Renaissance in England.
Religion.
The Reformation takes place during this time period: Luther and Calvin are the main influencers, who battle against the Church's corruption.
Philosophy.
Thinkers of that time ("humanists") believed
that 'man' should be their
main subject of study, instead of God.
Science.
Men begin to study things such as
astronomy and anatomy.
Arts.
Men like Leonardo Da Vinci, and Michelangelo were the most notable artists of this time period.
Divided into three periods:
1485-1558: The beginning of the Renaissance.
1588-1603: The flourishing of the Renaissance.
1603-1625: The decline of the Renaissance.
The raise of the Tudor Dynasty:
A nobleman by the name of Henry Tudor
finally defeats King Richard III during the
battle of Bosworth, becoming Henry VII.
Hence establishing the Tudor Dynasty.
The Printing Press:
William Caxton intruduced Britain to the wonders of the Printing Press, finally allowing them to print and produce books at a faster rate.
Oral tradition begins losing power.
Two events signal the fact that
things were changing in the
British Isles.
HUMANISM:
A new way of thinking. Whereas before
God was the main subject of interest, now
'man' takes His place.
THOMAS MOORE:
Moore is considered one of the greatest
English humanists. In his masterpiece
'Utopia,' he writes about an island where
everything is absolutely perfect.
RENAISSANCE & DRAMA:
Drama mixes popular entertainment, and refined, 'noble' culture, appealing to basically everybody.
TRAGEDY:
Themes:
Elizabethan tragedies include themes
such as: order/disorder. Personal disorder
for example, is symbolized by through
madness, on the other hand, social disorder
is expressed through the assassination of a
leader, usually ending up with the only way
to establish harmony is via the elimination of
the very thing causing this 'chaos.'
In Jacobean tragedies disillusionment, cruelty
and cynicism reign supreme. Soon enough,
the Puritans decide to close up theatres,
labelling theatre as a 'source of vice.'
Once they re-opened, 'Restoration' drama
reels in much more noble audiences, who
appreciate wit, refinement and frivolous
subjects.
A tragedy is a sort of theatrical performance
that is supposed to arouse 'pity and horror,'
to try and achieve catharsis.
Follows a pattern of five acts.
-Introduction.
-Development.
-Crisis.
-Decline.
-Final outcome.
(Death of the hero.)
Focus on a 'tragic hero.'
-Noble blood.
-Deeply human.
-Accepts the inevitable.
-Has to die to invoke pity
and horror in the audience.