The English Renaissance
The Renaissance: The Renaissance (1485-1650) also known as “rebirth” came about in the western civilizations after the Dark ages. It was a time where Europe started to come alive again after a long period of darkness. The Renaissance began in Italy and started with a culture shift from the focus on the next life to the focus on this world and making it better. This culture shift brought about the concept of Humanism, which is the concept of human potential and the belief that humans can do anything as well as the realization that it is ok for humans to enjoy this world instead of suffering until it is time to die. Elizabeth I was a perfect example of a renaissance man excelling in many different things such as; poetry and music. She inspired many different men who constantly tried to please her and fit in to the new prestigious society. The Renaissance also brought about cultural boldness. William Shakespeare showcased this concept through plays exposing the complexity of the human struggle. The separation of the Roman Catholic Church was also brought about by the renaissance. Many people thought that the bible, which was only read in ancient languages at that time, should be translated into the common language so that people could find and follow their own interpretation of the bible. This brought many problems to Europe and fueled the invention of the Protestant church. King James I along with a team of writers were one of the first to translate the bible legally and his version is still used today. The renaissnce brought about many new ideas and inventions that have paved the way to all the prestigious innovations and technologies we have in the world today.
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Crash Course: Did the Renaissance really happen?
While the Renaissance is said to have been a time of “rebirth” in which Europe woke up from its sleepy stand still, there is a major debate on whether or not the Renaissance should even be relevant. Let’s start with the fact that the common people that lived during the Renaissance period in Italy didn’t even know that they were making history because their lives didn’t change that much from the life they were living before. There weren’t many new commercial opportunities for peasants, and the news of new art and wording of that period were not carried down to them. The only people that were aware of and that were affected by the Renaissance were the noble people (the richest) of society and the painters who of course painted their pictures and other works of art for them. Even then most of the people of that time didn’t even think of the Renaissance as sparking new modes of thought or art. The Renaissance is observed as a thing in the modern world not because it was important to history back then, but because we think of it as important now. We care about the works of Aristotle and paintings such as The Mona Lisa and In Fact, Europe has had so many periods of dark and light that the Renaissance should be considered as a stop on Europe’s typical roller coaster ride of productivity and standstills. Europe continues to be the world’s center of Art and commerce, but to say that the Renaissance is relevant or that it happened would be a stretch from the facts of time. |
Why Greek and Latin words exist in the English Language:
As we all know English was not the first language known to man, so the question stands Where did it come from? and why do most of it's words contain roots from Greek and Latin words? The answer comes from the fact that Germanic tribes gave rise to the English language when they invaded Great Britain and brought Old Norse to the area. This language consisted of a blend of words with Greek and Latin origins. Those Greek and Latin words were added into common language when the Roman Empire was at it's peak and as English evolved the words were used as bases for the new words being created. Sources: www.Wikipedia.com |
What is a Tragedy?
A Tragedy is known to be a work of dramatic art that is sad and depressing, but at the same time intellectually enlarging and uplifting. According to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle a play must have several defining characteristics in order to be considered a Tragedy. One of them being that all Tragedies must have a Tragic Hero that the audience is able to relate to and make his experience their own personal experience. A Tragic hero can be identified by three defining qualities; he is a noble figure that is some how better than a normal person, he moves the audience to pity and fear, and finally he always suffers a reversal of fortune. A good example of a Tragic Hero comes from and old play Oedipus Rex. The audience is able to see Oedipus's journey of discovery as he unfolds the ugly secrets of his past. This is where another characteristic of a Tragedy comes into play, this characteristic being Terrible beauty. By watching Oedipus suffer we account for the terrible part of his situation, and the audience is moved to pity and fear for Oedipus. By watching the great hero stumble through his journey the audience begins to see the beauty of his misfortunes because they see another characteristic of a Tragic Hero; Oedipus taking responsibility for his actions and keeping his dignity. Oedipus Rex is a fantastic example of a tragedy because it possesses a true example of a Tragic Hero. By analyzing this play it is clear that in order to be considered a Tragedy a play must have a Tragic Hero with qualities greater than those of a human being, and some sort of Terrible Beauty that the audience can pity and learn to adore. Sources: Video source: DeviantsShakespeare&Tragedy |
Plot Structure Map Applied to Macbeth
Here is an example of a plot structure map applied to Shakespeare's Macbeth that was read and analyzed in class. |
Plot Structure Map Applied to The Great Gatsby
Here is my analysis on Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" according to Freytag's pyramid, showing concepts of conflict and theme throughout the movie. |
A Deleted scene of Shakespeare's Macbeth
As stated before in this webpage Aristotle states that in order for a work to be considered a tragedy it must have several defining characteristics. Some of those characteristics being; Terrible beauty, and all tragedies must have a Tragic hero. As Our class was analyzing one of Shakespeare's greatest works; "Macbeth" it came into our attention that the story did not match Aristotle's definition of a Tragedy because it lacks one of the most important qualities stated above. This quality being a Tragic Hero. Macbeth is undoubtedly the hero of this work but, the fact that he shows no remorse throughout the play makes it hard for anyone analyzing the work to consider him a tragic hero. It is for this reason that my group has constructed a scene to improve upon Shakespeare's work so that the audience can really call Macbeth a Tragic Hero.
As stated before in this webpage Aristotle states that in order for a work to be considered a tragedy it must have several defining characteristics. Some of those characteristics being; Terrible beauty, and all tragedies must have a Tragic hero. As Our class was analyzing one of Shakespeare's greatest works; "Macbeth" it came into our attention that the story did not match Aristotle's definition of a Tragedy because it lacks one of the most important qualities stated above. This quality being a Tragic Hero. Macbeth is undoubtedly the hero of this work but, the fact that he shows no remorse throughout the play makes it hard for anyone analyzing the work to consider him a tragic hero. It is for this reason that my group has constructed a scene to improve upon Shakespeare's work so that the audience can really call Macbeth a Tragic Hero.