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The Renaissance and the Age of Shakespeare (1485-1625)
From Tudor to Stuart dynasty
War of the Roses (1455 - 1485)
Richard III was the last Plantagenet king. The War of the Roses was a dynastic conflict between
the House of York and the House of Lancaster.
Richard of York had the symbol of a white rose, and he was defeated at the Battle of BosworthField by Henry Tudor in 1485.
Henry Tudor of the House of Lancaster won the war, and it was the beginning of the Tudor
dynasty in England.
Henry VII and the national monarchy (1485 - 1509)
Henry Tudor became king as Henry VII. He married Elizabeth of York, Richard’s niece. So, he
unified the nation and inaugurated a system of government which gave less power to nobles
and more power to the king. This system of government was called ‘The Tudor Despotism’.
Henry VIII (1509 - 1547)
Henry VIII succeeded to his father Henry VII in 1509. Two months later Henry VIII married
Catherine of Aragon, the Spanish widow of his brother.
The main problem of Henry VIII was his succession: he had a daughter, Mary, but no male
heirs, so the Tudor government would break down.
The Pope didn’t want to annul his marriage, so he asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to do
it. This act led to the break with the Roman Church.
The king will have three children from different wives: Mary, Elizabeth and Edward.
Martin Luther (1517)
In 1517 Martin Luther nailed his ’95 theses’ to the door of Wittenberg cathedral. These theses
were a condemnation of the corruption of the Catholic Church. This act started the schism
and led to the birth of Protestantism.
Act of Supremacy (1534)
The Act of Supremacy confirmed that Henry VIII was the head of the English Church and
officially separated the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry VIII also
suppressed religious orders and confiscated their properties.
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Execution of Saint Thomas More (1535)
Saint Thomas More was an intellectual of the English Renaissance. He was a fervent and
faithful Roman Catholic, and he opposed the Church led by Henry VIII. For this reason, he was
arrested in 1534 and executed in 1535. He had been a famous humanist and a friend of
Erasmus of Rotterdam.
Succession guaranteed (1536)
Henry’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, had a daughter, Elizabeth, but she was falsely accused by
the king of adultery, incest and treason. For this reason, she was executed in the Tower of
London in 1536. In 1537 Henry VIII married Jane Seymour, who bore Edward, the first male
heir to survive infancy.
The short reign of Eduard VI (1547 - 1553)
Edward VI, when he was only nine years old, succeeded Henry VIII. The control of the reign
was under a Council of Regency, but in 1553 Edward VI died.
Bloody Mary (1553 - 1558)
Mary was proclaimed queen in 1553. She was Catholic and she wanted to restore Catholicism
in England. So, she ordered a persecution against Protestants who were sent to the stake and
burned. For this reason, she was called ‘Bloody Mary’.
The Puritans
During Mary’s persecutions many Protestants fled to Protestant cities like Geneva and Basel
where there was John Calvin. They became extreme Protestants and when they returned to
England, after Queen Mary’s death, they formed a group, the Puritans, who wanted to purify
the Church of England and remove all Catholic practices.
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Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603)
In 1558 Elizabeth, who was 25-year-old, became queen after her half-sister Mary.
Elizabeth was an enlightened monarch, a great leader, a patron of artists and explorers, a
symbol of national unity and one of the most famous English monarchs of all times.
Elizabeth wanted to restore Protestantism, so, she promoted the 'Second Act of Supremacy'
in 1559, by which she reinstated the Protestant clergy, and she became the supreme governor
of the Anglican Church.
She wanted to establish a national Church that could include all subjects, Catholics and
Protestants.
This balanced approach between Protestantism and Catholicism was known as the ‘middle
way’.
In foreign policy at that time marriage corresponded to political alliance, but Elizabeth, who
was known as the Virgin Queen, never got married. She had many suitors, but she rejected
them all, including King Philip ll of Spain. She never got married because she didn’t want to
offend any subject - Protestant or Catholic - and she didn’t want a foreign domination in her
country.
Elizabeth I – The stature of a leader
Elizabeth dominates the English Renaissance. She governed with wisdom, skill and courage.
She said she wasn’t a lioness, but a lion's cub and she had inherited many qualities of her
father, Henry VIll.
She gave a lot of freedom of faith to her subjects. She adopted a ‘moderate way’ through
religious conflicts.
She didn’t get married and didn’t provide an heir to the throne (for this reason she was called
the ‘Virgin Queen’). She didn’t want to be subjected to any man and foreign domination. She
was married to her nation.
She defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588.
The Elizabethan Age was one of the longest and most prosperous reigns in English history.
On her death in 1603, Elizabeth left a nation that was secure, free of religious problems and
powerful among European nations.
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Mary Queen of Scots – a formidable rival
Mary Stuart was the Queen of Scots and Elizabeth’s rival to the throne of England.
Mary was the only daughter of James V of Scotland and a descendent of Henry VI.
She spent many years in France, then in 1560 she returned to Scotland to be proclaimed
queen.
During her absence, Scotland had become fervently Protestant and Mary, who was a fervent
Catholic, was forced to abdicate in favour of her infant son, James. Mary fled to England to
seek Elizabeth’s protection.
But she was accused of conspiracy (many Catholics wanted Mary as Queen instead of
Elizabeth) and executed in 1587.
Trade and Empire (1584)
In 1584 Sir Walter Raleigh established a colony on the east coast of North America and called
it ‘Virginia' in honour of Queen Elizabeth, who was known as 'the Virgin Queen’. A few years
later, in 1600, Elizabeth signed a charter for the British East India Company, which challenged
Dutch and Portuguese dominance of the spice trade in Asia. This marked the beginning of the
imperial expansion of the 17th and 18 centuries over the Indian subcontinent.
The war with Spain (1588)
In 1588 Philip Il sent a big fleet, called the ‘Invincible’ Armada, to invade England because he
wanted to stop Elizabeth's support to Spain's enemies and the raids of her 'sea-dogs' on
Spanish ships in the New World.
The Spanish Armada was defeated by adverse weather and skilled English seamen, led by
Francis Drake. This victory had a great impact because it was a demonstration of England's
superiority over Spain.
In 1603 James VI of Scotland (son of Mary Stuart) became James I of England.
James I, beginning of Stuart dynasty (1603 - 1625)
Queen Elizabeth died childless in 1603 and was succeeded by her cousin James VI of Scotland,
who became James I of England, the first Stuart king of England.
James united three kingdoms: England, Scotland and Ireland.
He was a believer in the ‘Divine Right of Kings’ and considered himself above the law and
Parliament. James I reinforced the Anglican Church and disappointed both the Catholics and
the Protestants. During his reign there were two important events: the Gunpowder Plot (1605)
and the departure of the Pilgrim Fathers (1620).
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The struggle with Parliament begins
During the reign of James I Parliament had limited powers. Parliament couldn’t interfere in
foreign affairs, and James I tried to raise taxes without Parliament’s consent on the basis of
the Divine Right of Kings. So, the struggle with Parliament began and it led, in the next reign,
to the Civil War.
Guy Fawkes - The Gunpowder Plot (1605)
In 1605 a group of Catholics plotted to murder the king. With their leader, Guy Fawkes, they
placed barrels of gunpowder in the cellar beneath the Houses of Parliament, ready to blow up
the House when the king was present.
This Gunpowder Plot, however, was detected and Guy Fawkes and his men were arrested,
tried and then hanged, drawn and quartered.
The Gunpowder Plot would make the nation hate and fear Catholicism for centuries.
King James' Bible (1611)
In 1611 King James commissioned a new translation of the Bible, which is known as King James
Version (KJV).
This version is still considered one of the most accurate versions in English.
It is also known as the Authorised Version and is still used in many Anglican churches, because
it is considered faithful, resonant, elegant and impressive.
Puritan Commonwealth - The New World (1620)
In 1620 a group of Puritans set sail from Plymouth in a ship called The Mayflower because
they wanted to escape from religious persecution.
They landed in America at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, and founded a Puritan
Commonwealth that was rigid and intolerant.
Virginia had been founded by Sir Walter Raleigh under Queen Elizabeth.
The attempt had failed but Raleigh's old project was taken up by a company of London
merchants, who began to produce tobacco that was a new source of prosperity.
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What are the main traits of Humanism?
Humanism was a cultural movement born at the end of the 14th century
Humanism promoted the study of the so-called ‘humanae litterae’ (the ‘New Learning’) and
the translations of the classics which had been lost during the Middle Ages (many Greek and
Roman works were translated in this period).
What is the Renaissance and where did the Renaissance first start?
Renaissance is the period from 1485 to 1625
Renaissance means ‘rebirth’ of learning after the ‘dark years’ of the Middle Ages.
People start to think for themselves and reject old authorities (such as the Church).
Italy was the birthplace of the Renaissance whose main feature was the development of arts,
architecture, literature, science. The most important artists were Leonardo, Michelangelo,
Raphael, Brunelleschi.
Renaissance started in Italy especially in the powerful city-states such as Milan, Mantua,
Ferrara, Florence, Rome, then it spread across Europe.
What are the peculiar traits of the English Renaissance?
In England Renaissance started later, in the 16th century with Henry VIII (1509-1547), when
the Church of England became independent from the Roman Church (1534).
It fully flourished (it reached its full expression) under Henry VIII’s daughter, Queen Elizabeth
I (1558-1603) when there was a great development of prose, poetry and drama.
In general, English humanists were
 less interested in art and architecture.
 more interested in ethics, religion, education and spirituality.
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What is the Elizabethan Age?
• It is called the Golden Age of English literature because famous literary masterpieces were
written in this period
• Artists and intellectuals use the English language (not Latin)
• The most famous intellectuals of the English Renaissance are:
 the poets Philip Sidney and Edmund Spenser, they wrote sonnets
 William Shakespeare, one of the most famous playwrights of all time; he also wrote
sonnets
 the philosopher Thomas More
Which genres dominated the English Renaissance?
 sonnets
 drama
 prose writing
List the main kinds of Elizabethan prose
Elizabethan prose includes
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utopian essays
critical essays
romances
religious works
political speeches
travel writings
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What is a sonnet? What is the main theme of Elizabethan sonnets?
The sonnet is a 14-line poetic composition, and it is the most common poetic form of
Elizabethan literature.
Petrarch was the most important poet who wrote sonnets in Italy.
This form was imported into England by Syr Thomas Wyatt and by the Earl of Surrey, who
translated many Petrarch’s sonnets into English.
The three main sonneteers of the Elizabethan Age are
 Philip Sidney
 Edmund Spenser
 William Shakespeare
Philip Sidney wrote a collection of poems called Astrophel and Stella, in which he explores
the theme of love in its different forms (hope, joy, suffering, bitterness, despair, tenderness).
Edmund Spenser published Amoretti, which is a collection of sonnets, and The Faerie Queene,
which is an allegorical poem dedicated to Queen Elzabeth who is the ‘Faerie Queene’ of the
title.
William Shakespeare was not only the most famous playwright of all time, but he was a
famous sonnet writer, he wrote the Sonnets, a collection of 154 sonnets. In these poems
Shakespeare explores universal themes such as love using a lot of metaphors and conceits.
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The most important Elizabethan proses are:
1. Utopia is a philosophical essay written by Thomas More.
It is a travel book about an imaginary society on an imaginary island somewhere in the
New Word.
It was originally written in Latin, but it was immediately translated into English and soon
became a masterpiece of English Renaissance literature inaugurating the genre of utopian
literature.
The island described by More is the exact opposite of Renaissance Europe: it is dominated
by peace, rationality and harmony.
For this reason, the work contains social criticism and a plea for tolerance and collective
wellbeing.
2. Defence of Poesie is an essay written by Philip Sidney in which the author defends poetry
against the critiques done by some religious authorities of his time.
3. Another genre of prose is travel writing. The most important author of travel writing is
Richard Hakluyt ‘the elder’, who was an advocator of Elizabethan colonial expansionism.
4. The Elizabethan Age was also an age of translations: the Bible was translated into 'modern
English’ with the so-called Tyndale Bible (1534) which was the first text to be printed by
William Caxton.
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Why was London so influential for the development of Elizabethan drama?
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In the Elizabethan Age London was one of the biggest cities in the world, cosmopolitan
and multicultural, even if it was a dirty, polluted and dangerous city
It was a political and religious capital
London was also a city of entertainment. There were brothels, bear-baiting and bullbaiting arenas, and theatres. They were around Southwark (south London).
Going to theatre was a typical pastime and a form of entertainment for Elizabethan
Londoners. This is shown by the fact that the original word for theatre was 'playhouse', a
compound of ‘play’ (game) and 'house’.
What are the main characteristics of Elizabethan theatres?
Elizabethan theatres were different from today's theatres.
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They were open-air structures
They had the shape of a wooden amphitheatre
The stage was square and protected by a roof called ‘heaven’; it had a gallery (or
balcony) which was used for actions requiring two different levels (such as the balcony
scene in Romeo and Juliet).
The audience stood around the stage during the show. These people were called
‘groundlings' and paid one penny to see the show. Groundlings were close to the actors
and could interact with them. They were not sheltered by any roof in case of bad
weather.
Rich people sat on roofed benches around the stage.
It was impossible to create artificial darkness
Plays were staged in the afternoon and playwrights could use only the daylight.
If a night scene was needed, actors used candles, for instance
Imagination was very important in the Elizabethan theatre
Also, language played an important role: a theatre was almost 'empty’ and language
was used to explain to the audience all the details of the plays.
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What kind of people went to the theatre in the Elizabethan Age?
Audience
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People who went to Elizabethan theatres belonged to all the strata of Elizabethan society:
they were members of the royal family, nobles, common people
• They met in one single space not just to
o watch a play
o be entertained
but also to
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meet other people
socialise
do business
show off
Audience was not silent as today’s audience: people talked during the show, interacted
with the actors, made comments on the actions staged.
Playwrights
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Playwrights normally had a very modest background
Some of them had a university degree
There was no copyright to protect the plays
 Playwrights did not ‘own' the plays they wrote
 Plays belonged to the companies
 The money earned was shared by the members of the company
Many playwrights were also actors and knew the world of theatre very well
Playwrights needed to consider the taste of their audience, which could determine the
fortune or the fall of a play and of the entire company
Actors
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Actors were considered ‘vagabonds' by Elizabethan law
They were allowed to act only if they formed a company and put themselves under the
protection of a rich person
This led to the creation of ‘professional' acting companies, who wore the coat of arms of
its patron
Actors were shareholders of their companies: they owned their own plays and often their
own playhouses
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Women
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Women were not allowed to act because acting was considered immoral for them
Female parts were played by male actors
What are the innovative qualities of Elizabethan drama?
Elizabethan drama represents a mix of tradition and innovation.
From the tradition of medieval miracles and morality plays playwrights derived
 the mix of tragedy and comedy, which led to the creation of a peculiar dramatic genre
called 'tragicomedy
 the avoidance of the so-called Aristotle's unities of action, time and space.
Elizabethan playwrights adopted a free approach to poetic composition: their plays followed
the natural rhythm of life and imagination, expressed emotions freely and avoided rigid
categorisations.
For this reason, in Elizabethan plays the main plot was always linked to one or more sub-plots,
the action occurred in many different places and the time frame was very fluid.
Who are the most famous Elizabethan playwrights?
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Christopher Marlowe
Thomas Kyd
William Shakespeare
What kind of character is Faustus?
Christopher Marlowe wrote Doctor Faustus (1592).
Faustus, the protagonist, is the prototype of Renaissance tragic heroes.
Faustus is a modern man who tries to obtain infinite knowledge but realises his dream is
impossible.
The main theme is the fight between vice and virtue for the possession of Faustus' soul and
ends with his eternal damnation.
Marlowe's play mixes comic and tragic tones and does not respect Aristotle's unities.
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What are the features of Elizabethan revenge tragedies?
Thomas Kyd (1558-94) wrote The Spanish Tragedy (1587), a typical 'revenge tragedy’ full of
bloodshed, ghosts, real and fake acts of madness, and obviously ends with a final massacre.
Revenge tragedies are plays in which action revolves around a hero who wants to revenge
himself by killing those who wronged him.
Revenge tragedies were influenced by the Roman playwright Seneca (4 BCE-65 CE).
They are full of horrors and bloody executions, supernatural events and ghosts and tend to
have a difficult language.
What genres characterise Shakespeare’s production?
The first period of his production Shakespeare experimented different genres and styles, such
as revenge tragedies, sparkling comedies, and history plays.
In the second phase of his production Shakespeare explores the human soul and the
complexities of human life more deeply.
In this period Shakespeare wrote Hamlet (1600-01) that is the first modern play of Western
literature.
After Hamlet Shakespeare wrote his "great tragedies":
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Othello (1604-05)
King Lear (1605-06)
Macbeth (1605-06)
These tragedies explore the tragic condition of mankind and mark the return of tragedy in the
Western world.
In the last phase of his production the plays are full of supernatural events, magic deeds and
harmony and are called romances.
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What are the most famous Elizabethan theatres?
The most famous Elizabethan theatres were:
 The Theatre (built in 1576)
 The Swan (built in 1585)
 The Globe (built by Shakespeare’s company in 1599).
What elements did Elizabethan drama maintain from the Medieval tradition?
Elizabethan drama is a mix of tradition and innovation.
TRADITIONAL ELEMENTS are:
 Tragedy and comedy are mixed
 There is often a ‘moral’ message
INNOVATIVE ELEMENTS are:
 The stage represents more than one geographical space
 The action of the plays takes place over more than 24 hours
 Imagination plays a very important role
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The Armada Portrait
The Armada Portrait is an allegorical painting, and it is full of symbols.
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The imperial crown is the symbol of monarchy and power.
The globe is the symbol of her imperial ambition.
Pears are symbol of purity and virginity, chastity.
The golden sea symbolizes the victory over the Spanish fleet.
Her gaze to the distance symbolizes the future of her reign.
The ruff around her neck emulates the rays of the sun.
Her head looks like a moon or a planet.
The Armada Portrait celebrates an important event in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the defeat
of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Three copies of the portrait have survived. One of them is held at Woburn Abbey and shows
the full portrait. All copies were painted by a man called George Gower, who was the Queen's
Sergeant-Painter, responsible for portrait paintings.
At the top of the painting there are two scenes that represent different moments of the battle
and are separated by a green curtain.
To the left of the portrait the golden sea is calm.
To the right of the portrait, we see Spanish ships that sink during a storm in the grey waves.
Elizabeth’s right hand is on a globe that symbolises her desire for empire.
Her other hand holds a fan made of feathers.
We can see a crown on the table.
The queen's chair is carved with a figure that represents a siren, a mythological creature.
It is a symbol; in fact, the sirens attract sailors to their ruin.
In the same way Elizabeth has attracted Philip of Spain's fleet to a watery grave.
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What are the three ‘realms’ of the Great Chain of Being?
• The Renaissance model of the universe is based on one central idea: the Great Chain of
Being.
• The universe is organised in hierarchical order.
• All components of the universe are placed in perfect order under God’s perfection.
• The universe is represented as a chain because all its components are interconnected.
• Together, all the components of the ‘chain’ hold the universe and protect its existence.
What is the role of humans in the Great Chain of Being?
Humans:
 stand in the middle between the perfection of the divine world (God and Angels) and
the world of vile creatures (animals, plants and inanimate objects);
 are both ‘divine’ and ‘earthly’
 represent the main ‘link’ in the chain.