English Literature (Subject) / Early Modern British Literature and Culture (Lesson)

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• Renaissance (Jacob Burckhardt) state as a work of art discovery of the world and of man the emergence of the (modern) individual rediscovery of antiquity new forms of community and covivality innovations in religion and moral behaviour/civility orientation towards antiquity term from history of art 'Golden Age' in Britain: 1550-1650
• Early Modernity orientation towards future teleology? freedom from some connotations of 'Renaissance' wider chronological scope (from reformation to restoration
• Secularization modernity characterized by decline of religion, replaced by rationality and science Max Weber: 'disentchantment of the world' cp. Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Carl Schmitt intsitutions (universities), objects (abbeys) concepts (sovereignty) turned from religious to secular Carl Schmitt: "all the significant concepts of the modern doctrine of the state are secularized theological concepts" Hans Blumenber: modernity characterised by 'reoccupations' of central topics
• Early Modern Britain - Historical Dates 1536: Wales incorporated 1541: Ireland made a kingdom 1603: Union of English and Scottish crowns 1707: Union GB/Ireland to form UK
• English Civil War 'War of the Three Kingdoms' 1639-1651 interwined series of conflicts between England, Ireland, and Scotland includes uprising during the 1650s until the the English Restoration Victory of the English Parliament
• Crown and Country Henry VII (1485-1509): secures crown revenues and his own sovereignty, abstains from international warfare Henry VIII (1509-1647): spendings on war (France, Scotland, Ireland) and Iovish lifestyle: income from dissolution of the monasteries, absolutist tendencies Elizabeth I (1559-1603): spendings on war (Spain/Netherlands, Ireland); income from taxation, conflict with parliament James I (1603-1625 and 1567-1625 as James VI of Scotland): absolutist self-image resisted by parliament, which gains in influence Charles I (1625-1649): absolutist self image, dissolves parliament in 1629; forced to re-convene ist in 1640 upon Scottish invasion ('Long Parliament') executed in 1649 Interregnum (1649-1660): Parliament as sovereign (House of Lords abolished) Charles II (1660.1685): recalled by Parliament, pact with France on terms of returning England to Catholicism James II (1685-1688): ousted by William and Mary, called in by Parliament do secure Protestant succesion
• Humanism educational movement (Italy: early 14. c.; Britain: late 15. c.) Lat. humanitas: mankind, humanity, education/cilization imitation of classical values and language (sapientia & eloquentia) belief in education to improve character learning in the service of public life → secularization of learning
• Key Humanists in Britain Desiderius Erasmus (1460-1536), advisor to Henry VIII John Colet (1467-1519) Dean of St. Paul's Thomas More (1478-1535), Utopia, advisor to Henry VIII Thomas Elyot (1490-1546), The Governor Juan Luis Vives (1493-1540), tutor to Mary George Buchanan (1506-1582), tutor to James Edward Cheke (1514-1557), tutor to Edward VI Roger Ashman (1515-1568), tutor to Elizabeth
• Platonism and Neoplatonism Plato: world of ideas vs. material world → souls from first world bound thorugh the body in the second world Plotinus: hierarchy of being suggests a bridge between Plato and Christianity:  The One (ultimate principle) Divine Mind (its thoughts ≈ world of ideas) Soul (incl. individual tripartite souls) material world late 15. c. texts disseminated again, reconcilation with christianity attempted (mysticism)
• The Great Chain of Being strict, religious, hierarchical structure of all matter and life starts with God, progresses downward to angels, demons, stars, moon, kings, princes, nobles etc. scala nature concept derived from Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus and Proclus reached full expression in early modern Neoplatonism
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• Ideas of Order Classical Ideas (Pythagoras, Plato Aristotle, Ovid etc.                                      + Hebraic Ideas (Genesis incl comments, Psalms)                                      = Christian world picture (divinely ordered whole; flaws due to fortune and man's wickedness)
• The Ptolemaic cosmos geocentric model Earth is at the orbital center of all celestial bodies
• Copernicus Sun rather than the earth at the center of the Universe
• Microcosm and Macrocosm ancient Greek Neo-Platonic schema of seeing the same patterns reproduced in all levels of the cosmos the midpoint is Man, who summarizes the cosmos
• The four humours Blood -air (hot an moist) - 'sanguine' - amorous, light-hearted Yellow bile -fire (hot and dry) - 'choleric' - violent, vengeful Phlegm -water (cold and moist) - 'phlegmatic' - dull, pale, cowardly Black bile - earth (cold and dry) - 'melancholic' - gluttonous, lazy, sentimental
• Paradise Lost epic poem in blank verse by John Milton Biblical story of the Fall of Man, Adam and Eve, to justify the ways of God to Men
• Apocalyptic Millenariarism (Dieter Grohl) prophetic passages used to interpret historical events Dualistic idea of history (good vs. evil) expectation of catastrophe to usher in a thousand year period of peace Desire to be among God's elect Increase of knowledge characterises the millenium
• Natio and nation natio = a group of foreigners ⇒ Medieval universities ⇒ nation = community of opinion ⇒ church councils ⇒ nation = en elite ⇒ England 16. c. ⇒ nation = a sovereign people ⇒ other countries/peoples ⇒ nation = a unique people 
• Literary concentions/stereotypes about women 'Negative': less rational, more imaginative than men less intelligent irritable manipulative, dangerous and cruel chatty 'Positive' obedient silent submissive eager to please husband, father, god virtuous
• Gender conventions on the Shakespearan stage Comedy critically explores stereotypes boy actors highlight performance and conventionalized nature of gender division two critical views on homoerotic subtext of cross-dressing: Hetero- and homosexuality not conceptualized and hence not articulated nor condemned as a practice Homosexual subjectivity as incipient, homosexual desire cosciously articulated
• Plato's criticism of poets/imitators Poet= liar (conceals himself behind character) dabbler (imitates actions he knows nothing about) impure (contaminated by object of imitation) degraded (imitated character reflects on imitator)
• Sidney's arguments in favour of poetry it's not a waste of time - imparts the very best knowledge it is not a lie - the poet affirms nothing it does not incite us to vice - where it seems to do so, man's wit abuses poetry, not poetry man's wit Plato did not really object to it - he was poetical himself, he only meant to exclude poetry that promulgates wrong opinions about the gods it imparts insight to us (purifies our wit enriches our memory,enables our judgement) ⇒ hepls us perfect our degenerate souls as best as we can unlike philospohy and history, it moves us to emotions of virtue effectively it ennables the language and the nation
• Imitation in Renaissance Poetics: 'world' of the poem imitates nature (mimesis1) work itself imitates the poet's fore-conception (mimesis2) poet imitates predecessors/poem imitates genre (imitatio) reader imitates the poetic model (aemulatio)
• Pastoral Poetry tradition: David, orpheus, Apollo setting: bucolic, Arcadian (sometimes associated with Golden Age) characters: lovesick shepherd, mistress, companion topics: contrast country - town/court (simplicity and innocence vs. decadence and corruption) idealization of beauty style: lowly (shepherds) but often rather elaborate function: criticism of excesses of the court and clergy from the perspective of 'pure' shepherd (=wise king/priest leading contemplative life)
• Edmund Spenser, The Shepheardes Calender, 'October' six line stanzas, iambic pentameters, abbaba (regularity = speaker's artistic achievemnt decay of poetry appropriate to the month Piers: vatic poetry in praise of the monarch, reward of the poet comes from immortality, achieved by the ethical instruction of the young, movere through the listeners' rapt insight into eternal truths love can inspire the poet's flight - or does is merely distract him?
• Petrarchan Sonnet Italian Sonnet octe + sestet + concluding couplet 8/6 = 4/3; 7 lines 22 syllables, 22:7=π octet often proposes a problem or concern that the sestet resolves or otherwise engages material world and spiritual world in harmony → all things stand by proportion  concentionalized presentation of courtly lover's despair references to antiquity (humanism!) conceit: 'idea', elaborate metaphor or simile blazon: catalogue of physical beauties, cp. counter-blazon Fracesco Petrarca (1304-74)
• (Anti-) Petrarchist sonnets in England Henry Howard, earl of Surrey, Sir Thomas Wyatt in Tottel's Miscellany Shakespearan/English Sonnet (abab cdcd efef gg) Spensarian Sonnet (abab babc cdcd ee) → turn with couplet pentameter 17th c. religion (Donne) and politics (Milton) introduced as topics
• Early modern prose fiction a time before 'formal realism' characters frequently symbolic or allegorical 'Euphistic', elaborate dialogue: style over substance copia: compilation of examples from antiquity, philosophy, mythology, scripture parallels, alliterations, rhetorical questions persuasion, not reasoning
• Nashe, The Unfortunate Traveller (1594) picaresque and episodic parodies conventions of Petrarchan poetry, scholarly prose, travel writing →scepticism sensationalism and moral judgements mocked less of order, authority, orientation anabaptist and corrupt clergy attacked equally
• Romance Biblical (e.g. loss of Eden, wandering in wilderness, regaining of Paradise battle between good and evil in Revalations) Classical (e.g. Odyssey, Argonautica, Aeneid, blend with epic) Medieval (historical: Matter of France, Matter of Rome, Matter of Britain and Brut, Sir Gawain and Green Knight, Chaucer) Renaissance parody: Ariosto, Orlando furioso, Cervantes, Don Quijote Christianization: Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata Pastoral (e.g. Sidney, Arcadia, Lodge, Rosalynde)
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• Some features of early modern romance questing knights, damsels in distress (chivalry in decline) conventional, often allegorical settings (wood, hermittage...) labyrinthine setting and structure: travel, quest atmosphere of marvel and wonder (dream, prophecy, mistaken identity) proliferation: fantastic characters, animals, doubles, metamorphosis magical creatures and objects
• Johnson, The Seaven Champions of Christendome King of Morocco likened to animals (snakes, crocodiles): alterity of Islam as definitive of English/European self stereotypes of Turks: aggression, lust, cruelty, depotism - fear of Europeand 'turning Turk' European position of relative weakness → demonization 'turks' often presented as God's scorge for a divided christendom - 'Turk' as Antichrist English tride with Ottoman empire and Morocco
• Epic (heroic verse) ancient epic (orig. verse in hexameters): deeds of gods, heroes, great men, pre-Aeneid Roman epic mainly historical aim: instruct present age about idealized ancient past and its values (cp. Sidney, didactic function) directed at cultivated audience (Aristotle) elevated style audience flattered and warned to live up to their ideals shift in Patronage under Charles I.:  in the 16th c. personal passions as metaphors for government in the 17th c. government a metaphor for self regulation
• Formal features of epic proem beginning in medias res nonlinear narrative Katabasis (descent to the underworld) celestial vision aristeia (description of heroic teats on the battlefield) ekphrasis (verbal account of work of art) locus amoenus or idyllic place, another set piece
• Frame of virtues in Spenser's 'The faerie Queene' Holiness Temperance Chastity Friendship Justice Courtesy  Cardinal Virtues: prudence, temperance, fortitude, justice Theological Virtues: faith, hope, charity Constancy? Magnificance?
• Spenser on allegory in 'The Faerie Queene' General end: to fashion a gentleman in virtous discipline Means: plausibility pleasentness, coloured with historical fiction for variety of manner allegories may be doubtfully constructed; Arthut = image of a brave knight, magnificance; Fairy Queen: glory in general/Elizabeth in particular intention Elizabeth also shadowed otherwise as Belphoebe → two bodies of queen and Lady 
• Redcrosse Knight as reader defeats Error, misunderstands meaning of his victory does not recognize the hermit's falseness misled by demonic dreams and illusions armour of faith no safeguard against temptation ⇒ reader let to distrust appearance; sense-making as central task
• Paradise Lost - Milton original plans included an epic on British history and a tragedy on the fall of man 1667 ed.: 10 books, 1674 ed.: 12 books unrhymed iambic pentameters (rhyme used in chivalrich/monarchic epics. Milton prefers 'ancient liberty') highly patterned, symmetrical plan
• The structure of Paradise Lost Satan and his followers recover after the fall and build Pendemonium Satan's council in hell - Satan to explore the newly created world God an the Son talk about the world - Son prepared to redeem the world Satan attempts to enter Paradise, is repelled Raphael tells Adam about Satan's rebbelion and victory of the Messiah (5+6) Raphael tells Adam about the creation of the world and the structure of the cosmos (7+8) The Fall, Satan as snake (9) Son of God passes judgement on man (10) Michael allows Adam a vision of future salvation - Adam and Eve leave Paradise humbled and afraid, but also with hope of redemption
• Patterns in Paradise Lost centre of poem by line-count: Messiah ascebds his throne angelic fall ⇔ human fall council, Satan enters world ⇔ council, Satan leaves world first temptation ⇔ second temptation 10.565 lines ⇒ YHWH tetrogrammaton (name of God) divine signature in poem heavenly and hellish action: 13 days, creation: 7 days; terrestrial action: 13 days ⇒justify the ways of God to Man
• Medieval traditions in early modern drama Miracle/Mystery Plays: dramatizations of short Biblical stories (staging 'mysteries of the faith), each scene staged by a 'related' guild large-scale, high-cost, elaborate ciciv (amateur!) productions performed on religious holidays in cathedral towns (folkdrama) makeshift platforms or carts moving across the city performed until latter half f 16th c. (decline with reformation)  also: smaller, local versions (parish drama) until late 16th c. Morality Plays: stand alone and allegorical or quasi allegorical, often representing the psychomachia: battle for the soul between vices and virtues, or the forces of good and evil best-known examples are Every Man and Mankind, characters representing particular vices or sins/vice in general public theatre performed by professional actors, often travelling the country, all male, often including a number of boys for the women's parts
• Some Theatres in London The Globe The Swan The Hope The Bull Inn The Curtain The Fortune The Red Lion
• Different Theatres classical greek medieval Shakespearan court theatre modern
• Three meanings of comedy Any play that is not a tragedy or history play any humorous play Specific Elizabethan meaning: imitation of the common errors of our life, which the poet represents in the most ridiculous and scornfull sort (Sidney), a young man wants a youn woman, some opposition, plot-twist near end, complex elements: movement from on ekind of society to another, signalized by some kind of party, festice rituals or weddings
• Shakespeare's Comedies Early: Comedy of Errors, Taming of the Shrew, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Love's Labour's Lost, (Merry Wives of Windsor) Mature: Midsummer Night's dream, Much Ado about Nothig, As You like it, Twelfth Night Romances: Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter' Tale, The Tempest Problem Plays: Merchant of Venice, Troilus and Cressida, All's well that ends well, Measure for Measure
• Characteristics of Shakespeare's Comedies Individual in society Emphasis on romantic love disruption of audience espectations playful exploration of solutions girls' disguises antithetical structure, multiple refracting perspectives
• Hallmarks of early modern tragedy lamentation fickleness of Fortune (rise and fall, 'de casibus') fatal ending universal significance variables: protagonists social status, pricate or political dimension of action, protagonists moral guilt or innocence

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