Renaissance 1485 - 1660
A Flourish of Genius
When Did it Begin??
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There isn’t an exact moment when the
Renaissance started.
The changes in people’s values, beliefs, and
behavior that marked the emerging
Renaissance occurred gradually.
Why do they call it The Renaissance?
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The term renaissance is a French word meaning “rebirth.”
There was a particular interest in classical
learning…especially the writings of ancient Greece and
Rome.
Greek and Latin classics had been tucked away on shelves for
centuries. People learned to read Greek once more and
reformed the Latin that they read, wrote, and spoke.
The term Renaissance was first used in the 18th century to
characterize the changes that began at the end of the Middle
Ages and continued through the 16th century.
The Spirit of Rebirth
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People became more curious about themselves and
their world than people generally had been in the
Middle Ages.
There was a renewal of human spirit.
The new energy and creativity started in Italy, where
considerable wealth had been generated from
banking and trade with the East.
The Church was very rich and powerful.
Almost everyone in Europe was Roman Catholic
The Sistine Chapel
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In your notebooks, what does the “Creation of Adam” say about this artist’s view
of humanity during the Renaissance?
Humanism
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Definition: An intellectual movement of the
Renaissance that restored the study of the classics
and focused on examining human life here and now.
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“What is a human being?”
“What is a good life?”
“How do I lead a good life?”
Christianity provided answers many Renaissance
humanists accepted as true.
They sought to harmonize the Bible and the classics
to strengthen Christianity.
New Technology
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The invention of the printing press
transformed the way information was
exchanged during the Renaissance.
This dramatically changed education and the
availability of literature.
Erasmus of Rotterdam and Thomas
More
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Erasmus was a Dutch monk who lived outside
the monastery and loved to travel. He visited
many countries in Europe.
He met Thomas More, who was a young
lawyer, while teaching Greek at Cambridge
University.
The two made great contributions to
Renaissance literature, including Thomas
More’s Utopia.
The Reformation
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The break from Catholicism and the authority of the pope that
resulted in the establishment of the Protestant churches in the
16th century.
The force of this movement was felt by all English writers.
Martin Luther, a monk, founded a new kind of Christianity.
This was based not on what the pope said but on a personal
understanding of the Bible.
Writers such as More and Erasmus ridiculed old superstitions
by calling out the ignorance and idleness of monks and the
personal wealth and loose living of priests and bishops.
King vs. Pope
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The conflict between the pope and the king of England came
to a climax when Henry VIII wanted to get rid of his wife.
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His two motives for getting rid of his wife?
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1. She had only given him a daughter and was now too old.
2. He wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, who was his mistress. His
previous mistress was Anne’s sister.
Since divorce was not allowed, he needed a loophole.
The pope could not grant Henry’s request because he was
controlled by Queen Catherine’s nephew, so Henry appointed
a new archbishop of Canterbury.
Henry then declared himself the head of English Church.
Henry VIII…
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The first thing Henry did was put Catherine under house
arrest. He then closed all of England’s monasteries and sold
the rich buildings and lands to his subjects.
Sir Thomas More, now lord chancellor, decided to side with
the pope. For this he was beheaded.
This was the beginning of Protestantism in England. Some
groups were angry because it was “not reformed enough.”
These were the Puritans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Dissenters,
and Nonconformists.
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They wanted to get rid of “popish things” like church bells, stained
glass windows, and bishops.
The Tudors
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Easy to remember…they consist of grandfather, father, and
three children.
Henry VII was shrewd, patient, and stingy. He restored peace
and order to England and lead the cultural Renaissance.
The son Henry VIII had six wives. Their fates are
summarized in the jingle:
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Divorced, beheaded, died,
Divorced, beheaded, survived.
Henry VII ignored his female child, and he died without
knowing she would become the greatest ruler England ever
had.
Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen
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One of the most brilliant and successful monarchs in
history. She inherited a kingdom torn by fierce
religious feuds.
She reestablished the Church of England and again
rejected the pope’s authority.
She survived many plots against her life, several of
which were initiated by her cousin (Mary Stuart),
who felt that, as a direct descendant of Henry VII,
she was the rightful ruler of England.
Elizabeth put her in a cell for 20 years, and then
killed her.
The Spanish Armada Sinks
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King Phillip of Spain used Mary’s execution to
attack England.
The fleet he sent was named the Spanish Armada.
In 1588, assisted by some nasty weather of the Irish
Sea, and Armada was destroyed and Spain is
crippled.
After this event, Elizabeth becomes the symbol of
peace, security, and prosperity to her subjects. She
provides inspiration for many English artists.