THE RENAISSANCE

In the 14th century in Italy there was a rebirth

of art, literature and philosophy, that we

remember as HUMANISM. This arrived in England only in the 15th century

because here there were a lot of wars, like “the

Hundred Years’ War” and “the War of the Roses”.

The most important aspects of the Renaissance were: - the culture -the economy - the geographical expansions - the scientific innovations

THE CULTURE• The English scholars went

in Italy to attend the university to learn Greek and Latin. When they returned at home they founded classical schools and they translated a lot of Italian poems, so they introduced in the English literature the sonnet , a short text in verses. One of the most important author of this period was Thomas More with “L’utopia”.

THE ECONOMY• In the Renaissance there

was the birth of a new social class: the merchants. They belonged to the middle-class and they were interested in trade, commerce and the economic development. This class became rich also thanks to protestant reforms because catholic monasteries were dissolved and the lauds were sold to this new class.

THE GEOGRAPHICAL EXPANSIONS

• Henry VIII founded the modern English Navy, he tripled the number of warships, he built new freights with headlight system that facilitated the navigation. In 1588 the royal navy defeated the Spanish armada.

• During the Elizabeth I’s reign Francis Drake circumnavigated the earth. He was the second to do this, only after Magellano. In 1579 arrived In California that he called nova albiom. The first colony was founded in Virginia in 1584, but it had a short life because there wasn’t food and the clime was the worst.

THE SCIENTIFIC INNOVATIONS• In 1543 Niccolo

Copernico, with his “ De Revolutionibus orbium coelestium” suggested the right vision of the solar system. Here Copernico did a new eliocentric teory that took the place of the tolemaic teory. So the sun, and not the earth, was the center of the solar system.

THE TUDORSFrom the 1485 to

1568

Catherine of Aragon

Mary Tudor

Henry VII Elizabeth of York

Edward VI

Henry VIII

Jane Seymour

Anne Boleyn

Elizabeth I

HENRY VII (1485-1509)• A “treaty with France” going him

recognation.• A trade “treaty with the Netherlands” • Strengthned the monarchy and

tourned England in a modern state • Renforcing England’s trading position• Foundation of english naval power by

increased spending on shipbuilding.

England had its own merchant fleet and extended its military

power

HENRY VIII (1509-1547)• Henry VII’s second son• A natural sportsman,

popular both with the english elite and the english pubblic

• Called the “Golden prince” both for his natural good look and chivarly and education

• Granted the title of “Defender of the faith” by Pope in Latin in 1521

HENRY VIII• Married Catherine of

Aragon who bore him a daugther: Mary I

• Asked the Pope for a divorced to marry Anne Boleyn

• Broke with Rome when the Pope refused and declared himself “Supreme head of the Church of England”

• Anna Boleyn gave him a second daughter, Elizabeth

• Henry went on to have four more wives and one son, Edward VI from Jane Seymour

MARY I (1547-1553)• The daugther of Henry

VII and Catherine of Aragon

• Refused to abandon the catholic faith

• Tried to restore England to papal obedience

• Married the catholic Philip of Spain

• Her nickname was “bloody mary”

• Died without an heir

EDWARD VI (1553-1558)• The son of Jane

Seymour and Henry VII

• Made protestant doctrine more fully accepted

• Used same of the confiscated wealth of convents

• Replaced the old latin with the book of common prayer in english

ELIZABETH I (1558-1603)• Henry VIII and Anne

Boleyn’s daughter • Became queen of a divided

nation, the majority of which was anti-catholic and anti-spanish

• She was 25 and had a strong personality,a lively intelligence and a passionate character

• She had received an excellent education: she could speak french, latin and italian

ELIZABETH I• Her church of england restored

the country firmly to protestantism

• Was unmarried and used this as a political weapon

• Said that the queen was married to her people and became the “virgin queen”

• Went on royal progresses to be seen and to get to know her people

• Inspired music,drama, poetry and literature with William Shakespeare

ELIZABETH I• Recognised spain as her main

trade rival and enemy • Expandend exploration and

overseas • Encouraged sea captains Francis

Drake and Walter Raleigh in their piracy against spanish ships and took a share of the profits

• Defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588

• Laid the basis of England’s empire chartering seven companies.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEA

RE

William Shakespeare was born at Stratford on Avon in April 1564, possibly on 23 April, St George’s Day, which is also said to be the date of is death. His father was a yeoman, a successful tradesman until he met financial difficulties. William was the eldest son and attended the local grammar school which gave him a thorough grounding in the use of language and classical authors. He married Anne Hathaway when he was only 18 and she was 26 and pregnant with their daughter.

Some information about his life is merely conjectural. In 1584 he left Stratford and went to London. It was at that time that he first experienced the playhouse. He was received into one of the companies than in being, at first in a very mean rank; but his admirable wit soon distinguished him, if not as a great actor, as an excellent writer.

In 1593 the London theatres were closed because of the plague, and William needed the support of a private patron. He got such support from a young nobleman, the Earl of Southampton, to whom he dedicated his poems.When the theatres reopened, Shakespeare became a shareholder and the main playwright of the most successful company of actors in London, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. In 1599 his company built the Globe Theatre, where most of is plays were performed.

Between 1590 and 1596 he mainly wrote historical dramas. Overlapping with the history plays, between 1593 and 1600, he put onto the stage ten comedies, ranging from farce to romance. The great tragedies were written between 1595 and 1605. The latter part of his life was spent in retirement at Stratford. He died when he was 52 years old and was buried in the local church. Seven years after his death some of his friends and fellow actors published an edition of 36 of the plays in the one volume: the famous First Folio.