Renaissance background英国文艺复兴
文艺复兴和启蒙运动的中英文介绍
文艺复兴（一）一、概念（Concept）意大利文艺复兴（Italy Renaissance）文艺复兴运动是发生在14—17世纪的欧洲，是正在形成中的资产阶级在复兴希腊罗马古典文化的名义下发起的弘扬资产阶级思想和文化的运动The Renaissance was occurred in 14 - seventeenth Century in Europe, is the emerging bourgeoisie in the revival of Greek classical culture in Rome under the name of initiating promoting bourgeois ideology and cultural movement为什么称这场运动为“文艺复兴”？Why is referring to this movement as " the renaissance "由于新生的资产阶级是借助古代希腊、罗马的文化来反对封建神学的，所以历史上称这场新兴的文化运动为“文艺复兴”。
The new bourgeoisie is have the aid of ancient Greece, the culture of Rome to oppose the feudal theology, so the history that the new cultural movement of the Renaissance " ".二、实质（Solid matter）是一场以古典文化复活为外衣的新文化运动，是当时欧洲社会经济与政治结构变革条件下的产物，是中世纪晚期欧洲世俗文化发展的必然结果，同时，它又反过来进一步加速欧洲社会的进步。
To be a classical culture the resurrection as the coat of the new culture movement, was the European social economy and political structure reform under the conditions of the product, is a late medieval secular European culture and the inevitable result of the development, at the same time, it in turn further acceleration of European society.实质：资产阶级文化的兴起性质：资产阶级性质Properties: bourgeois文艺复兴运动为什么首先开始于意大利？The Renaissance began in Italy why?(1) 资本主义萌芽最早出现在意大利，这是意大利成为文艺复兴发源地的前提条件。
英美文学作品赏析(3文艺复兴)
刘智慧 2011.3
英国文艺复兴时期（1558-1603 ）
• The Renaissance in England: Renaissance is the ‘rebirth’ of literature, art and learning that progressively transformed European culture from the mid-14th century in Italy to the mid-17th century in England, strongly influenced by the rediscovery of classical Greek and Latin literature, and accelerated by the development of printing. The Renaissance is commonly held to mark the close of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the modern Western world.
英国文艺复兴时期（1558-1603 ）
• 1. Background Information: 封建制度逐渐解体，资本主义逐渐
上升。
• 1.1 文艺复兴(the Renaissance) 是指中世纪后期的一次伟大 的思想文化运动，于十四世纪起始于意大利，经十五、十六 世纪，逐渐传遍整个欧洲。文艺复兴运动传入英国的时间较 晚，大约在十六世纪，于伊丽莎白和詹姆士一世时期走向繁 荣。于十七世纪逐渐淡出历史舞台。 • 文艺复兴是西方文化发展史上的转折点。中世纪（约5世 纪——1485 ）是黑暗的教会神学统治时代。在这个漫长的 时期里,人类信仰一个超自然的、无处不在、无所不能的神， 即上帝。人类成了上帝的奴隶，因所谓的“原罪”original sin,在人间受苦，以求得到救赎，死后升入天堂。文艺复兴 宣告了一个新时代。西方的文化文明迅猛发展，百花齐放， 争奇斗艳。自然科学取得了伟大成就，如哥白尼的“日心 说”、伽利略的动力学等动摇了封建神学的统治基础。唯物 主义和无神论渐得人心。反宗教、倡人性成了16、11603 ）
Renaissance英国文学文艺复兴时期
• 2) It advocates the full expression of individualism and the fulfillment of one’s abilities, against the despotic（专制的） rule of feudalism. It declares that the purpose of life is the unrestrained and self-sufficient practice of one’s "virtues", the competent and delighted exercise of one’s skill. • 3) It affirms the delight of earthly achievement, as well as man’s desire for happiness and pleasure. Its preoccupation is with this life and it exposes the hypocrisy（虚伪） and debauchery （放荡）of the clergy.
• The rise of the bourgeoisie soon showed its influence in the sphere of cultural life. The result is an intellectual movement known as the Renaissance, or, the birth of letters.
Outline of British Literature
1. Anglo-Saxon Period 盎格鲁-撒克逊时期(449-1066) 2. Anglo-Norman Period 盎格鲁- 诺曼时期(1066—1485） 3.The Renaissance文艺复兴时期（15世纪后期—17 世纪 初） 4.The 17th Century (Age of Revolution and Restoration)17世纪文学 5.The Enlightenment 启蒙时期（17世纪后期—18世纪中 期） 6.The Romanticism浪漫主义时期（1798-1832） 7.The Critical Realism 批判现实主义时期（19世纪30年代1918） 8.The Modern Period现代主义时期（1918-1945） 9.Contemporary English Literature 当代文学（1945— 至 今）
英国文学史之文艺复兴简介TheRenaissancePeriod
General Introduction
Renaissance as a period in western civilization may be explained in different ways. But generally speaking, it refers to the period between the 14th and mid 17th century.
DRAMA Marlowe's career as a dramatist lies between
the years 1587 and 1593. Four great plays: Tamburlaine the Great, an heroic epic in dramatic form divided into two parts of five acts each (1587, printed in 1590); Dr Faustus (1588, entered at Stationers' Hall 1601); The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Jew of Malta (dating perhaps from 1589, acted in 1592, printed in 1633); and Edward the Second (printed 1594).
广义的人文主义 指把人类置于事 物中心的世界观； 狭义的人文主义 指充斥于文艺复 兴时期艺术和哲 学之中的独特思 维习惯。
THOMAS MORE
All the children in the Utopia receive a good education, primarily in the Greco-Roman classics and learning does not cease with maturity, for the goal of education is to develop rational faculties.
Renaissance(文艺复兴)
（文艺复兴）
Background of the Period
1.New Monarchy(新君主制)
the Hundred Years’ War(1337-1453) the War of Roses(1455-1485) Tudor dynasty
2.The Religious Reformation（宗教改革）
The English Renaissance
The English Renaissance: (early16th—early17th ) a cultural&artistic movement. This era in English cultural history is sometimes referred to as
1.Known as”Elizabethan period” ; 2.the most important period in English literaryhistory; 3.witness the flowering of English literature; 4.England became “a nest of singing birds”: Marlowe ,Shakespeare,Ben Jonson and Spenser wrote their best works in this period.
the
the Roman Catholic Church Church of England
3.The Enclosure Movement（圈地运动）
the
12th—(1450-mercial Expansion（商业扩张） 5.The War with Spain（英西战争）
English literature III文艺复兴英国文学
The English Bible
❖ Ampart from its religious influence, the Authorized Version has had a great influence on English language and literature. About 93 percent of the 6,000 words used in it are the main words of native English. So with the widespread influence of the English Bible, the standard modern English had been fixed aqnd confirmed. A great number of Bible coinages and phrases have passed into daily English speech as householde words and are often used with no knowledge of their origin. So English Bible has woven its phrases and expressions into the texture of the English language, English literature and English life.
the Reformation
❖ She was shrewd and tactful to a fault. She made friends with the opposing sides of the religious conflict—Catholic Spain and Protestant France, and at home she set about uniting the divided country. She made the Church of England steer strictly the middle of the road, learning toward neither the Catholics nor the Protestants, and effectively practiced religious tolerance to the relife of the people. She encouraged learning and adventures and was a great patron of literature. As a result she was able to secure a 30-year period of peace for the country so that England slowly but steadily crawled to the zenith of wealth and power during her reign. When Francis Drake defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, England became the first sea power in the world. This was the point at which the expansion of the British Empire began.
Background--The English Renaissance
The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the late 15th to the early 17th century. It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance that is usually regarded as beginning in Italy in the late 14th century. As in most of the rest of northern Europe, England saw little of these developments until more than a century later. The beginning of the English Renaissance is often taken to be 1485, when the Battle of Bosworth ended the Wars of the Roses and inaugurated the Tudor Dynasty. Renaissance style and ideas, however, were slow to penetrate England, and the Elizabethan era in the second half of the 16th century is usually regarded as the height of the English Renaissance.英国文艺复兴时期是第十五年代末到第十七年代初的英国的文化艺术运动。
它与泛欧洲复兴有关，通常被认为是在第十四世纪末在意大利开始的。
在欧洲北部的大部分地区，直到一个多世纪以后英国才看到一点他们的发展。
文艺复兴Renaissance
LOGO
法国园林
LOGO
法国：勒· 诺特（尔）式园林 英语和德语国家：巴洛克园林 中国：古典主义园林 勒· 诺特的造园保留了意文艺复兴庄园的一些要素， 又以一种新的更加开朗、华丽、宏伟、对称的方 式重新组合，创造了一种更显高贵的园林（宫廷 文化，伟大风格）。
LOGO
LOGO
LOGO
LOGO
LOGO
LOGO
LOGO
LOGO
LOGO
第六章 法国园林
古典主义 第一节、法国古典主义园林 一、文艺复兴前的法国园林 二、文艺复兴时期的法国园林 三、法国古典主义园林 第二节 法国古典主义园林在欧洲的影响
LOGO
古典主义
LOGO
17世纪和18世纪前半期流行于欧洲君主专制 时期的一种文艺思潮或文艺流派。它的代表人 物在创作实践和文艺理论上，把古希腊、古罗 马时代的文艺视为必须仿效的崇高典范，从中 吸取题材、情节、形象和创作经验，并赋予它 们新的历史内容。古典主义一词由此而得名。
LOGO
Amboise
LOGO
LOGO
LOGO
二、文艺复兴时期的法国园林（4）
16世纪中叶，王权进一步加强，中央集权的君主政体 要求在艺术上有与其相适应的审美观点。 同时，一批杰出的意大利建筑师来到法国，而且在意 大利学习的法国建筑师也结业回国。 意大利的影响更加广泛、深刻，不再停留在花园的局 部处理及造园要素上，而是影响到庄园的整体布局 。
文艺复兴Renaissance
LOGO
当时人们认为，文艺在希腊、罗马古典时代曾高度繁 荣，但在中世纪“黑暗时代”却衰败湮没，直到14世 纪以后才获得“再生”与“复兴”。因此，文艺复兴 着重表明了新文化以古典为师的一面，但它并非单纯 的古典复兴，实际上是反封建的新文化的创造。文艺 复兴宣扬个性解放、尊重人、爱人等人文主义思想， 用资产阶级的“人道”反对封建阶级的“神道”，用 资产阶级的纵欲主义反对封建阶级的禁欲主义。文艺 复兴主要表现在科学、文学和艺术的普遍高涨。
英国文学简史Part Two The English Renaissance
Part Two The English Renaissance第二部分英国文艺复兴时期(14th century to 17th century)14世纪到17世纪I Background 背景1.It started in Italy and ended in England and Spain.起源于意大利，结束于英国和西班牙。
2.Meaning意义:(1)The Renaissance, which means “rebirth”or “revival’, is actually an intellectual movement with a thirsting curiosity for classical literature and the keen interest in the activities of humanity.文艺复兴意味着“复活”与“重生”，实际上是对古典文学与人文活动的热情。
(2)It aims to get rid of conservation in feudalist Europe and introducing new ideas that express the interests of the rising bourgeoisie.为了去除封建欧洲的特性，引进资产阶级的思想。
3.Essence of Renaissance文艺复兴的本质It is the reflection of the rise of bourgeoisie in the sphere of cultural life.资产阶级的上升在文化领域显示了其影响力，从而掀起了文艺复兴的学术运动。
II Chapter 1 Old England in Transition过渡时期的旧英格兰1.The Renaissance and Humanism文艺复兴和人文主义(1)The one is a thirsting curiosity for the classical literature. So the love of classics was but an expression of the general dissatisfaction at the Catholic and feudal ideas.一是对古典文学的渴望和好奇。
Renaissance文艺复兴时期的英国文学史
2. Thomas More (1478-1535 ）
3.Francis Bacon (1561-1626 ）
3. Essays Of Studies 4.The greatest playwright before Shakespeare The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (master piece ） Tamburlaine the Great, The Jew of Malta,
4. Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593）
William Shakespeare (1564-1616） 1.Early Period
Two Gentlemen of Verona Henry VI Richard III The Taming of the Shrew Love’s Labour Lost The Comedy of Errors
读书足以怡情，足以傅彩， 足以长才。
其怡情也，最见于独处幽居 之时；其傅彩也，最 见于高谈阔论之中；其长才 也，最见于处世判事之际。
Reห้องสมุดไป่ตู้aissance
Lead-in Questions 1. What is English Renaissance? 2. What is the Background of English Renaissance? 3.Do you know any writers or works of that period?
King Lear Othello Hamlet Macbeth
4. Period of restored serenity.
‘文艺复兴’ (Renaissance) 一词原意是指‘古典文学艺术的再生’这个
「文藝復興」(Renaissance) 一詞原意是指「古典文學藝術的再生」。
這個概念從文學藝術開始，然後推及科學、文化、經濟及至整個社會和人的思想觀念。
它開始於意大利，然後擴展至整個歐洲大陸。
多條經濟航道也經過意大利主要城市，令「文藝復興」在此萌芽。
(二)美學特徵:( 1 )以人文思想主:歐洲經歷中世紀以宗教為尚的思想意識，及至十五、十六世紀，以爭取個人在現實世界的地位為核心的思想湧現。
於是藝術家開始在自己的作品中反映人生，反映社會的現實面貌，努力把科學與藝術結合起來，使作品具有真實性和時代感。
( 2 )科學客觀的繪畫方法的應用:文藝復興畫家/藝術家採用理性的解剖學、透視學、明暗法等，使作品真有高度的客觀寫實效果。
Proportion of the human figure( 3 )油彩帆布作品的西洋繪畫模式正式建立:由於威尼斯治海通商頻仍，畫作要便於攜帶，藝術家逐採用帆布油彩取代木板祭壇式的繪畫方法。
(三)發展:( 1 )開端(十三世紀末一十四世紀上半葉)指意大利文藝復興從中世紀藝術向新時代的過渡。
藝術品主要受拜占庭藝術的影響，流行木板祭壇畫，也流行羅馬式建築中的壁畫，形象力求客觀寫實。
( i )喬托( Giotto di Bondone) 1266 – 1337喬托被視為西方繪畫的開創性大師，他把哥德式雕塑的寫實風格和拜占庭繪畫的明暗透視法結合起來，創造出一種接近寫實的表現風格。
他的作品雖然大多為宗教人物，但卻開始以自然景色為背景，代替中世紀金色或藍色作背景的舊習，使畫面增加一份現實生活的生氣。
喬托, 1304-1306 The Mourning of Christ( 2 )早期(十五世紀，佛羅倫薩及北意大利)在銀行家柯西莫。
美迪奇的支持下，佛羅倫薩的藝術得以繁榮發展。
其時大量古希臘、羅馬文化古跡的考古發掘;及希臘的哲學書籍的手抄本流入意大利，使藝術家意識到藝術與科學的結合。
研究人體的解剖結構、研究 科學的透視法和明暗法，探討各種造形藝術的技法理論，成為當時藝術的風尚。
英美文学选读英国部分第一章文艺复兴时期
英美文学选读中文翻译及重点习题答案英国文学(AMERICAN LITERATURE)第一章文艺复兴时期(The Renaissance Period)二、背景知识(Background knowledge)1、历史文化背景(Historical and cultural background)(1)文艺复兴是从中世纪向近代过渡时期发生在欧洲许多国家的一场思想文化运动。
它是在一些历史因素的合力作用下而引发的，如对希腊罗马古典文化的重新发现，宗教改革运动，地理和自然科学领域的探索，以及资本主义经济的扩张等。
(2)人文主义是文艺复兴的主要特征。
它颂扬人性，强调以“人”为本，宣传个性解放，反对神秘主义和中古神权，反对野蛮和兽性。
(3)16世纪的宗教改革导致了新教的创立。
英格兰同罗马教皇的决裂最初源于国王亨利八世决定与其第一位妻子离婚但遭到教皇否决。
宗教教义的改革则发生在后来的爱德华六世和女王伊丽莎白一世统治期间。
(4)工商业持续发展，中产阶级逐渐壮大，非神职人员获得受教育的机会，王权巩固，宫廷成为文化生活的中心，以及海外扩张和科学探索日益拓展人们的视野，所有这些都为文学提供了新的推动力和发展方向。
威廉·卡克斯顿首次将印刷术介绍到英国，使那里的出版社迅速增加，随之而来的是印刷书籍的繁荣。
2、英国文艺复兴时期文学的特点(Features of English Renaissance literature)(1) 诗歌(Poetry)开创文艺复兴时期一代新的华丽诗风的两个最重要的人物是菲利普·悉尼爵士和埃德蒙·斯宾塞。
在他们的抒情和叙事作品中，展现出一种词藻华丽、精雕细琢的文风。
到16世纪末，出现了两类新的诗歌风格。
第一类以约翰·邓恩和其他玄学派诗人为代表；第二类风格的典范是本·琼森和他所代表的流派。
英国文艺复兴时期的最后一位大诗人是清教作家约翰·密尔顿，他的诗歌具有惊人的震撼力和优雅的韵致，同时传达出深邃的思想。
文艺复兴的名词解释
文艺复兴的名词解释文艺复兴（Renaissance），指的是15世纪至17世纪期间在欧洲兴起并持续发展的一场文化运动。
这场运动涵盖了艺术、文学、哲学、科学等领域，标志着欧洲社会从中世纪的黑暗时期逐步脱胎换骨，进入了一个全新的时代。
文艺复兴的起源可以追溯到15世纪初的意大利，特别是在佛罗伦萨这个艺术和商业中心。
当时，欧洲的经济开始复苏，人们的生活水平有所提高。
对古希腊罗马文化的热情再度被点燃，人们开始重新研究和欣赏罗马帝国时期的艺术、文学和哲学作品。
这种对古典文化的热爱与对中世纪朦胧文化的反感形成鲜明对比，成为文艺复兴的重要特征之一。
文艺复兴时期的艺术追求以人文主义为核心。
人文主义强调人的自由和尊严，重视个体的力量和智慧。
艺术家们开始追求以人为中心的艺术表达，塑造出栩栩如生的人物形象，并探索透视法和真实感的表现手法。
著名画家达·芬奇（Leonardo da Vinci）就是这一时期的代表人物之一，他的作品《蒙娜丽莎》成为了文艺复兴的经典之作。
除了绘画艺术，文学也在文艺复兴时期得到了巨大的推动。
著名的作家但丁（Dante）的《神曲》被视为欧洲文学的巅峰之作，具有很高的文学艺术价值。
同时，诗歌、散文以及戏剧等文学体裁也得到了极大的发展，其中最著名的是威廉·莎士比亚（William Shakespeare）的戏剧作品，他的作品深刻地揭示了人性的善恶和复杂性。
在哲学和科学领域，文艺复兴时期也有了重要的突破。
人们开始关注世界的自然规律，深入研究天文学、物理学等科学领域。
著名的科学家伽利略（Galileo）通过望远镜的观察，提出了日心说，揭示了地球绕太阳公转的真相，推动了科学的进步。
文艺复兴时期的影响远远超出了意大利，它很快传播到欧洲其他地区。
法国、英国、德国等国家也纷纷受到文艺复兴的影响，出现了一批优秀的艺术家、文学家和科学家。
文艺复兴的思想理念对于后来的启蒙时代和现代文化的形成都产生了深远的影响。
Renaissance-英国文学-文艺复兴时期
The RenaissanceHistorical background:The breaking up of feudal relations and the establishing of the foundations of capitalism；The enclosure；the war of the Roses；the strengthening of the absolute monarchy；the rise of the bourgeoisie; the defeat of the Spanish Armada。
New social and economic conditions brought about great changes in the development of science and art。
So with the strengthening of new bourgeois national state，this period is marked by a flourishing of national culture known as the Renaissance。
Renaissance：A rebith，revival of classical (Greek and Roman ）arts, literature and sciences between 14th and mid 17th centuries in Europe, the greatest age of human accomplishments.Two striking features of the Renaissance1) A thirsting curiosity for the classical literature；2) The keen interest in the activities of humanity( People ceased tolook upon themselves as living only for God and a future world and turned to admiration for human beauty and human achievement);Renaissance marks the transition from medieval to modern world，from feudal to capitalist，from religious to secular society. In this period the European humanist thinkers and scholars made attempts to abolish oldfeudal ideas in medieval Europe （the church—centered culture which were characterized by God-centeredness, otherworldliness and asceticism。
文艺复兴名词解释
文艺复兴名词解释文艺复兴是指15世纪至17世纪中期的欧洲一种意识形态和文化运动，它在欧洲历史上具有重要的地位和影响力。
下面将对文艺复兴常用的一些名词进行解释。
1. 文艺复兴（Renaissance）：文艺复兴一词源自意大利文艺复兴时期的新学者，意为“重生”或“再生”。
它标志着中世纪的结束和现代时代的开始，被视为欧洲历史上一个重要的转折点。
2. 人文主义（Humanism）：人文主义是文艺复兴时期的一个核心理论和思想，强调人的尊严和价值，注重个体的教育和发展，崇尚人的智慧和才华，并且重视对古代文化和艺术的研究和传承。
3. 人文学科（Humanities）：人文学科包括哲学、文学、艺术、历史等领域的学科。
文艺复兴时期的学者和艺术家热衷于研究人文学科，他们将人文学科作为思考人类存在和意义的重要工具。
4. 文艺复兴艺术（Renaissance Art）：文艺复兴时期的艺术呈现出一种新的风貌和风格。
它以古希腊和古罗马艺术为启发，追求形式的完美和真实感，注重个体的形象和角色的表达。
5. 文艺复兴建筑（Renaissance Architecture）：文艺复兴建筑以古代罗马建筑为模仿对象，强调对称、比例和几何形式，追求建筑艺术的完美和永恒。
6. 文艺复兴人物（Renaissance Figures）：文艺复兴时期涌现了很多重要的人物，如达·芬奇、米开朗琪罗、拉斐尔等艺术家和文化名人，他们的作品和思想对后人产生了深远的影响。
7. 印刷术（Printing Press）：印刷术的发明和使用使得书籍的生产和传播变得更加容易和快捷。
这种技术的普及推动了文艺复兴时期知识的传播和教育的普及。
8. 巴洛克艺术（Baroque Art）：巴洛克艺术是文艺复兴后期的一种艺术风格，它在形式上更加夸张、动感和情感化，注重运用光影和色彩的对比来表达作品的内在情感。
以上是对文艺复兴时期的一些常用名词的解释。
这些名词涵盖了文艺复兴时期的核心理论、思想和艺术特点，展示了这一时期的开放思想和创造力。
文艺复兴名词解释外国文学史
文艺复兴名词解释外国文学史
1. 文艺复兴（Renaissance）：文艺复兴是指15世纪至16世纪初期欧洲所发生的思想、文化和艺术的变革和创新。
这个时期诞生了许多著名的文学家和艺术家，如达芬奇、米开朗琪罗以及莎士比亚等。
2. 人文主义（Humanism）：人文主义是文艺复兴时期的一种思潮，强调个体的自由和人性的尊严，倡导人的全面发展和知识的追求。
人文主义的代表人物有伽利略、莫雷、培根等。
3. 文艺复兴戏剧（Renaissance Drama）：文艺复兴时期的戏剧是欧洲文学史上的重要表现形式，主要以英国剧场为主，包括莎士比亚、马洛等的作品，具备深厚的人文主义精神和戏剧技巧。
4. 巴洛克（Baroque）：巴洛克是17世纪欧洲文学艺术的一种风格，强调运用复杂的技巧和装饰，讲究意象的震撼力和华丽的艺术效果。
代表作家包括莫里哀、福楼拜等。
5. 古典主义（Classicism）：古典主义是指17世纪晚期至18世纪初期，欧洲文学艺术的一种风格，强调借鉴古希腊、罗马文化的艺术精神和审美标准。
代表作家包括翁·德·拉封丹、莫里哀、巴尔扎克等。
6. 浪漫主义（Romanticism）：浪漫主义是19世纪欧洲文学艺术的一种风格，强调个体的感受和情感，追求个性的自由和独立。
代表作家包括拜伦、雪莱、柯勒律治等。
7. 现代主义（Modernism）：现代主义是20世纪欧洲文学艺术的一种风格，强调以欧洲现代文明为背景和主题，尝试突破传统文学形式和陈规定律，并注重现代语言和精神内涵。
代表作家包括福克纳、卡夫卡、普鲁斯特等。
TheRenaissance英国文学文艺复兴时期总结
TheRenaissance英国文学文艺复兴时期总结The RenaissanceThis is a greatest and most advanced revolution in the human history. This is the age the giants are needed and produced.------F. Engles<1> Brief introductionRenaissance in European history, refers to the period between 14th century to 17th century. It started in Italy and ended in England and Spain.“Renaissance” means “revival”, the revival of interest in Ancient Greek and Roman culture and getting rid of conservatism in feudalist Europe and introducing new ideas that express the interests of the rising bourgeoisie.Renaissance sprang first in Italy (Florence and Venice) with the flowering of paintings, sculpture and architecture, and gradually spread all over Europe;Renaissance originally indicated a revival of classical arts and science (ancient Greek and Roman culture) after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism.During the period of Renaissance:1. the Roman Catholic Church was shaken,2. old sciences revived and new sciences emerged,3. national languages and cultures took shape,4. art and literature flourishedBrief introductionThere arose an interest in the manuscripts surviving from ancient Greece and Rome. Classical learning and philosophy were enthusiastically studied.The intellectual wisdom of ancient Greece and Romeencouraged a rebirth of human spirit，a realization of human potential for development and creation．Never before in human history were men and women so eager to create and discover something new．In Italy a group of artists，scientists，politicians，and writers created the most brilliant page of culture and science in Renaissance Europe．Examples:①Copernicus (哥白尼) asserted that the earth was not the center of the universe；②The passionate Petrarch produced sonnets that influenced Shakespeare and many others；③Boccaccio(卜伽邱) wrote tales of eternal charm: The Decameron；④Marco Polo (马可波罗) made journeys into the remote kingdom of China；⑤Michelangelo（米开朗琪罗），Leonardo da Vinci (达芬奇)，Raphael (拉斐尔)，and Titian (提香) createdpaintings and sculptures that are invaluable treasures of the world．<2>Essence and featuresEssence: It is the reflection of the rise of bourgeoisie in the sphere of cultural life.（另版本）：Renaissance, in essence, is a historical period in which the European humanist thinkers and scholars made attempts to:to get rid of conservatism in Feudalist Europe;to introduce new ideas that expressed the interests of the rising bourgeoisie,to lift the restrictions in all areas placed by the Roman church authorities.Briefly it is the reflection of the rise of bourgeoisie inthe sphere of cultural life.Features: there are two striking features①A thirsting curiosity for the classical literature.②The keen interest in the activities of humanity.<3>Renaissance and HumanismRenaissance: the term originally indicated a revival of classical arts and science after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism. Indeed, a great number of the works of classical authors were translated into English during the 16th century.Humanism：The progressive thinkers of the humanists held their chief interest not in ecclesiastical knowledge, but in man, his environment and doings and bravely fought for the emancipation of man from the tyranny of the church and religious dogmas.Humanism is the key-note of the Renaissance. It reflected the new outlook of the rising bourgeois class;<4>HumanismHumanism is the essence of the Renaissance. It sprang from the endeavor to restore a reverence for the Greek and Roman civilization based on the conception that man is the measure of all things.Contrary to the subordination of individuals to the feudal rules and the sacrifice of earthly life for a future life in the medieval society, Renaissance humanists found in the classics a justification to exalt human nature and came to see that human beings were glorious creatures capable of individual development for perfection.By emphasizing the dignity of human beings and the importance of the present life, they voiced their beliefs that mandid not only have the right to enjoy life, but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wonders.<5>Features of humanism in RenaissanceEmphasizing the power, value and dignity of the human being and holding that human beings are glorious creatures The core of Renaissance thought is the greatness of man/giants. This is best summarized in the lines of Shakespeare’s Hamlet What a piece of work is man; how noble in reason; how infinite in faculty, in form and moving how express and admirable; in action how like and angel; in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals.人是一件多么了不起的杰作！多么高贵的理性！多么伟大的力量！多么优美的仪表！多么文雅的举动！在行为上多么像一个天使！在智慧上多么想一个天神！宇宙的精华！万物的灵长！1. Emphasizing secular happiness and individualism against the medieval ideas of asceticism;2.shifting man’s interest from Christianity to humanity, from religion to philoso phy, from beauty and greatness of God to the beauty of human body in all its joys and pains.3. Applying Aristotle’s theory,Humanist literature mainly use realistic style and take literature as the mirror or miniature of the society.<6>Influence and English RenaissanceInfluences:1.These Italians, and many others, helped to make Italy the center of the Renaissance movement in Europe.2.The movement changed the medieval Western Europe intoa modern one．3.The intellectual wisdom of ancient Greece and Rome encouraged a rebirth of human spirit，a realization of humanpotential for development and creationEnglish Renaissance:Oxford Reformers: the Oxford reformers, scholars and humanists introduced classical literature to England. Education was revitalized and literature became more popular.This was England’s Golden Age in literature. There appeared many English literary giants such as Shakespeare, Spenser, Johnson, Sidney, Marlowe, Bacon and Donne.English Renaissance Contents●I.TheSixteenthCentury England ●II. Renaissance in England ●III. The main artistic styles●IV. William Shakespeare●V. Francis BaconI. The Sixteenth Century England1. Enclosure Movement2. The establishment of absolute monarchy3. Religious reformation4. International situation5. Cultural preparati●The background of the humanism in Europe●The introduction of printing led to an enlarged reading public and a commercial market for literature;●The great economic and political changes led to the rise of democracy;●The spirit of nationalism;●The growing of "new science” etc.Characteristics of the Elizabethan Age1. An age of comparative religious tolerance;2. An age of comparative social contentment;3. An age of dreams, of adventures, of unboundedenthusiasm;4. An age of intellectual liberty, of growing intelligence and comfort among all classes and of unbounded patriotism.II. Renaissance in EnglandThe time: mainly from the reign of Henry VIII, Edward, Mary and then to Queen Elizabeth and Jacobean Eraa. Beginning: the last years of the 15-th century---first half of the 16-th centuryb. Flourishing: the Elizabethan Age (1558-1603)c. Declining: the period of James I (1603-1625) early 17-th centuryThe flowering of English literatureThe second half of the 16th century, “a nest of singing birds”The early period:imitation and assimilation, translated works, poetry and poetic drama were the most outstanding literary forms.Sonnet: an exact form of poetry in 14 lines of iambic pentameter intricately rhymed.Blank verse: iambic pentameter unrhymedThe latter period:Drama— the real mainstream of the English Renaissance“university wits”: Lyly, Peele, Marlowe, Greene, Lodge and Nash who entered the dramatic circle between the years 1587-93. they were all of humble birth and struggled for a livelihood by writing. Through hard work, they revised old plays and wrote new ones. They made rapid progress in dramatic techniques because they has close contact with the actors and audiences. They were looked down upon by the gentlemen and suspected by the government. It was their industrious works that furnished the Elizabethan stage.Christopher MarloweWilliam ShakespeareIII. The main artistic stylesThe artistic styles as lyric poetry, narrative poetry, drama are maturized; new styles which characterized the modern literature such as sonnets, short stories and novels were produced.translation:Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Homer’s Iliad, Montaigne’s Essaystravel books:More’s Utopiapoetry: Edmund Spenserdrama: “University Wits”, Marlowe, Shakespeareessay: Francis BaconForerunner of utopian socialismAn imaginative travel narrative written in the form of conversation between More and Hythloday, a returned voyager describing an ideal state governed by reason.The subject is the search for the best possible form of government: Utopia---a community of property---a pure, pre-Marx form of communism.The Sheph erd’s Calendar 《牧人日历》: 12 pastoral poems and eclogues, one for each month, put into the mouths of speakers distinguishing themselves as shepherds, really representing Spenser and his friends.Amoretti《爱情小诗》:a series of 88 sonnets in honor of his lover Elizabeth. All except one was written in the Spenserian sonnet.Epithlamion 《婚后曲》: marriage hymns to celebrate his marriage with Elizabeth.The Faerie Queene《仙后》:The blending of religious and historical allegory with chivalric romance: a long poem planned 12 books. 12 knights for the qualities of the chivalric virtues--- the six completed books are holiness, temperance, chastity, friendship, justice and courtesy.Fairy Queen—Queen Elizabeth, the knights as a whole --- England, the evil figures—enemies.Themes of the poem :●nationalism( celebration of Queen Elizabeth)●humanism (strong opposition to Roman Catholicism),●Puritanism (moral teaching)Spenserian stanza:it is a nine-line stanza with the first 8 lines iambic pentameter and the ninth, iambic hexameter 六步格的诗rhyming abab,bcbc,c which is the typical verse in The Faerie Queene.For its rare beauty, this verse form was much used by many later poets, esp. imitated by the romantic poets of the 19th century.Spenser’s position in English Literature:the publ ica tion of “The Shepherd’s Calendar” marks the budding of Renaissance flower in the northern island of England.The language he used was modern English which has distinguished itself from the Middle English of Chaucer's day. Spenserian stanza: a model of poetic art among the Renaissance English poets.“the poet’s poet”, the first master to make the Modern English the natural music of his poetic effusion and held his position as a model of poetic art. His influence can be traced in the works of Milton, Shelley and Keats.Life: short but riotousMajor works:Tamburlaine the Great:《帖木耳》A drama in a blank verseAbout the rise and fall of Tamburlaine the Mongol conqueror on the 14th century central Asia.A tragedy about a man who thinks he can but actually can not control his own fate.By depicting a great hero with high ambition and sheer brutal force, the author voiced the supreme desire of the man of the Renaissance for infinite power and authority.The Jew of Malta:《马耳他的犹太人》A study of the lust for wealth, which centers around Barabas the Jew, an old money lender, whose only philosophy is the art of gaining advantage.Suggestive of Shylock in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.A tragic result: typically greedy of riches and gold, which is another feature shared by those in Renaissance England. ?The History of Doctor Faustus 《浮士德博士》Refer to compare with Goethe’s FaustThe Faust myth in 16th century Germany: the myth of men seeking great earthly power from demons at the cost of their immortal soul.The conventional view: Dr. Faustus is a morality play that vindicates humility, faith and obedience to the law of God. ?The new view: Dr. Faustus celebrates the human passion for knowledge, power and happiness, and also reveals man’s frustration in realizing the high aspiration in a hostile moral order.Social significance and literary achievement1.showing the spirit of the rising bourgeoisie. Its eager curiosity for knowledge, power and gold.The praise of individuality freed from the restraints of medieval dogmas and the conviction of the boundless possibility of human efforts in conquering the universe.The heroes are mainly individualists. Their individualistic ambition often brings ruin to the world and to themselves.…soul of the Age!The applause! Delight! The wonder of our stage! Triumph, my Britain, thou hast one to show To whom all scenes of Europe homage owe. He was not of an age, but for all time!William Shakespeare1. Brief Introduction2. Shakespeare’s dramaFour periods of his literary career Categories of his drama 3. the artistic features of his plays4. Shakespeare’s place and contribution5. Shakespeare’s sonnetsWhat to be at least known about ShakespeareLife: birthplace, birth date, death date, important time in his life and career●His major works: 37 plays(10histories, 10 comedies, 10 tragedies), 2 long narrative poems, 154 sonnets.Plays to be read: great comedies & 4 great tragedies●Writing features in each of four periodsI. Brief IntroductionA dramatist “not of an age, but of all time” by Ben Jonhson,not of Engla nd, but of the world.●Not only a master of English language but also a genius of character portrayal and plot construction●A “poet of reality” for his idea that literature should reflect nature and reality.●37 plays, 154 sonnets and 2 long poems.II. Shak espeare’s dramaFour Periods of Shakespeare’s Literary careerFour major phrases represent respectively his early, mature, flourishing and late periods.1. Period of early experiment and apprenticeship (1590-1594)Background:A. it was in the middle of the highly thriving Elizabethan Age.B. The thoughts of humanism and the ideas of man’s emancipation, freedom of love was rapidly spread.C. Shakespeare was a young man full of astonishing versatility and wonderful talent and the great interest in the political questions of his time.Features:A. the writer made experiments in a number of dramatic forms: the historical plays, comedy, the revenge tragedy and the romantic tragedy.B. this period is distinctively marked by youthfulness and exuberance of imagination, by extravagance of witty language or speech, and by the final and frequent use of blank verse. In his hand, blank verse developed into a happy vehicle to express all kinds of thoughts and emotions (thus shaking off the rigidity of rimed and mechanic lines) .2. Period of maturity (1595-1600)Features:A. a period of “great comedies” and mature historical plays and sonnets.B. a sweet and joyful time when the writer portrays successfully a magnificent panorama of the manifold pursuit of people in real life.plays is presented: Portia, Posalynd, Voila, Beatrice, Sir John Falstaff.3. Period of gloom and depression (1601-1607)Background:A. the aggravation of the social situation: the rising of peasants, the corruption, the tension between bourgeoisie and the feudal lands.B. the change of mood in the playwright: gloomy and indignantFeatures:A. a period of “great tragedies” and “dark comedies”B. the writer gave a scathing exposition of the somber pictures and scenes of murder, lust, treachery, ingratitude and crime.C. a higher level of crafts is reached: more intricate plotting, intense inner conflict, meticulous depiction of human mind.4. Period of calm and reconciliation (1608-1612)Background:A. the fall and collapse of absolute monarchB. the retirement of the playwright back into the tranquil countrysideFeatures:A. some serenity and optimism, instead of the beginning lightness and the middle somber violence reigned.B. romantic dramas and comedies were the main form.C. moral teaching and supernatural forces were relied on to restore the rightful honor and position. These plays all show a falling off from his previous works.Categories of his dramacomedies histories tragedies romances？？Comedy is a light form of drama aiming primarily to amuse and ending happily. It often deals with people in their human state, restrained and ridiculous by their limitations, faults, bodily functions.Four Great ComdiesThe Merchant of VeniceA Midsummer Night’s DreamAs you Like itTwelfth NightComedies of the First PeriodThe keynote of his comedies:●to portray people just freed from the feudal fetters, sing of youth, love and ideas of happiness.●The heroes and heroines fight against destiny and mould their fate according to their own free will. Thus become the sons and daughters of Renaissance.●The victory of humanist ideal is inevitable. The general spirit of these plays is optimistic.The Merchant of VeniceThe double plot: one is about the Bassanio’s winning of a bride by undergoing a test; the other is about the demanding of a pound of human flesh by Shylock.The traditional theme is to praise the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, to idealize Portia as a heroine of greatbeauty, wit and loyalty and to expose the insatiable greed and brutality of the Jew.The new one is to regard the play as a satire of the Christian hypocrisy and their false standards of friendship and love, Portia: a rich heiress of Belmont in Shakespeare's comedy The Merchant of Venice.●1. Po rtia is a woman of Renaissance—beautiful, prudent, cultured, courteous and capable of rising to an emergency. She is one of Shakespear’s ideal women.●2. the young heroes in Shakespeare's comedies are always independent in character and take their own path of life.History plays aim to present some historical age or character, and may be either a comedy or a tragedy.●His histories include two tetralogies (四部曲)and two other plays. Characterizes two centuries of English history from Richard III to Henry VIII (1377-1547)●There is only one ideal king---Henry V who represents the aspiration for national unity under a powerful and efficient monarchy.The image of Henry V:Henry V is the symbol of Shakespear’s ideal kingship. He represents the upsurging patriotism of the time. In depicting Henry V as a prince and as a man, Shakespeare looks deep into the personality of his hero and shows a profound understanding of the politics and social life of the time.Theme: Shakespeare’s historical plays describe the decaying of the old feudal society an d the rising of the new forces. His historical plays sum up the necessity for national unity under a mighty and just sovereign. The idea is anti-feudal inIt is concerned with the harshness and injustice of life. They are often serious plays with sad endings.●Often the hero’s tragedy is due to a weakness in his or her character which brings self-destruction. A weakness such as the excessive pride of Faustus, the overweening ambition of Macbeth, or the uncontrolled jealousy of Othello.●In S hakespeare’s plays, he saw sharp contradictions between his lofty humanistic ideals and the evil social forces. Background for Shakespeare’s tragediesHe began to observe life with penetration, to expose mercilessly the contradiction of the Elizabethan society. The economical and social crisis which began at the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth continued right up to the English Revolution.The bourgeoisie intended to break up the yoke of absolute monarchy and struggled for free development.It was in this atmosphere of general unrest that he created his great tragedies.Four Great Tragedies All analyzing the human wickedness.●Hamlet: the hero’s weakness makes him vulnerable in fighting against the outward evil.●Othello shows how an outward evil make s use of the hero’s weakness and causes his fall.●King Lear demonstrates how man’s mistake sets free the evils of treachery, hypocrisy, flattery, selfishness and distrust.●Macbeth reveals how the outward evil stirs up the wickedness in man and destroys him.Hamlet“Hamlet” is considered the summit of Shakespeare's art.Hamlet is a man of genius, highly accomplished andeducated, a man of profound perception and sparkling wit. He is a scholar, soldier and statesman all combined. His image reflects the versatility of the man of Renaissance.Hamlet’s melancholy is not the negative, over-subtle and fruitless kind, it is the result of his penetrating mind. It expresses, in away, the crisis of humanism at the end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century.III. the artistic features of his plays1. Characterization: By using comparison and contrasts, he depicts a group of individuals with strong and distinct personalities.The melancholy of Hamlet, the wickedness of Claudius and Iago, the honesty of Othello, ambition of Macbeth and the beauty and wit of Portia.2. Psycho-analytical study: He reveals the intricate inner workings of the character’s minds through the full use of soliloquies(独白).3. Structure:His plays usu. have more than one plot. Through contrast and parallel, the major and minor plots are woven into an organic whole.the device of a play within the play also plays an important part.4. Language: Shakespeare is a master of the English language, with a large vocabulary of 16000 English words. More important are the figurative speeches such as analogy and metaphor.5. style: realistic style. The reader may be impressed by the typical speech modes —the question in Hamlet, the ambiguities in Macbeth, the exclamations and very simple but also very basic questions in King Lear.IV. Shakespeare’s place and contributionOne of the founder of realism in world literature. Living in the historical period of the transition from feudalism to capitalism, he paints a panorama of the decline of the old feudal nobility and the rise of new bourgeoisie.Amazing prolificacy. In 22years, nearly 40 plays, no two of which evoke the same feeling or image among the audience, a master of every forms of drama.Skilled in many poetic forms. The songs, sonnets, couplets, esp. at home with blank verse, which became a vehicle of utterance to all the possible sentiments of his characters.A great master of English language. He has an amazing wealth of vocabulary and idiom. He is known to have used 16,000 different words. His coinage of new words and distortion of the meaning of the old ones also create striking effects on the reader.He was universally regarded are the summit of English Renaissance. His influence on later writers is immeasurable. Almost all English writers after him have been influenced by him either in artistic point view, in literary form or in language.SonnetDefinition:A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem in iambic pentameter with a carefully patterned rhyme scheme.Origin:A form of lyric al poetry was originated in Italy. “sonnet” was derived from Provencal (普罗旺斯语) “Sonet”. It was once a short popular poetry used for singing in the medieval age.Italian poet Petrarch was the major representatives of the poets who used this poetic form. He wrote altogether 375 sonnets, dedicated to his lover. That is the Petrarchan sonnet.Sonnet was introduced into England by Thomas Wyatt . It flourished in the 1590s and reach its peak of popularity with the surge of Renaissance in England.Two types of sonnetThe Italian, or Petrarchan sonnet :Petrarchan SonnetThe Italian form, in some ways the simpler of the two, Its fourteen lines break into an octave （八行诗）(or octet), which usually rhymes abba,abba, and a sestet （六行诗节）, which may rhyme cdecde or cdcdcd, or any of the multiple variations possible using only two or three rhyme-sounds.It usually projects and develops a subject in the octave, then executes a turn at the beginning of the sestet, which means that the sestet must in some way release the tension built up in the octave.Example: see Wyatt's "Farewell Love and all thy laws for ever."Farewell, LoveSir Thomas Wyatt (1503~1542)Farwell, Love, and all thy laws forever,Thy baited hooks shall tangle me no more; Senec and Plato call me from thy lore,To perfect wealth my wit for to endeavor,In blind error then I did persever,Thy sharp repulse, that prickth aye so sore, Hath taought me to set in trifles no store And’ scape forth since liberty is lever Therefore farewell, go trouble younger hearts, And in me claim no more authorityWith idle youth go use thy property,And therein spend thy many brittle darts,For hitherto though I have lost all my time, Me lusteth no longer rotten boughs to climb. 别了，爱，以及你所有的法则，你上饵的钩子不再能把我缠绞，塞内克与柏拉图叫我离开你那套，并尽我才智把完美的财富获得。
文艺复兴和启蒙运动的中英文介绍
文艺复兴（一）一、概念（Concept）意大利文艺复兴（Italy Renaissance）文艺复兴运动是发生在14—17世纪的欧洲，是正在形成中的资产阶级在复兴希腊罗马古典文化的名义下发起的弘扬资产阶级思想和文化的运动The Renaissance was occurred in 14 - seventeenth Century in Europe, is the emerging bourgeoisie in the revival of Greek classical culture in Rome under the name of initiating promoting bourgeois ideology and cultural movement为什么称这场运动为“文艺复兴”？Why is referring to this movement as " the renaissance "由于新生的资产阶级是借助古代希腊、罗马的文化来反对封建神学的，所以历史上称这场新兴的文化运动为“文艺复兴”。
The new bourgeoisie is have the aid of ancient Greece, the culture of Rome to oppose the feudal theology, so the history that the new cultural movement of the Renaissance " ".二、实质（Solid matter）是一场以古典文化复活为外衣的新文化运动，是当时欧洲社会经济与政治结构变革条件下的产物，是中世纪晚期欧洲世俗文化发展的必然结果，同时，它又反过来进一步加速欧洲社会的进步。
To be a classical culture the resurrection as the coat of the new culture movement, was the European social economy and political structure reform under the conditions of the product, is a late medieval secular European culture and the inevitable result of the development, at the same time, it in turn further acceleration of European society.实质：资产阶级文化的兴起性质：资产阶级性质Properties: bourgeois文艺复兴运动为什么首先开始于意大利？The Renaissance began in Italy why?(1) 资本主义萌芽最早出现在意大利，这是意大利成为文艺复兴发源地的前提条件。
英国文学课件lecture3Renaissance
2 对戏剧的影响
3 对散文的影响
文艺复兴的戏剧作品提高 了人们对舞台艺术的欣赏， 并塑造了许多经典角色。
文艺复兴文学的启发和影 响使英国的散文作
文艺复兴是英国文学历史上的一个重要转折 点，标志着文学创作风格和主题的变化。
《仙后》是一部叙事诗，以争夺王位为主题，展现了斯宾塞对爱情和荣誉的思考。
威廉·莎士比亚的戏剧作品
莎士比亚的戏剧作品如《哈姆雷特》和《罗密欧与朱丽叶》被认为是文艺复兴文学的杰作。
约翰·米尔顿的《失乐园》
《失乐园》是一部史诗，描写了亚当和夏娃失去伊甸园后的悲惨遭遇。
文艺复兴文学对英国文学的影响
1 对诗歌的影响
英国文学课件 lecture3Renaissance
# 英国文学课件lecture3：文艺复兴
介绍文艺复兴
背景与历史背景
文艺复兴是欧洲历史上的重要时期，标志着人文主义和艺术的复兴。
约翰逊和《英国词典》
塞缪尔·约翰逊的《英国词典》对文艺复兴的文学作品进行了整理和研究。
文艺复兴文学的特点和代表作品
爱德蒙·斯宾塞的《仙后》
2 广泛影响
文艺复兴的文学成就广泛影响了英国文学的 不同方面，包括诗歌、戏剧和散文。
Renaissance background英国文艺复兴
It signified the disruption of feudal system and became a movement against feudalism and hierarchy (a system of church government) as time went on. It had the most far-reaching influence and paved the way for the Religious Reformation. In England, the combination of the two led to the outbreak of the Puritan Revolution.
In religion they demanded the reformation of the church. In art and literature, instead of singing praise to God, they sang in praise of man and of the pursuit of happiness in this life. Humanism shattered the shackles of spiritual bondages of man's mind by the Roman Catholic Church and opened his eyes to "a brave new world" in front.
The Religious Reformation
However, this religious rule over kings and individuals was torn down by religious reformation. People ceased to look upon themselves as living only for God and a future life after death. These elements roused each individual from mental stupor and servility to intellectual freedom and inquiry.
- 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
- 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
- 3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。
The word "Renaissance" means "rebirth" led the scholars back to the of Greece and (ofculture learning). Rome The Renaissance period was marked by a
It signified the disruption of feudal system and became a movement against feudalism and hierarchy (a system of church government) as time went on. It had the most far-reaching influence and paved the way for the Religious Reformation. In England, the combination of the two led to the outbreak of the Puritan Revolution.
Henry VIII
Bloody Mary
Elizabeth I
4. Culture Background
4.1
Renaissance
The Renaissance, which began in Italy in the 14th century, was a great cultural and intellectual movement that swept the whole Europe. The peak of the Renaissance occurred at different times in differion of great works of art
ultimately drew men to discover new lands and new scientific truths
4.2 Humanism
With the spreading of the Greek and Roman culture there appeared a number of humanist scholars who took great interest in the welfare of human beings. According to them it was against human nature to sacrifice the happiness of this life for an after life. They argued that man should be given full freedom to enrich their intellectual and emotional life.
In 1531, England broke away from the Church of Rome, and Henry VIII declared himself head of the Church of England, so that England became a Protestant nation. The basic principle of the Protestantism was man's ability and duty to seek God for himself without such intermediaries as priest, sacrament, or saint.
4.3 The Bourgeoisie
It originally meant "town dwellers", especially those who lived by trading. By nature, the feudal order was agrarian. At the time of the Renaissance, the bourgeoisie appeared as a new class of society, and the conflicts between the newly arising bourgeoisie and feudalism and the church became the main social contradiction of the time. Humanism was the very weapon for the bourgeoisie to use in its fight against feudal restriction and the dominating influence of the church, which had ruled men's mind for centuries.
The Religious Reformation
However, this religious rule over kings and individuals was torn down by religious reformation. People ceased to look upon themselves as living only for God and a future life after death. These elements roused each individual from mental stupor and servility to intellectual freedom and inquiry.
In religion they demanded the reformation of the church. In art and literature, instead of singing praise to God, they sang in praise of man and of the pursuit of happiness in this life. Humanism shattered the shackles of spiritual bondages of man's mind by the Roman Catholic Church and opened his eyes to "a brave new world" in front.
5. Renaissance in England
Renaissance reached England late. In the later half of the 14th century, Chaucer visited Italy and was influence by Italian literature. The introduction of printing to England by William Caxton brought classical works within reach of a bigger multitude. But it was only near the end of the 15th century that Italian influence came to be important, and it was not until the accession of Henry VIII to the throne in 1509 that a notable Renaissance took place in England.
The Age and Its Literature
1. Political Background
The century and a half following the death of Chaucer (1400-1550) saw a lot of social turmoil and changes. Barely after the end of the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) England was blown into the whirlwind of civil war, the Wars of Roses (1455-85) between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.
Ironically, the struggle between the lords of feudal for the highest power ended in a thorough weakening of feudalism since it killed off most of the feudal nobility in England, and swept the way for the development of a bourgeois society. Henry VII and Henry VIII laid the foundation of a centralized monarchy which met the needs of the rising bourgeoisie.
reawakening of interest gave rise to a new appreciation of beauty, in learning, to a desire for self-expression
in the individual in the world of nature.
2. Economical Background
During the Middle Ages, England was an agrarian society which exported a lot of wool. Then from the 15th century on it changed from an exporter of wool to a manufacturer of cloth. The increase in the export of cloth stimulated the greed of the moneyed classes to seize more land from the peasants to raise more sheep. Hence the Enclosure Movement deprived the peasants off their lands and drove them into the newly-arising cities to become low-paid laborers.