The Literature of Love Context: The Renaissance

Question 1

What was the Renaissance?

Answer 1

A time of great social and cultural change in Europe occurring between the 14th C (the end of the Middle Ages) and the 17th C (before the modern age)

Before the Renaissance, there was the Middle Ages - also known as the “dark ages” as relatively few works of art were produced and creativity seemed to have regressed compared to the Classical Age

“Renaissance” comes from the french word meaning “rebirth”

Question 2

Key features of the Renaissance period

Answer 2

Revival of interest in classical styles of art and literature

A time of optimism - new inventions and the age of discovery

A break away from the conformist society and culture of Medieval Europe

New and inventive ideas began to spread and gain influence

Clamours for democracy e.g. The Civil War and Charles I executed

A shift away from religious themes to exploring the complexities of human nature

A time of power and dominance for England - nationalist spirit

Theatre became a popular art form - age of Shakespeare

Renaissance dramatists challenged the “status quo” in their plays including traditional presentation of love and relationships

Question 3

Women in the Renaissance

Answer 3

Lived under many of the same restrictions as in the Middle Ages

Had few rights

Generally confined to the house

Considered property of their husbands

Women subservient in all areas

Expected to obey their fathers then their husbands

Chastity and virtue considered very important

Question 4

Which famous writers challenged many ideas about women and their roles in relationships during the Renaissance?

Answer 4

Shakespeare

Webster

Question 5

Tragic drama

Answer 5

Became increasingly popular

Inspired by Greek and Latin literature

Renaissance tragedies focused on the tragic downfall of a key character whose “fatal flaw” led to that downfall

Question 6

Which writers especially challenged the expected presentation of love in their revenge tragedies?

Answer 6

Shakespeare

Marlowe

Question 7

Familial love

Answer 7

The revenge tragedy was a key play type that emerged in the Renaissance

The focus of revenge tragedies is the revenge a character desires for a real or imagined injury

Many revenge tragedies focussed on brother/sister relationships

Violent brother-sister disharmony serves as a symbol of the self in turmoil, as an image of a disordered family and society, and as a focal point for tension over the nature of women