ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – THE SPANISH TRAGEDY

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – THE SPANISH TRAGEDY

The Spanish Tragedy (c. 1587): The Foundation of Elizabethan Revenge Drama

Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy (written circa 1587, published 1592) revolutionized English theater by establishing the conventions of revenge tragedy—a genre that would dominate the Elizabethan and Jacobean stage, influencing Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi.

1. Plot and Structure

Hieronymo’s Quest: The play follows the Spanish knight Hieronymo as he seeks vengeance for his son Horatio’s murder by the Portuguese prince Balthazar.

Meta-Theatricality: The play-within-a-play (the climactic "Soliman and Perseda") becomes Hieronymo’s tool for revenge.

Supernatural Frame: The ghost of Andrea and the allegorical figure Revenge observe the action, mirroring Seneca’s tragedies.

2. Key Innovations

Machiavellian Villains: Lorenzo embodies ruthless political ambition, prefiguring Iago and Richard III.

Psychological Depth: Hieronymo’s madness blends genuine grief with calculated performance.

Violent Spectacle: Onstage hangings, stabbings, and a tongue-cutting scene set a new standard for theatrical brutality.

3. Themes

Justice vs. Revenge: Questions whether private vengeance can restore moral order.

Class and Power: Exposes corruption in royal courts (a Tudor-era concern).

Language and Deceit: Hieronymo’s multilingual playlet highlights how words mask violence.

4. Legacy

Shakespearean Influence: Kyd’s structure and themes directly shaped Hamlet (e.g., ghostly father, mad revenger).

Genre Codifier: Established tropes like the malcontent (Hieronimo), delayed revenge, and carnage-filled climaxes.

Theatricality: Its self-conscious staging paved the way for metadrama in The Tempest and Knight of the Burning Pestle.

Kyd’s masterpiece—though often overshadowed by Shakespeare—remains the blueprint for early modern tragedy.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – THOMAS MORE : UTOPIA

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – THOMAS MORE : UTOPIA

Thomas More's Utopia (1516): The Birth of Political Imagination in English Prose

Though originally written in Latin, Thomas More’s Utopia (translated into English in 1551) became a foundational work of Renaissance humanism and a landmark in early English prose. A blend of philosophical dialogue, social satire, and fictional travel narrative, Utopia invented a new literary genre while critiquing Tudor England’s political and economic injustices.

1. Structure and Style

Book I: A dialogue critiquing European society—enclosure laws, capital punishment, and corrupt courts.

Book II: Raphael Hythloday’s description of Utopia, an island nation with radical social equality.

Literary Techniques:

Paradox: The name "Utopia" means both "good place" (eutopia) and "no place" (outopia).

Irony: More’s narrator praises Utopia’s communism while subtly undermining its rigidity.

Humanist Prose: Clear, logical, yet playful—modeled on Plato’s Republic and classical dialogues.

2. Key Utopian Innovations

Communal Living: No private property; shared labor and rotating farm work.

Religious Tolerance: Diverse faiths coexist (unlike Reformation Europe).

Gender Equity: Women can divorce and train as scholars (though patriarchy remains).

Anti-Materialism: Gold is used for chamber pots; jewels are children’s toys.

3. Political Critique

England’s Failures: More targets Henry VIII’s greed, showing how poverty breeds crime.

Satire of Exploration: Utopia mirrors New World "discoveries," mocking European colonialism.

Ambiguity: Is Utopia an ideal or a warning against perfectionism?

4. Literary Legacy

Genre Creation: Inspired dystopias (Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels) and sci-fi (Wells).

Prose Influence: More’s balanced clauses and irony shaped English essayists like Bacon.

Enduring Relevance: Debates about work, justice, and governance remain strikingly modern.

Utopia transcends its era, using fiction to ask timeless questions about power and human nature.

   

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – INTRODUCTION TO PROSE WRITING IN ENGLISH

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – INTRODUCTION TO PROSE WRITING IN ENGLISH

The Emergence of Prose Writing in English Literature (up to 1590)

The development of prose as a literary medium in England before 1590 reflects the evolution of the English language itself—from functional religious and historical texts to sophisticated artistic expression. While poetry dominated early English literature, prose gradually gained prominence through religious, philosophical, and narrative works.

1. Early Foundations (Old English Period, 8th–11th Century)

Religious and Didactic Prose:

King Alfred’s Translations (9th century): The Anglo-Saxon king translated Latin texts (e.g., Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy) into English, establishing prose as a vehicle for scholarship.

Homilies (10th century): Clear, rhythmic sermons that blended instruction with literary craft.

Chronicles: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (9th–12th century) recorded history in straightforward prose.

2. Middle English Prose (12th–15th Century)

Devotional and Mystical Works:

Ancrene Wisse (13th century): A guide for anchoresses, notable for its intimate, conversational style.

Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love (late 14th century): The first known English book written by a woman, blending theology with personal vision.

Walter Hilton’s The Scale of Perfection: A contemplative work influencing later spiritual writing.

Secular Prose:

Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur (1485): Compiled French Arthurian romances into English prose, creating a cohesive narrative of chivalry and tragedy.

3. The Renaissance Shift (16th Century)

Humanist Influences:

Thomas More’s Utopia (1516, Latin; English trans. 1551): A philosophical dialogue imagining an ideal society, showcasing Renaissance humanism.

Reformation and Polemical Prose:

William Tyndale’s Bible translation (1520s–1530s): Influenced the King James Bible with its clear, powerful English.

John Foxe’s Acts and Monuments (1563): Protestant martyrology written in vivid, dramatic prose.

Early Fiction and Essays:

John Lyly’s Euphues (1578): A stylistic experiment in elaborate, artificial prose ("Euphuism").

Philip Sidney’s The Defence of Poesy (1595, written earlier): A critical treatise in eloquent, persuasive prose.

4. Legacy

By 1590, English prose had evolved from utilitarian records to a versatile literary form, paving the way for the essay (Bacon), the novel (Defoe), and modern nonfiction.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – ROBERT HERRICK 4 POEMS

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – ROBERT HERRICK 4 POEMS

Robert Herrick’s Poetry in the Context of Pre-1590 Literature

Though Robert Herrick (1591–1674) wrote after our cutoff date, his carpe diem lyrics reflect earlier Elizabethan influences that shaped English poetry before 1590. Here’s how four of his most famous poems connect to pre-1590 traditions:

1. To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time (1648) – Echoes of Classical & Tudor Poetry

Horatian Influence: Herrick’s “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may” directly adapts Horace’s carpe diem philosophy.

Medieval Memento Mori: The warning that “time is still a-flying” recalls Chaucer’s The Pardoner’s Tale (“Radix malorum est Cupiditas”).

Elizabethan Song Tradition: Similar to anonymous lyrics in Tottel’s Miscellany (1557).

2. Upon Julia’s Clothes (1648) – The Petrarchan Legacy

Sensual Imagery: Herrick’s focus on Julia’s “liquefaction” mirrors Spenser’s Amoretti (1595), blending physical desire with poetic idealism.

Neoplatonism: The poem’s spiritualized eroticism recalls Sidney’s Astrophil and Stella (1591).

3. Corinna’s Going A-Maying (1648) – Folk Ritual and Elizabethan Pastoral

May Day Celebrations: Herrick’s pagan-infused festivity mirrors medieval folk plays and Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale (Maying scenes).

Moral Ambiguity: Like The Wife of Bath’s Prologue, it challenges Puritan strictures with earthy vitality.

4. Delight in Disorder (1648) – Metaphysical Precursors

Conceit of Imperfection: Herrick’s praise of “wild civility” anticipates Donne but aligns with Wyatt’s paradoxical love lyrics.

Jewel Imagery: The “erring lace” evokes the elaborate descriptions in The Faerie Queene (1590).

Why Herrick Matters for Pre-1590 Studies

Though a 17th-century Cavalier poet, Herrick’s work:

Preserves Elizabethan musicality (like Spenser).

Revives medieval folk motifs (Maying, memento mori).

Bridges Renaissance Platonism and Restoration wit.

Herrick’s poetry is a late flowering of pre-1590 traditions, proving their enduring power.

 

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – CARPE DIEM

ENGLISH LITERATURE UPTO 1590 – CARPE DIEM

Carpe Diem in English Literature up to 1590

The carpe diem ("seize the day") motif, rooted in classical poetry, emerged in English literature before 1590 as a compelling theme that blended hedonism, mortality, and seduction. While most famously associated with 17th-century Cavalier poets like Herrick and Marvell, its foundations were laid in earlier works that combined medieval memento mori traditions with Renaissance vitality.

1. Classical Origins

Horace’s Odes (1.11): The phrase "carpe diem" originates here, urging enjoyment of life’s fleeting pleasures.

Catullus and Ovid: Roman love poets framed time’s passage as an argument for erotic fulfillment.

2. Medieval Precedents

The Wanderer (Old English elegy): Contrasts earthly transience with divine permanence.

*Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath’s Prologue echoes carpe diem in defending marital pleasure.

3. Early Tudor Manifestations (Pre-1590)

Wyatt’s Translations: His version of Petrarch’s Rime 140 ("The long love that in my thought doth harbor") adapts Italian love poetry to a more urgent, physical sensibility.

Elizabethan Songbooks: Short lyrics in collections like Tottel’s Miscellany (1557) popularized amorous carpe diem appeals.

4. Key Themes in Development

Nature’s Cycles: Blossoms, seasons, and sunset imagery underscored life’s brevity.

The Tempus Fugit Trope: "Time flies" warnings in moralistic and erotic contexts.

Gender Dynamics: Typically male speakers urging reluctant women to yield to passion.

5. Legacy for Post-1590 Literature

These early treatments paved the way for:

Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Sonnet 73’s autumnal metaphor ("Bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang") merges carpe diem with elegy.

Metaphysical Poetry: Donne’s "The Flea" (1633) would later radicalize the conceit.

By 1590, carpe diem had evolved from classical allusion to a versatile English motif, balancing moral caution with sensual invitation.