Coconote
AI notes
AI voice & video notes
Share note
Try for free
English Renaissance Lecture Notes
Jul 7, 2024
English Renaissance Lecture Notes
Introduction
Time period: Both England and Italy.
Renaissance means 'rebirth'; revival in classical art and architecture.
Focus: Influence on English drama and Italian theater.
Key Historical Context
Religion and Politics
Central conflict: Roman Catholic Church vs. Protestantism (Anglican Church).
1534
: Henry VIII creates the Anglican Church to divorce Catherine of Aragon.
Continental Europe (Spain, Italy, France) remains firmly Catholic, leading to religious wars with England.
1547
: Henry VIII dies. Edward VI, his son, becomes the first Protestant king.
Changes masses to English, abolishes celibacy for priests.
1553
: Queen Jane rules for nine days, succeeded by Queen Mary I (Bloody Mary).
Returns England to Catholicism (Marian persecutions: Burned 250 Protestants at the stake).
1558
: Elizabeth I ascends the throne, restores Protestantism but allows Catholics under close watch.
Orders execution of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1587.
1588: Defeat of the Spanish Armada.
1603
: Elizabeth dies; James I (Elizabeth’s nephew) ascends the throne.
Unites England, Scotland, Ireland; known for the King James Bible and work on demonology.
Impact on Theater
1548
: Council of Trent and Henri II of France ban religious drama.
1559
: Elizabeth follows suit, banning religious and political drama.
New public schools teaching classical texts influence playwriting.
The rise of professional theater companies: Need patronage, centralized theaters, lots of varied plays.
Key Playwrights and Theaters
University Wits
: Thomas Kyd, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, John Fletcher, John Webster.
Educated at elite schools (Eton, Oxford).
William Shakespeare
: Not university-educated, successful actor and playwright. Associated with the Globe Theatre.
The Globe Theatre
:
Round, three-quarter thrust stage.
Features: Tiring house, musicians' gallery, the Heavens (painted canopy).
Audience: Commoners (groundlings) and nobility (lord's boxes).
Shakespearean Genres
Comedies
Features: Love, marriage, mistaken identities, cross-dressing characters.
Happy endings with some 'problem plays' (unclear endings).
Tragedies
Focus: Tragic hero with a tragic flaw leading to their downfall (usually death).
Noble or wealthy characters; themes of dominant emotions or thoughts.
Examples: Macbeth (ambition), Romeo and Juliet (passion), Othello, King Lear (pride).
Histories
Semi-factual stories of British kings (Richard, Henry).
Heroic battle speeches.
Note
: Non-British historical dramas like Julius Caesar are classified as tragedies.
Romances
Last four plays: Pericles, Cymbeline, Winter’s Tale, The Tempest.
Magical or miraculous redemption, set in foreign locales.
Next Lecture
Focus on
📄
Full transcript