Concetti Chiave
- Henry VIII's separation from the Catholic Church in 1533 led to the formation of the Church of England and established England as a Protestant nation.
- After Mary I's brief attempt to restore Catholicism, Elizabeth I's reign solidified England's position as a leading Protestant country in Europe.
- The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 marked the rise of England as a major maritime power, enabling exploration and colonial efforts in the Americas.
- Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Drake were pivotal figures in England's exploration endeavors, with Raleigh attempting to establish a colony in Virginia and Drake becoming the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.
- The Elizabethan era was a golden age for English arts, with a particular flourish in drama, highlighted by the works of playwrights like Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and the globally renowned William Shakespeare.
The break of Henry VIII with Rome
In 1533 King Henry V111 broke away from the Catholic church in Rome because the pope didn’t allow him to divorce his first wife. Henry starter the church of England, and England became a Protestant country. When his Catholic daughter Mary became queen in 1553 she tried to make the country Catholic again; she even married King Philip 11 of Spain, the leading Catholic country in Europe. But Mary died in 1558 and Elizabeth, Henry’s other daughter and a protestant, became queen.
During her reign England became the leading protestant country in Europe.
The rise of England as a maritime power
In 1588 Philip 11 of Spain senta n enormous fleet, called the ‘Armanda’ in Spanish, to attack England. The attack failed because of bad weather and the tactics of the smallet English ships, and more than 11,000 Spanish soldiers were killed.
England became an important sea power, and began to attack Spanish ships in the Atlantic and explore the Americas. Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618) tried to start a colony in Virginia in North America. He called it ‘Virginia’ because the queen Elizabeth was known as the Virgin Queen, meaning she wasn’t married. The colony failed-the people weren’t happy there-but he brought potatoes back to England. Sir Francio Drake (1504-96) explored more than the Americas: in 1577-80 he was the first Englishman to sail in the world.
The golden age of English arts
In this peiod there was a lot of activity in all the arts: architecture, painting, music and poetry. But in drama the actinity was extraordinary. There were many playwriters, such as Christopher Marlowe (1564-93), who wrote Doctor Faustus, and Shakespear’s friend Ben Jonson (1572-1637), and several others, nut Shakespear has become a writer who is known everywher in the world.
Domande da interrogazione
- Why did King Henry VIII break away from the Catholic Church in Rome?
- How did England become a significant maritime power in the late 16th century?
- What characterized the golden age of English arts during Elizabeth I's reign?
King Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church in 1533 because the pope refused to grant him a divorce from his first wife. This led to the establishment of the Church of England and England's transition to a Protestant country.
England became a significant maritime power after successfully defending against the Spanish Armada in 1588, due to bad weather and effective tactics by the smaller English ships. This victory allowed England to attack Spanish ships and explore the Americas, marking its rise as a sea power.
The golden age of English arts during Elizabeth I's reign was marked by extraordinary activity in drama, with notable playwrights like Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. However, William Shakespeare emerged as the most renowned writer, known worldwide for his contributions to literature.
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