The Renaissance: a journey through culture, art, and power in Europe

Origins of the Renaissance

The Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement that developed in Italy in the late 14th century. The main focus of the Renaissance was man, considered aa a microcosm, and his capacity for self-improvement and self-analysis. In England, the Renaissance took place in 1509, when Henry VIII became king, and ended in 1660 with the Restoration (it deals with Charles II Stuarts). It was period of innovation and accomplishment. Its main feature was the strong Protestant basis, started in 1534 with Henry VIII.

English Renaissance and Literature

The English Renaissance hadn't the pagan serenity of the Italian one and was less linked to the visual arts. It investigated human passions, promoted English as a literary medium. The Italian Renaissance was linked to Humanism, while the English Renaissance was linked to the New Learning. Humanism focused on the imitation and the study of classical cultures. The New Learning established in grammar schools and in two of the most important universities: Oxford and Cambridge.

Thanks to this, English writers acquired more confidence with their native language and they produced the greatest achievement in the fields of drama and poetry. Moreover, the development of prose was influenced by the increasing of printing books, the rise of readers and the widespread literacy. The most important writers are William Shakespeare, Edmund Spencer and Thomas Wyatt.

Elizabethan Order and Chaos

The Elizabethan view organised the world into six fixed orders, put in a hierarchical chain where everything is a product of nature. The whole universe is governed by divine will and in fact, God is at the top of the pyramid.

- God as spirit

- Angels as spiritual beings

- Men as human beings; double nature of matter and spirit: the function of men was linking together the elements of the chain

- Animal kingdom

- Plant kingdom

- Inanimate class, the material world

The Elizabethan were obsessed with the fear of chaos so they believed that a body politic should be subject to a single head. The monarch became the symbol of stability. Their certainties crumbled especially when Copernicus proposed a new solar system, where the Sun was at the centre of the universe and the planets turn around it. They thought instead that the Earth was at the centre.

Rise of Henry VII

Henry VII was the first Tudor monarch. He became king after the end of the war of the Roses, between the two families of Lancaster and York. His reign became stronger thanks to the trade agreements with Netherlands, the treaty with France and also the marriage between one of his son, Arthur, and Catherine of Aragon, the princess of Spain. He's known for his foreign policy, because he spent more on shipbuilding and create a merchant fleet so, England became a naval power.

- line of succession to the throne: Henry VIII

Henry VIII and the Church

He was known as "Golden prince" for his intellect, his good look and sport ability. He wrote a Latin treatise, in which he defended the sacraments and for this reason, the pope gave him the title of "Defender of the Faith". He married more than once, because he truly wanted a male heir. In fact, he married Catherine of Aragon, his brother's widow, that gave birth to Mary. Then he wanted to divorce her, but he couldn't, due to the catholic church, so he broke away and introduced a new religion. With the Act of Supremacy in 1534, he earned the title of "Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England". Then, he married five more wives, like Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I's mother, and Jane Seymour, who gave him the male heir, Edward VI, his successor.

- line of succession to the throne: Edward VI.

Reign of Edward VI

He came to the throne at an early age, he was only nine years old and he was supported by his two uncles, the Duke of Somerset and the Duke of Northumberland. His reign was short, but he maintained Protestantism. During his reign, the Book of Common Prayer was printed in 1549. This helped the development of English language, because religious services were now held in English instead of Latin.

Mary I and the Counter-Reformation

She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. Her father never wanted her and the mother didn't treat her right, so this influenced her way to reign. She persecuted Protestants, because she was catholic and wanted to restore the Catholicism in England. For this reason, more than 300 Protestants were burnt at the stake. She was labelled "Bloody Mary". She was the agent of Counter - Reformation. She also married a Spaniard, Philip of Spain. At the end of her reign, England was still divided between the two religions.

Elizabeth I and the Golden Age

She came to the throne at the age of 25 and was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. She was clever, she had a strong personality and had extraordinary political skills. In fact, her reign was one of peace and prosperity. The Elizabethan age is known as "Golden Age", especially because of the number of great writers who worked during that period, including Shakespeare, Marlowe and Spencer. Golden ages are usually periods of great wealth, prosperity, stability, cultural and scientific achievement.

So, Elizabeth I consolidated the reformation in 1559 with the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, which gave her the title of "Supreme Governor. Unlike her stepsister, she showed her religious tolerance, therefore she gave to the Catholics the possibility to worship, She avoided the extremes of both Catholicism and Protestantism and formed the basis of successful Elizabethan religious settlement.

She never married but she received many proposals. She thought that a foreign husband would subject England to overseas rule, while an English one would create factions and plots. Elizabeth said that "the Queen was married to her people so it began to make a cult of their Virgin Queen' This made her the symbol of the nation.

Jewels and magnificent clothing gave her more majesty, Pale skin was important in Tudor style, because it distinguished the rich from the poor. Pale skin meant that they didn't have to work outdoors. Some portraits show that she had curly red hair, brown eyes, thin lips and pronounced cheekbones.

Foreign Policy of Elizabeth I

Her main enemy was Spain, mainly because they both wanted to expand their overseas trade and their economic power. The Queen encouraged sea captains, like Francis Drake in their piracy against Spain, In 1586, Spain was preparing an Armada to invade Britain. Philip II of Spain wanted to bring England once again under the rule of the Church of Rome. It was the most serious naval attack on England since the Vikings. Philip himself claimed the English crown. But, when two years later they invaded England, they were defeated, even though they were many more. The Spanish Armada was composed by heavier and slower ships, while the Englishships were faster and also armed. At the end of the battle, England conquered the sea supremacy.