleman”,paralleltothemedievalideaofthe“saint”•Accordingtothethoughtoftheday,thevirtuousmanisonewhoknowshowtogovernhimself,andisthusqualifiedtogovernothers.•Bothvirtuesmustbeidentifiedinagoodruler,meaning,agoodrulermustalsobeagoodman.•Educationmustbesoframedastoproducesuchagoodmanaswellasgoodruler.Spencer’scontribution•theformandtechniqueofEnglishpoetrycomposition•Hisverselinesareverymelodious•hisnine-lineSpenserianstanza(agroupofeightlinesofiambicpentameterfollowedbyasix-stressiambicline,witharhymeschemeababbcbcc)createsaspecialmusicaleffect,andisverysuitabletothesubjectmatterhedealswith.TheUniversityWits•Inthelastthirtyyearsofthe16thcenturytheflourishingofdrama•citiesandtownsgrewrapidlyinthe16thcenturyandnoothermeansofentertainmentthanbear-baiting,visitinglunaticsimprisonedinBedlam,andwatchingexecutionsandhangingatNewgate,•dramanaturallybecametheonlyformofamusementtocitydwellersandnoblemen.•AtCambridgeUniversity,anumberofuniversitystudentswriteplaysafterthemodelofaRomandramatistSeneca.•predecessorstoShakespeareandwerelatercalledtheUniversityWits.AmongthemwereRobertGreene(1558-1592),ThomasKyd(1558-1594),andespeciallyChristopherMarlowe.•RobertGreene’smasterpiecewasJamesIV•TheSpanishTragedybyKydChristopherMarlowe•ThemostprominentChristopherMarlowe.•HisfirstplayTamburlainetheGreat(1587)isaboutthestoryofTimurtheTartar(1336-1405).ThecentralfigureTamburlainerepresentstheRenaissancedesireforinfinitepowerandauthority.•TheTragicHistoryofDoctorFaustus(1592),reflectingtheRenaissancedesireforinfiniteknowledge.Demeritsandmerits•Limitations:plotconstructionlooseandhischaractersmerelyembodimentsofideas.•Merits:theonlydramatistofthetimewhoisevercomparedwithShakespeare.•remarkablefortheirimagination,burningpassion,sensuousrichness,varietyofpace,andresponsetovaryingemotions.•statelinessanditspoeticbeauty.•Theblankverse,i.e.,unrhymediambicpentameter,usedinhisdrama,wasthechiefverseformusedbyShakespeare.4.WilliamShakespeare(1564-1616)ThelifeofWilliamShakespeare•borninStratford-on-Avon•marriedawomanwhowaseightyearsolderthanhimwhenhewasonlyeighteen•ahurriedandforcedmarriagebecausetheirfirstchildwasbornonlysixmonthafterthemarriage.•In1584Shakespearelefthisnativetown.•probablybegantowriteplaysaround1590,atfirstincollaborationwithotherplaywrightsorengagedinrevisingoldplays.•Shakespeare’scareerasanactorandplaywrightstretchedformorethantwentyyears.•In1611or1612heretiredorpartlyretiredfromLondonandwentbacktohisnativetown.HediedinStratfordin1616.ThebirthplaceofWilliamShakespeareShakespeare’swritingcareer•roughlydividedintofourstages.•yearsofhisapprenticeship,datingfrom1592to1594.hisearlyhistoryplays(orsimplyhistories)andagroupofcomedies,suchasKingHenryVI,RichardIII,andLove’sLabourLost.•aperiodofexperimentation.•imitationofexistingplays,bythespiritofyouthfulnessandrichimagination,byexaggeratedlanguageandbythefrequentuseofrhymedcouplets.•Thesecondperi