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RENAISSANCE PERIOD culture of the Elizabethan Renaissance was best

expressed in its theatre.
 marks the transition from the medieval to the
modern world GENDER
 It means rebirth or revival of letters; a historical
 England had more well-educated upper-class
period in which thinkers and scholars made
women than was common anywhere in Europe.
attempts to get rid of those old feudalist ideas, to
Spanish and Italian visitors to England commented
introduce new ideas that expressed the interest of
regularly, and sometimes caustically, on the
the rising bourgeoisie, and to recover the purity of
freedom that women enjoyed in England, in
the early church from the corruption of the Roman
contrast to their home cultures
Catholic Church.
 Elizabeth's unmarried status inspired a cult of
 Two features are striking of this movement:
virginity. In poetry and portraiture, she was
thirsting curiosity for the classical literature and
depicted as a virgin or a goddess or both, not as a
the keen interest in the activities of humanity.
normal woman. She emphasized the maternalism
HUMANISM theme, saying often that she was married to her
kingdom and subjects.
 Keynote of the Renaissance; emphasis on the
dignity of human beings and importance of the THOMAS MORE
present life; belief in the right to enjoy the beauty
born on May 28, 1779 in Dublin, Ireland — died Feb. 25,
of this life and the ability to perfect himself and to
1852, Wiltshire, England.
perform wonders.
Irish poet, satirist, composer, and political propagandist.
ELIZABETH ERA
UTOPIA
(Queen Elizabeth I)
 Utopia, book by Thomas More, published in 1516.
 The Elizabeth era was the epoch in English history of
 Derived from the Greek for “no place” (ou topos)
Queen Elizabeth I’s reign (1558-1603). Historian
and coined by More, the word utopia refers to an
often depict it as the golden age in English history.
imaginary and perfect world, an ideally organized
 The symbol of Britannia was first used in 1572 and
state.
often thereafter to mark the Elizabethan age as a
 First written in Latin, Utopia was later translated
renaissance that inspired national pride.
into other European languages—German, Italian,
CULTURE and French editions appeared in 1550, and an
English edition was translated posthumously in
It has often been said that the Renaissance came late to
1551.
England, in contrast to Italy and the other states of
 His utopian state also has no notion of private
continental Europe:
property and provides free education to men and
 Traveling musicians were in great demand at Court, women alike. Consequently, the society lives in a
in churches, at country houses, and at local state of complete pacifism, though its citizens are
festivals. The popular culture showed a strong prepared to take up arms if necessary.
interest in folk songs and ballads.
DRAMA
 The fine arts in England during the Tudor and Stuart
eras were dominated by foreign and imported (The highest glory of the English Renaissance.)
talent, yet within this general trend, a native school
CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE
of painting was developing.
 With William Shakespeare at his peak, as well as  baptized Feb. 26, 1564, Canterbury, Kent, Eng.—
Christopher Marlowe and many other playwrights, died May 30, 1593, Deptford, near London).
actors and theatres constantly busy, the high  Elizabethan poet and Shakespeare’s most
important predecessor in English drama, who is
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noted especially for his establishment of dramatic
blank verse.
 Christopher Marlowe (Father of English Tragedy
and the most gifted of the university wits)
powerfully exemplifies the sum total of the
intellectual aspirations of the Renaissance through
his play Dr. Faustus.
DR. FAUTUS by Christopher Marlowe
 Doctor Faustus, tragedy in five acts by Christopher
Marlowe, published in 1604 but first performed a
decade or so earlier. Marlowe’s play followed by
only a few years the first translation into English of
the medieval legend on which the play is based.
 In Doctor Faustus Marlowe retells the story of
Faust, the doctor-turned-necromancer, who makes
a pact with the devil in order to obtain knowledge
and power.
 Both Doctor Faustus and Mephistopheles, who is
the devil’s intermediary in the play, are subtly and
powerfully portrayed. Marlowe examines Faustus’s
grandiose intellectual ambitions, revealing them as
futile, self-destructive, and absurd.
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
by: Christopher Marlowe
Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove,
That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.
And we will sit upon the Rocks,
Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow Rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing Madrigals.
And I will make thee beds of Roses
And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle;
A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;
A belt of straw and Ivy buds,
With Coral clasps and Amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me, and be my love.
The Shepherds’ Swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May-morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me, and be my love.
The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd
BY SIR WALTER RALEGH
EDMUND SPENSER
 English poet whose long allegorical poem The
Faerie Queene is one of the greatest in the English
language.
 It was written in what came to be called the
Spenserian stanza
THE FAERIE QUEENE
Edmund Spenser composed this elaborate allegory in
honor of the Queen of Fairyland (Queen Elizabeth I)
The Faerie Queene consists of six books and a
fragment (known as the “Mutabilitie Cantos”).
 Each verse in the Spenserian stanza contains nine
lines: eight lines of iambic pentameter, with five
feet, followed by a single line of iambic
hexameter, an "alexandrine," with six.
 The rhyme scheme of these lines is ababbcbc-
cdcdee.
 Spenserian sonnet consists of three quatrains and
a concluding couplet in iambic pentameter with
the rhyme pattern abab-bcbd-cdcd-ee
 It was originally intended to be twelve books long,
with each book detailing a specific Christian virtue
in its central character. When he presented the
first three books at the court of Queen Elizabeth,
Spenser was looking for the prestige, political
position, and monetary compensation he believed
the work merited.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
 baptized April 26, 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon,
Warwickshire, England—died April 23, 1616,
Stratford-upon-Avon), English poet, dramatist, and
actor often called the English national poet and
considered by many to be the greatest dramatist
of all time.
 His works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets
 He is the great genius of the Elizabethan Age
(1564-1616).
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 He wrote 38 plays as well as 154 sonnets and 2
narrative poems –Venus and Adonis and The Rape
of Lucrece.
 Shakespearean Sonnets. Also known as the
Elizabethan or English sonnets.
 Shakespearean sonnets are composed of three
quatrains and one heroic couplet with the rhyme
scheme - abab-cdcd-efef-gg.
ROMEO AND JULIET
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William
Shakespeare early in his career.
Shakspeare's most popular play during his lifetime.
It is about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths
ultimately reconcile their feuding families.
Theme:
 Love
- the power of love
- love as a cause for violence
 Hate
- hate as a forced emotion
 Fate
- the inevitability of fate
MERCHANT OF VENICE
Shylock – a jewish moneylender in Venice.
Portia – a wealthy heiress from Belmont.
Antonio – a merchant whose for his friend Bassanio
prompts him to sign Shylocks contract and almost lose
his life. Mercurial figure.
Bassanio – a gentleman of venice, kinsman and a dear
friend to Antonio. Correctly choose the casket that
contains Portia’s portrait.
Gratiano – friend of Bassanio who accompanies him to
Belmont.
Jessica – Shylock’s daughter, runaway with the young
Christian Lorenzo.
Lorenzo – friend of Bassanio and Antonio.
What phrase appears on William Shakespeare’s
gravestone?
- “…curse be he that moves my bones.”
BEN JONSON
 born in 1572, London, England—died August 6,
1637, London.
 English Stuart dramatist, lyric poet, and literary
critic.
 He is generally regarded as the second most
important English dramatist, after William
Shakespeare, during the reign of James I.
OTHER RENAISSANCE WORKS
 SONG TO CELIA
- A love poem written by Ben Jonson - a poet,
dramatist, and actor best known for his lyrics
and satirical plays.
 THE KING JAMES BIBLE
- One of the supreme achievements of the English
Renaissance. This translation was ordered by
James I and made by 47 scholars working in
cooperation. It was published in 1611 and is
known as the Authorized Version. It is rightly
regarded as the most influential book in the
history of English civilization
“This is a quote, words full of
wisdom that someone
important said and can make
the reader get inspired”
- SOMEONE FAMOUS
AGE OF REASONING
AGE OF REASON
• The period also became known as the Age of
Enlightenment for the radical ideas set forth in
social and political areas of life. After the
renaissance and humanism of the early-modern
period, people began to ask themselves, “what
does it mean to be a human being?” and “what
rights do human beings have?”
• Most of the writing of this time attempts to answer
these questions in all aspects of human life. For
example, in religious life, people sought to
understand the question of authority: does the
established church control spiritual thinking or must
people determine spiritual matters themselves?
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• birthed a new reverence for reason and scientific
knowledge -- rather than religion -- as a means of
understanding the world and our place in it.
• the era produced mostly nonfiction, including
poetry that dealt with reason
RATIONAL POETRY
- any poets of the Enlightenment celebrated reason
in their work, such as in Alexander Pope's "An
Essay on Man," which denies divine intervention
and declares the inherent goodness of nature,
rather than some transcendent deity.
BRINGING BACK THE GREEKS
- Philosophers and writers became increasingly
interested in Greek and Roman literature on
rhetoric, logic and government, and authors.
- Writers became concerned more with clarity of
speech and standardized language, as opposed to
their predecessors during the Renaissance, who
explored language more creatively.
LITERATURE AS CRITICISM
- Writers during this era frequently employed satire
to critique excessive power or other social
injustices. The concept of social justice and helping
those less fortunate was developed strongly during
this period when people lost confidence in divine
intervention and providence.
THE NOVEL BEGINS
- In addition to the nonfiction circulating during the
Age of Reason, this era also gave birth to the
modern-day novel.
FRANCIS BACON
 Sir Francis Bacon was an English lawyer,
statesman, essayist, historian, intellectual
reformer, philosopher, and champion of modern
science.
 Francis Bacon is hailed as the Father of Inductive
Reasoning and the Father of the English Essay.
 The Essays was hid greatest literary contribution
of the 17th century.
 Of Studies
 Of Marriage and Single Life
 Of Parents and Children
 Of Revenge
OF STUDIES
- Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for
ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness
and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for
ability, is in the judgment, and disposition of
business.
- To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use
them too much for ornament, is affectation; to
make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor
of a scholar.
SOME QUOTABLE QUOTE FROM BACON
a. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,
and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some
books are to be read only in parts; others to be read,
but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and
with diligence and attention. – Of Studies
b. Wives are young men’s mistresses, companions for
middle age, and old men’s nurses. - Of Marriage and
Single Life
c. If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in
doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts,
he shall end in certainties. - Advancement of Learning
JOHN MILTON
 a revolutionary poet, political both in his life and his
art;
 English poet, pamphleteer, and historian,
considered the most significant English author after
William Shakespeare.
PARADISE LOST AND PARADISE REGAINED (John
Milton)
• Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse that
tells of the fall of the angels and of the creation of
Adam and Eve and their temptation by Satan in the
Garden of Eden ("Of Man's first disobedience, and
the fruit/ Of that forbidden tree . . . ").
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• Paradise Regained centers on the temptation of
Christ and the thirst for the word of God.
• Both poems have an epic quality, although Paradise
Regained is only about one-fifth the length of
Paradise Lost. (The latter has over 10,000 lines,
whereas Paradise Regained has just over 2,000.)
• Andrew Marvell
Had we but world enough and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
We would sit down, and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love’s day. […]
CONCRETE POEMS

• On account of this difference, Paradise Regained • type of poetry that uses the visual arrangement of
has become known as a brief epic. Epic poems words to create a picture related to the meaning of
typically share a number of features: an epic the poem
typically begins in medias res, or in the middle of
• Concrete poems that deal withman's thirst for God
the action
and with God's abounding love.
THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS (John Bunyan)
CAVALIER POEMS
• An allegory that shows Christian tormented by
• Cavalier poetry is a term used to describe a group of
spiritual anguish. Evangelist, a spiritual guide visits
English gentlemen poets who were loyal to Charles I
him and urges him to leave the City of Destruction.
during the English Civil Wars.
Evangelist claims that salvation can only be found in
the Celestial City, known as Mount Zion. Christian • Cavalier poetry is often characterized by its
embarks on a journey and meets a number of other lightness and elegance, and is known for its themes
characters before he reaches the Celestial City. of love, beauty, and nature
METAPHYSICAL POETRY • Some of the most famous Cavalier poets include
Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew, and Richard
• The word “metaphysical” was used by writers such
Lovelace
as John Dryden and Samuel Johnson in regards to
the poets of the seventeenth century. These poets
are noted for their “unnaturalness”

• Makes use of conceits or farfetched similes and

metaphors intended to startle the reader into an
awareness of the relationships among things
ordinarily not associated.

• break away from the convention; simple diction,

common speech words and cadences, actual life
imagery

• Poets whose works have been categorized as

“metaphysical” often seek out the answers to
questions such as, does God exist? Or, does
humankind really have free choice? Or, what is the
nature of reality?

• John Donne - leading figure of the Metaphysical

school of poetry.
“Mark but this flea, and mark in this,
How little that which thou deniest me is;
It sucked me first, and now sucks thee,
And in this flea our two bloods mingled be; […]
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MERCHANT OF VENICE (Renaissance Period)
In Venice, Bassanio, a not-so-wealthy nobleman, asks to
borrow money from his dear friend and wealthy
merchant Antonio, in order to have the funds to woo
Portia, a wealthy noblewoman. Although Antonio
doesn't have cash handy, because all of his ships are at
sea, he gives Bassanio permission to borrow as much
money as he needs on Antonio's credit.
Meanwhile, at her nearby country estate of Belmont,
Portia laments to her serving woman Nerissa about her
father's will, which stipulates that any man who wants
to marry Portia must answer a riddle by choosing one of
three "caskets," or chests (one gold, one silver, and one
lead). Only the man who chooses correctly can become
Portia's husband. Portia has been disgusted with all of
her suitors thus far. Still, Nerissa reminds Portia of a fine
Venetian marriage prospect—Bassanio.
Bassanio asks the Jewish moneylender, Shylock, to lend
him 3000 ducats. After much hesitation, Shylock agrees
—Antonio will guarantee the loan with his property as
collateral. However, when Antonio himself arrives and
begins insulting Shylock for committing usury (charging
interest on his loans), Shylock proposes a bizarre
alternative. He will not charge Bassanio any interest for
three months
However, if Antonio defaults, Shylock will be entitled to
cut one pound of flesh from anywhere on Antonio's
body that he likes. Confident that his ships will return to
Venice, with many times 3000 ducats, well before
Shylock's deadline, Antonio accepts.
At Belmont, the Prince of Morocco arrives to try his luck
at the riddle of the caskets. He chooses incorrectly
(gold), and leaves in defeat. Meanwhile, in Venice,
Lorenzo, a friend of Bassanio's, has fallen in love with
Shylock's daughter, Jessica. One night, when Shylock
goes out, Jessica steals a large sum of money from her
father and elopes, as planned, with Lorenzo. Lorenzo
and Jessica, along with many others, then travel with
Bassanio to Portia's estate.
The Prince of Aragon is the next of Portia's suitors to try
to solve the riddle of the caskets. After much
deliberation, he chooses silver, which is wrong. As the
Prince of Aragon leaves, Bassanio arrives, laden with
gifts for Portia.
A few weeks pass, and news arrives that Antonio's ships
have been lost at sea. Though Shylock has been unable
to locate Jessica, he consoles himself that he will have
his revenge in the form of the pound of flesh promised
to him by his contract with Antonio
Back at Belmont, Portia and Bassanio, who have spent
all this time together, have fallen in love. Portia begs
Bassanio to wait before facing the riddle, because she
can't bear the thought of losing him if he guesses
wrong. But he insists on going ahead. To their joy, he
chooses the correct casket (lead).
To seal their betrothal, Portia gives him a ring,
instructing him never to lose it or give it away. Then
Nerissa and Bassanio's vulgar friend Gratiano announce
that they, too, intend to wed. However, just then, a
letter arrives from Antonio, with news of his lost ships
and Shylock's intention to collect his pound of flesh.
Alarmed, Portia gives Bassanio enough money to repay
the loan many times over. As Bassanio hurries off to
Venice, Portia hatches a plan of her own to save
Antonio.
In the court of Venice, the Duke is presiding over
Antonio's trial. Shylock resists their requests that he
show mercy and insists on pursuing his "pound of flesh,"
despite the fact that Bassanio has offered him 9000
ducats instead. Nerissa and Portia arrive on the scene,
disguised as a law clerk and a lawyer, respectively.
Portia points out that the contract Shylock holds doesn't
give him the right to take any blood from Antonio, and
that if Shylock sheds even a drop of blood while cutting
Antonio's flesh that all of Shylock's wealth will be
confiscated by the state. She further finds Shylock guilty
of conspiring to kill a Venetian citizen, and therefore
must hand over half of his wealth to Antonio and the
other half to the state.
Antonio and the Duke decide to show mercy, however:
Shylock must only give half his wealth to Antonio, and
promise to leave the other half of his wealth to Jessica
and Lorenzo after his death. In addition, Shylock must
convert to Christianity. Devastated, Shylock accepts.
As Portia is leaving, Bassanio (who still thinks she is
Balthazar, the lawyer) tries to offer her money in thanks
for her favorable judgment. She refuses, asking for his
the ring that he is wearing instead. Thinking of his vow
never to part with it, Bassanio hesitates. But after some
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prodding from Antonio, he gives in. Gratiano also gives
his ring to Nerissa.

Back at Belmont, Lorenzo and Jessica have been

enjoying an idyllic romantic evening. Shortly before
dawn, Portia and Nerissa arrive, soon followed by
Bassanio, Gratiano, and Antonio. The women feign
indignation that their husbands lost their rings.
However, they soon end the game and confess their
role in the court scene. The couples are reconciled, and
news arrives that Antonio's lost ships have returned
safely to port, bearing great riches.

EXAMPLE OF SHAKESPEARAN PLAYS

THE ALTAR (Concrete poem/Age of Reasoning)

A broken A L T A R, Lord, thy servant reares,

Made of a heart, and cemented with teares:
Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;
No workmans tool hath touch’d the same.
A H E A R T alone
Is such a stone,
As nothing but
Thy pow’r doth cut.
Wherefore each part
Of my hard heart
Meets in this frame,
To praise thy Name;
That, if I chance to hold my peace,
These stones to praise thee may not cease.
O let thy blessed S A C R I F I C E be mine,
And sanctifie this A L T A R to be thine.

TO LUCASTA, GOING TO THE WARS (Cavalier

poem/Age of Reasoning)