History: The English Renaissance

The era of the English Renaissance marks the transition from

the late Mediaeval period to the early Modern period. This

era is one of profound change, politically, socially,

economically and culturally.

We will explore why the Renaissance came late to Britain, and

how it imports Humanism. We will discover how the new

sciences and the Protestant Reformation are both products of

the Renaissance, and engines which drive further change

politically and culturally.

Within this period of flux, the English language itself was

evolving dramatically from Middle English towards the forms

of English still spoken today. We will account for this change,

and explore how these changes animate poets, playwrights

and prose writers. Our study of literary texts will open more

questions concerning cultural practices and beliefs in our era.

Indeed, we shall see how the English language itself becomes

contentious, involved in the development of propaganda in

news-sheets and pamphleteering. Both news-sheets and

pamphlets were illustrated with woodcuts, and we will

explore the iconography of such images.

Supporting our explorations and discoveries regarding the

English Renaissance, we will discuss the art of portrait

painting and its significance politically, and touch briefly upon

music in the period both in court, church and the broader

community.

A particular focus of the course will be the discovery of

women’s voices (poets and prose writers) demonstrating how

vital these voices are to a complete appreciation of the

English Renaissance.