Sixteenth Century England (Early Modern)

Royal Timeline of Tudor Dynasty: 1485 - 1603

1485: Henry VII (Catholic)

1509: Henry VIII (Catholic to Anglican (protestantism)/mildly Protestant, according to political gain)

1547: Edward, the son of H.8th and third wife, Jane Seymour (heavily Protestant)

1553: "Bloody" Mary, daughter of H.8th and first wife, Catherine (Catholic)

1558: Elizabeth I, daughter of H.8th and second wife, Ann Boleyn (Protestant)

1603: Elizabeth I dies, James I of the Stuart kings takes over...

- Each Tudor successor of Henry VIII is his offspring. The first male heir ranks first, then his daughters (eldest legitimate heir to youngest) were in line.

London Becomes Cultural Center

• development of English language (this is the century that classics start to be translated into English and published)
• William Caxton brings the the printing press to England (circa 1476)...
• Mostly religious texts and political texts were reprinted, but poets didn't like their work printed (too much reprint took away from original audience, etc.)!
• Importance of the Royal Court: poets and playwrights were patrons of noble families, wrote to entertain the court. Fashion of those at court also dictated English dress.
• Court was full of secrecy and spying --> people tricking each other, trying to gain the king's favors.
• International trade grew heavily in this time period...
• 1517: Martin Luther and Protestantism -->as books and religious texts became cheaper, more personal readings of the Bible and other text become possible
• The Church begins to lose its influence, as a majority of the population (laymen) now have a way to not be pressured by or fearful of Catholic Church and the Latin services and numerous practices/rituals involved in services.

Humanism: Thomas More and Erasmus

• Renaissance brings about "humanism"
• The philosophical belief that puts humans at top of food chain. As our anthology states, "...man was the measure of all things" (488).
• Humanist like the English Thomas More and the Dutch Erasmus, focused on educating citizens (read: MALES) in the classics (Greek and Roman, etc.), including language.
• Humanism seeks the moralistic, political and philosophical truths.
• A paradox: the opposite of Christianity, but offers the same moral vision!
• Again, men were the educated ones --> universities move from place of clergy to place of well-to-do young men.

The Reformation

• 1517: Martin Luther brings about change in worship of Bible --> individual readings
• Protestant wave used by Henry VIII to divorce his first wife and he declares himself "Supreme Head of the Church in England"!
• In England, Henry VIII used change to his political advantage and to seize Church property and riches.
• Classic images and pagan characters enter into literature alongside Christianity! Especially within court literature.

Literature of Time:

• The sonnet is a form of choice for poetry --> 14 lines to create a world to live in. (an “English” sonnet, though with one rhyme repeated between the second and third quatrains: abab cdcd ecec ff)
• English "figures" became important to prose: to be quick and concise was not wanted. Double and triple meanings of words, and other figures of speech start to be the convention. (With the English language taking shape, and political power centered in England, the sense of nationalism begins to be reflected more in the literature.)
• Sir Philip Sydney's Defense of Poesy -- most important literary criticism of time period. Poetry is the highest art form, where poets can lead to "...a more virtuous and fulfilled existence" (Norton, 505).
• Pastoral poetry (rustic) --> emphasized country life over urban life...
• Heroic Poetry-->opposite of Pastoral; emphasis on honor/bravery/glorification of a nation's people (heroic couplets)

Other Factors In Rise Of Literature of Time:

• Travel (explorations going on in the Americas, etc.) leads to first literary responses to New World (such as today's reading!)
• Decline in "magic" and rise in science and religion (Italian Renaissance)

Thomas More * Utopia

• a humanist torn between law and religion.
• Became Chancellor to Henry VIII -- a close advisor -- after Utopia
• Was beheaded for not pledging to recognize H.8 as Supreme Head of Church of England. More silently believed that H.8 was acting beyond his powers in taking a spiritual position (perhaps More saw this as sacrilegious).

• Utopia allows us to investigate both the political atmosphere of the Royal Court, and humanist ideology.
• This piece was written in Latin for international humanist intellectuals; not for a general audience.
• Focuses on the ills of contemporary Europe and compares to a "utopian" society.
• Stylistically: More relies on creative a "dialogue" between his two main characters.

1. Raphael Hythloday --> humanist, world-traveller; we can see him as anti-establishment.
2. Thomas More --> a fictional representation of More, himself. His character serves as the counter/foil to Hythloday in Book 1. His character is part of the court...

Major Themes:

• The just society
• Private property
• The role of the intellectual (in Court, in Society)
• The value of religion

Structure:

Book 1: dialogue that revolves mostly around whether intellectuals belong at court, and why...

Book 2: Hythloday's description of "Utopia"

Discussion / Questions:

1. What is significant about the multiplicity of voices that we encounter in Book 1?

2. Is it important that "More" in Latin can imply a "fool"?

3. How much does the looking at the text as irony or un-ironic affect our understanding of ultimate meaning of Utopia?

4. Why, perhaps, may have been More's reason(s) for setting Utopia in the New World (the Americas)

Some Writing (with some time)...

1) In what ways can we, as modern readers, relate to the social issues that are discussed in Book 1? Please, provide some examples that we can cover.

2) Go to page 539. Read the last paragraph on this page (starts with, "'Well, let's go on...'"). How does knowing that the examples mentioned as solutions of courtiers help us understand the writing as "provocatively witty"? It might help your answering to reflect upon how valid or reasonable you think these solutions are!

Homework:

• Read Book 2, and write out answers to the following questions for class discussion (may be collected):

1. What is the relationship between book 1 and book 2? What light does each shed on the other?
2. How should we read “More’s” rejection of Utopian communism in the last paragraph? Do his reasons seem valid?
3. What do Utopian uses of gold (e.g., for chamberpots) suggest about the nature of economic value?
4. Why does More make slavery so essential to the functioning of Utopian society?

5. How would the Utopians resolve the vexing problems of modern urban life, such as the fair distribution of parking spaces?