英国文学史及选读Part-IV--The-Renaissance-1.pptVIP

Part IV The Renaissance (1) William Shakespeare I. Historical background The 16th century in England was a period of the breaking up of feudal relations and the establishing of the foundations of capitalism. the enclosure movement---a time when “sheep devoured men” (Thomas More) I. Historical background formation of the absolute monarchy---King Henry VIII extermination (消灭, 根绝) of the old English aristocracy in the course of the War of the Roses and the rise of the gentry, the main supporters of the absolute monarchy  I. Historical background --- the War of the Roses the War of the Roses (1455 – 85) Series of dynastic civil wars between the houses of Lancaster(兰开斯特王朝,1399-1461) and York (约克王朝,1461—1485) for the English throne. The wars were named for the emblems of the two houses, the white rose of York and the red of Lancaster. Both claimed the throne through descent from Edward III.  I. Historical background --- the War of the Roses The wars began in the 1450s and ended in victory for the Lancastrians (英国兰开斯特皇室人,尤指玫瑰战争中拥护兰开斯特王朝的人) in 1485 with the death of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field and the accession of Henry VII to the throne, who united the houses by marriage and defeated a Yorkist rising in 1487. I. Historical background --- the War of the Roses the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster Henry VII I. Historical background --- the War of the Roses With their heavy casualties among the nobility, the wars are thought to have continued the changes in feudal English society caused by the effects of the Black Death, including a weakening of the feudal power of the nobles and a corresponding strengthening of the merchant classes, and the growth of a strong, centralised monarchy under the Tudors(都铎王朝,1485-1603). It heralded the end of the medieval period in England and the movement towards the Renaissance. I. Historical background the developing bourgeoisie summit of the absolute monarchy during the reign of Queen Elizabeth (rei