The Renaissance Period: 1485-1660

The Monarchy and the Church

1.  How does the tone of the era contrast with the Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Periods?

2.  What events led to the Protestant Reformation?

3.  In what ways did the marriage of Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon affect England’s ties to the Roman Catholic Church?

4.  Is it appropriate to call Henry VIII an effective protestant leader? Why or Why not?

The Elizabethan Era

5.  Explain why Elizabeth I, in the years before she became queen, was neglected by Henry VIII, her father, and by Mary, her half sister.

6.  How did Elizabeth support the Church of England?

7.  How did she support exploration of the New World?

8.  How did she forge a good relationship with the people?

9.  How did she deal with Spain?

The Rise of the Stuarts

10.  What general statements can you make about the monarchy’s role in England’s Civil War? Use knowledge of the Tudor and Stuart rulers.

The Defeat of the Monarchy

11.  Explain how England became a commonwealth.

12.  Explain why England did not remain a commonwealth.

The Renaissance

13.  Define Renaissance and all that it entails.

14.  How did the Renaissance impact views of religion and the afterlife?

15.  How did the Renaissance impact science and technology?

16.  How did the Renaissance impact knowledge about distant parts of the world?

17.  How did the Renaissance impact literacy?

18.  How did the Renaissance impact England’s literary legacy?

Pastoral Poems and Sonnets

19.  Define pastoral poetry, what it contains, and its popularity.

20.  Define sonnet, what it contains, and its popularity.

Shakespearean Drama

21.  What types of earlier works inspired Renaissance playwrights in their writing for Elizabethan audiences?

22.  Why did Shakespeare’s plays appeal to “groundlings”?

23.  Why did Shakespeare’s plays appeal to royals?

24.  Why did Shakespeare’s plays appeal to everyone in between?

25.  In your opinion, what would have been the most challenging aspect of writing an Elizabethan play?

26.  In your opinion, what would have been the most challenging aspect of performing an Elizabethan play?

27.  What did Christopher Marlowe and Ben Johnson have in common as playwrights?

28.  How did they differ?

29.  Explain why the Renaissance would be referred to as “the golden age of drama”.

In Closing

30.  Based on the information you have uncovered, what do you expect from Renaissance Literature?