ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – DEVELOPMENT OF DRAMA IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – DEVELOPMENT OF DRAMA IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

The Development of Drama in English Literature up to 1590

The evolution of English drama from its medieval roots to the threshold of Shakespeare's golden age reflects profound cultural and artistic transformations. This journey spans religious ritual, moral instruction, and finally, secular entertainment.

Medieval Beginnings (10th-15th centuries)

English drama originated in liturgical ceremonies, with the earliest forms being:

Quem Quaeritis tropes (10th century) - brief Easter dialogues

Mystery Plays - biblical cycles performed by guilds (York, Chester, Wakefield)

Morality Plays (15th century) - allegorical works like Everyman teaching Christian values

These performances moved from churches to public spaces, gradually incorporating vernacular language and comic elements.

Tudor Transformations (16th century)

The Reformation dramatically altered English drama:

Interludes replaced morality plays (John Heywood's The Four PP)

School and court dramas flourished (Nicholas Udall's Ralph Roister Doister)

Classical influences emerged through:

Seneca's tragedies (bloody revenge themes)

Plautus/Terence's comedies (stock characters, mistaken identities)

Professional Theater Emerges (1570s-1590)

Key developments included:

Permanent playhouses (The Theatre, 1576)

Professional acting companies (Leicester's Men)

University Wits (Marlowe, Lyly, Greene) who elevated dramatic writing

Christopher Marlowe's revolutionary blank verse (Tamburlaine)

By 1590, English drama had evolved from religious instruction to sophisticated entertainment, setting the stage for Shakespeare's imminent dominance. The fusion of medieval tradition, classical learning, and contemporary innovation created a vibrant theatrical culture ready for its Elizabethan flowering.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – MIDDLE ENGLISH ROMANCES

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – MIDDLE ENGLISH ROMANCES

Middle English Romances (1066-1590)

The Middle English romance flourished between the 12th and 15th centuries as one of the most popular secular genres of medieval literature. Emerging after the Norman Conquest, these verse and prose narratives blended French chivalric traditions with English storytelling, creating tales of adventure, love, and heroism that captivated aristocratic and common audiences alike.

Characteristics and Themes

Middle English romances typically featured:

Chivalric ideals – Knights embarked on quests to prove their courage, loyalty, and virtue (e.g., Sir Gawain and the Green Knight).

Courtly love – A refined, often unattainable love between a knight and a noble lady (e.g., Tristan and Isolde).

Supernatural elements – Magic, dragons, and fairy-tale motifs enriched the narratives.

Christian and moral undertones – Many stories intertwined piety with adventure, such as the Grail legends.

Major Romances

Arthurian Romances – The most influential cycle, including:

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (14th c.) – A masterpiece of alliterative verse, testing chivalry and honor.

Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur (1485) – A prose compilation of Arthurian legends.

Matter of England – Native heroes like Havelok the Dane and King Horn reflected English identity.

French-inspired Romances – Adaptations like The Romance of the Rose and Floris and Blancheflour introduced continental elegance.

Legacy

Middle English romances laid the groundwork for Renaissance literature, influencing Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene and later English fiction. Their blend of fantasy, morality, and adventure continues to inspire modern fantasy and historical storytelling.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – NORMAN CONQUEST

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – NORMAN CONQUEST

English Literature up to 1590 – The Norman Conquest and Its Impact

The Norman Conquest of 1066 marked a turning point in English literature, introducing profound linguistic and cultural changes. With William the Conqueror's victory at Hastings, Anglo-Saxon England came under Norman rule, bringing Latin and Anglo-Norman French influences that gradually transformed Old English into Middle English.

Before the Conquest, Old English literature (e.g., Beowulf, The Wanderer) was characterized by alliterative verse and Germanic heroic themes. After 1066, French became the language of the aristocracy, courts, and literature, while Latin remained dominant in religious and scholarly works. This trilingual society (English, French, Latin) led to a blending of traditions, enriching English vocabulary and literary forms.

Key literary developments included:

Chronicles and Histories – Latin works like The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (continued post-Conquest) and Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae (c. 1136) preserved England’s past while blending myth and history.

Romance and Chivalry – French-inspired romances, such as The Song of Roland and later Middle English works like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, introduced courtly love and knightly ideals.

Religious and Didactic Texts – Moral instruction flourished in works like Ancrene Wisse and The Owl and the Nightingale, reflecting both piety and intellectual growth.

By the 14th century, English re-emerged as a literary language, culminating in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The Norman Conquest thus reshaped English literature, merging Anglo-Saxon, French, and Latin traditions to create a dynamic, evolving canon that paved the way for the Renaissance.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – BEOWULF

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – BEOWULF

Beowulf (c. 8th–11th century) is the earliest surviving epic poem in Old English and a cornerstone of Anglo-Saxon literature. Composed in alliterative verse, it recounts the heroic deeds of its eponymous Geatish warrior, who battles the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and, decades later, a fiery dragon. The poem blends pagan Germanic traditions with Christian influences, reflecting the transitional period of early medieval England.

Thematically, Beowulf explores heroism, fate (wyrd), loyalty, and the struggle between good and evil. Beowulf embodies the ideal warrior-king: courageous, generous, and devoted to his people. His battles symbolize humanity’s fight against chaos, while his eventual death underscores the inevitability of mortality. The poem also highlights the comitatus code—the bond between a lord and his thanes—central to Anglo-Saxon society.

Structurally, Beowulf follows the conventions of oral tradition, with repetitive phrasing, digressions (like the tale of Sigemund), and elevated language. Its two-part division—youthful heroism and aged kingship—reinforces the cyclical nature of life and legacy.

Discovered in a single manuscript (the Nowell Codex), Beowulf was nearly lost to history until its 19th-century recognition as a literary masterpiece. It remains vital for understanding early English culture, bridging myth and history, and influencing modern adaptations (e.g., Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings). As both a heroic epic and elegy, Beowulf endures as a timeless exploration of glory, sacrifice, and the human condition.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – EPIC

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – EPIC

English literature before 1590 was deeply influenced by the epic tradition, which celebrated heroic deeds, grand narratives, and cultural values. The earliest surviving epic in Old English is Beowulf (c. 8th–11th century), a tale of a Scandinavian hero who battles monsters, embodying ideals of bravery, loyalty, and fate. Written in alliterative verse, Beowulf reflects Germanic warrior culture and Christian influences.

In the Middle English period, Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales (late 14th century) shifted focus from classical epics to a more human-centered narrative, though it retained epic elements in structure and scope. Meanwhile, Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur (1485) compiled Arthurian legends, blending chivalric romance with epic grandeur.

The Renaissance saw a revival of classical epics, influencing English writers. Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene (1590) became England’s first great national epic, blending allegory, romance, and Arthurian myth to glorify Queen Elizabeth I. Written in Spenserian stanza, it embodied Renaissance humanism and Protestant ideals.

Before 1590, English epic poetry evolved from oral traditions (Beowulf) to written masterpieces (The Faerie Queene), reflecting societal changes—pagan heroism, medieval chivalry, and Renaissance nationalism. These works laid the foundation for later epics like Milton’s Paradise Lost, ensuring the genre’s enduring legacy.