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Literature Survey 1 > Historical and cultural contexts > Flashcards

Historical and cultural contexts Flashcards

1
Q

What are the facts to the ‘Canterbury Tales’?

A
  • 1387-1400
  • author: Geoffrey Chaucer
  • written in English
  • 24 stories written in verse
  • most important works in English Literature
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2
Q

What are the ‘Canterbury Tales’ about?

A

Pilgrimage that starts in London and wants to end at Canterbury Cathedral

stories are multifaceted which show author’s skills

prologue introduces 30 pilgrams and each of them tell four stories, two on way and two back, work remained unfinished; focus of it are the diverse characters, there is also no general moral or religious theme

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3
Q

What do you know about ‘Italy as cradle of Renaissance’?

A
  • 13-16th century
  • Florence: cultural heyday under Medici, 15th cen. onwards
  • 16th cen.: da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo
  • Patronage becomes very important

heyday = the period of a person’s or thing’s greatest success, popularity, activity
patronage = people who give financial and other support to people

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4
Q

Who are important Renaissance authors in Italy?

A
  • Petrarch
  • Machiavelli
  • Boccaccio
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5
Q

Who are important Renaissance authors in England?

A
  • Sir Thomas More
  • Sir Thomas Wyatt
  • Edmund Spenser
  • William Shakespeare

Caxton introduced the printing press in 1476 which standardized the spelling, obviously lots of people could access this and therefore it was easier to spread info

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6
Q

What are some characteristics of the Renaissance?

A
  • Rebirth of Ancient Greek/Roman literature
  • Rise of the individual
  • Scientific inquiry
  • Geographical exploration
  • Growth of secular values

secular values: before there were only religious concerns/values, in the Renaissance they separated it and also focused on those not derived from any religious source (e.g. humanism, freethinking, skepticism, virtue ethics)

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7
Q

When did the Renaissance truly start?

A

In Italy: 1200
In England: 1400

so Renaissance roughly between 1200 and 1600

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8
Q

What is the ‘Reformation’?

A

Protestant Reformation by Martin Luther’s 95 Theses in 1517 which continued with William Tyndale’s English New Testament in 1526 where he spread Protestant ideas

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9
Q

What were some dark aspects of the Renaissance?

A
  • Plague (black death)
  • Wars of religion
  • Witch-hunts & witch-trials
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10
Q

What is ‘The War of the Roses’?

A

Two houses (Lancaster/red rose and York/white rose) fought for the English throne. Initially, the Wars of the Roses centered on fighting for control of the mentally ill Henry VI, but later became a struggle for the throne itself. The fighting ended in 1485 with the ascension of Henry VII to the throne and the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty. One battle St. Albans in 1455 and one in Bosworth Field 1485. Basically Henry the 7th married Elizabeth of York and they produced Henry the 8th.

The War of the Roses is also often referred to as ‘The Cousin’s Wars’ which emphasizes the personal stakes behind the political struggles.

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11
Q

How long was ‘The Wars of the Roses’?

A

1455-1485, 30 years

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12
Q

How long did the Tudor Dynasty last?

A

1485-1603

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13
Q

How long did Henry the 7th reign?

A

from 1485-1509

he set up ‘Treaty of Medina del campo’, he imported poets for discoverie

Treaty of Medina del campo = famous alliance in 1489 between Henry the 8th and Catherine of Aragon that he set up

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14
Q

How long did Henry 8th reign?

A

from 1509-1547, 38 years

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15
Q

What are some important facts about Henry 8th?

A
  • Catholic monarch
  • Pope granted him Title of ‘Fidei Defensor’
  • cheated on Catherine of Aragon with Anne Boleyn which triggered English Reformation
  • Had 8 wives
  • Had 3 children: Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I
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16
Q

What marked the beginning of the English Reformation?

A

Anne Boleyn blamed Lord Chancellor Wolsey for not having the Pope’s consent that Henry could marry her and she wanted him dismissed from the office but he died before he could be executed -> his ‘failure’

Cromwell became New Minister

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17
Q

Cromwell became new minister and established four Acts, what are they?

A
  1. Act in Restraint of Appeals: Marriage matters would need to be decided in England and without the Pope’s decision
  2. Act of Supremacy: establishing royal supremacy, eliminating Pope’s authority
  3. Acts of Succession: ensured the succession of Henry’s children to the Throne (including daughters!)
  4. Act of Treason: whoever said no to all of this would be executed, so he reinforced all of the above
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18
Q

Who inherited the throne after Henry 8th’s Death?

A
  1. Edward VI, died at 16, no heirs
  2. Mary I, Catholic, first woman, no heirs
  3. Elizabeth I, no heirs
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19
Q

What is important about Mary I?

A
  • reign from 1553-1558
  • Catholic
  • first woman on England’s throne
  • made Pope head of Church again
  • Restored Catholicism
  • married Philip of Spain
  • no heirs

‘Bloody Mary’

Wyatt rebelled against her marriage to Philip of Spain and she exampled statues where she burned heretics which is why she is also called Bloody Mary

20
Q

What is important about Elizabeth I?

A
  • reign from 1558-1603
  • 45 years of reign
  • no heirs
  • no marriage
  • Chief adviser: William Cecil
  • moderate protestant
21
Q

What were the main questions during Elizabeth’s reign?

A
  • Religion (Protestant vs. Catholic)
  • Succession
22
Q

What is ‘via media’?

A

In 1563 Church summarized multiple articles which is called ‘via media’ (basically a middle way between Reform Protestantism and Roman Catholicism)

Situation changed when the Northern Rebellion unsuccessfully tried to reconvert England to a Catholic country and replace Elizabeth. Pope tried to help them by excommunicating Elizabeth (10 years in her reign btw, 1570) and Elizabeth took measures against that: Catholic priests were executed/had to leave the country. This Catholic revival coincided with the rise of puritanism.

23
Q

What happened in 1586?

A

Anthony Babington plots to assassinate Elizabeth and place Mary Stuart Queen of Scots on the throne (Mary was Catholic)

1587 - execution of Mary Stuart

24
Q

Why was Elizabeth’s reign split in two?

A
  • second reign from 1585-1603
  • England at war with Spain
  • Elizabeth over 50, still no heir
  • patriarchal society, didnt take her serious
  • 9 years’ war in Ireland (1594-1603)
  • Death of leading councilors
25
Q

What is the ‘Cult of the Queen’?

A

After Elizabeth defeated the Spanish Armada she was admired in England
- Portraits were painted by famous painters of the victory
- Masques -> women of the high class could perform in the private stage
- Royal Progresses (=Queen & court travel through London and Kingdom) and public spectacles -> any sort of entertainment to pay honor to the Queen
- Patronage (e.g. Edmund Spenser) -> he was allowed to write something in honor of the Queen (‘The Fairy Queen’) but she only appeared in a dream because it was forbidden to actually mention her in any way in Literature or on public stage

Famous portraits of Elizabeth 1: The Phoenix Portrait (1575), The Ermine Portrait (1585), The Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth 1 (1588)

26
Q

When did the English destroy the Spanish Armada?

A

1588 -> Spain lost prestige and peace was only reached in 1604

27
Q

What were some problems in Elizabeth’s last decade(s) as Queen?

A
  • Plague, influenza epidemics
  • Economic problems (war against Ireland was expensive)
  • High taxation
  • Ongoing war with Spain
  • Unpacified Ireland
  • Lack of heir

Tudor dynasty ended with her

28
Q

Who inherited the throne after Elizabeth’s reign?

A

James VI of Scotland -> James I of England and Scotland

29
Q

What is important about James I?

A
  • reign from 1603-1625
  • a Stuart (Mary Stuart his Mom)
  • was protestant even though is parents were Catholic
  • married Anne of Denmark in 1589
  • Authorised King James Version of Bible
  • Patron of Shakespeare’s acting company
  • had problems with Puritans & Parliament
  • Heir: Charles I
30
Q

What is important about Charles I?

A
  • reign from 1625-1649
  • politically weak
  • Rule without Parliament (1629-1640)
  • English Civil Wars
  • Theatres closed by Puritans in 1642
  • Execution in 1649
31
Q

What is the ‘Restoration’?

A

Stuarts were restored as Kings in 1660 before was Commonwealth:
- Cromwell Lord Protector in 1653
- Short rule of his son Richard

32
Q

What is important about Charles II?

A
  • reign from 1660-1685
  • Merry Monarch
  • 1665 plague
  • 1666 Great Fire of London
  • allowed actresses on public stages
  • Conversion to Catholicism on deathbed
33
Q

What is important about James II’s reign?

A
  • Catholic! head of Anglican Church
  • Glorious Revolution in 1688
  • Successors: Mary and William of Orange

Bro was exiled

34
Q

What is ‘The Great Chain of Being’?

A

a renaissance hierarchy world view in a godly view, built like a pyramid -> hierarchy!

The Great Chain of Being was basically medieval cosmology. Above moon everything was celestial & perfect, below were the ‘four elements’.

35
Q

What are the four elements?

A
  • Air
  • Fire
  • Earth
  • Water
36
Q

With what do the four elements correspond?

A

the four humors
- Blood
- Yellow bile
- Black bile
- Phlegm

result of balance of these humors = being healthy & happy

37
Q

What is ‘Macrocosm and Body politic’?

A

the state, sun ruler of heaven & King of a country

38
Q

What is ‘Macrocosm and Microcosm’?

A

Storms & earthquakes -> passion in men

39
Q

What is ‘Body politic and Microcosm’?

A

state and man -> Different function in the state in contrast with the different function in the body; state and man can be compared to body parts and organs in men, the eyes, the stomach, everything has to cooperate in order to guarantee survival

40
Q

What is New Historicism?

A

Putting literary texts in their cultural context
(A collection of practices -> borrowing from Marxism and poststructuralism + informed by Foucault, anthropological and social theory)

41
Q

What is the goal of New Historicism?

A

embedding literary works in their historical & social context & rethinking the practice of literary and cultural studies

42
Q

Who is Stephan Greenblatt?

A
  • 1982 -> 40 years after Tillards ‘Elizabethan’ pov
  • Early modern studies, he was a controversial critic
  • Renaissance -> “New Historicism”
43
Q

What are some characteristics of New Historicism?

A
  • Sharp political edge
  • Interdisciplinarity (social sciences, …)
  • Holistic approach that integrates literary and historical study (History is written by the winners, everything is subjective about history)
44
Q

What are some methods for New Historicism?

A
  • Asking questions about the literary text (e.g. how women & sexuality are presented)
  • Choosing an appropriate co-text/anecdote -> challenging: finding texts that focus on the same i.e. power
  • No literary foreground + historical background
  • Typical beginning with a powerful anecdote -> to arouse interest
45
Q

Who is the Earl of Essex?

A
  • Robert Devereux
  • one of Elizabeth’s favs
  • Queen was furious with him bc he resorted to a rebellion in the heart of London
  • got executed
  • told theatres to perform ‘Richard II’ again

Literature Survey 1 (5 decks)

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