Social Background/Background Study (14th Century-16th Century)

 

The History of English Literature is an account of a great body of literature which is to be regarded as the production of the genius of the English people. The periods of English Literature has been marked from the Anglo Saxon period (500-1340) to the Present Age (1930-1955). This content concentrates on the social background of the periods of 14th, 15th  and 16th  century.

14^th Century (1301-1400)

The Age of Transition

The period of 14^th Century was also called as the “Age of Transition”. It was a reflection of all the people in the society. The society during the 14^th century was also known as the medieval society. It consisted of three groups such as The Knights, The Church, and The Laity. Politically, England was under the Divine Right Theory and the society was divided into nobles and labourers. The period was witnessed by three kings, Edward III, Richard II, and Henry IV. Economically, England exhausted its wealth on the French wars. Socially, England was struck with a severe epidemic, Black Death. Religiously, the church and the clergy men became the corrupted sectors of England during this century. Literature was also revolutionized during this period.

Importance of War and Chivalry

War:

War implied violence and consequent suffering in the medieval society. Medieval men accepted war as an inevitable condition of life. Crusades were also carried out in large numbers during the beginning of the 14^th century.

Chivalry:

Chivalry is the system of values that knights in the middle ages were expected to follow. It is a means by which the aggressive instincts of young men were controlled and canalised in the 14^th century. The ideas of chivalry involved courage and loyalty. It played a larger role in medieval life and it was closely connected with Christianity.

The Role of Knights

            Knights came from a noble position. They became the living embodiment of chivalry. They wanted to gain honour. They possessed the ideas of chivalry and fairness. Training in military arts was an essential part of a boy’s education if he belonged to the class of knights. The knights wore an armour on their shoulder which made them to look like the Christ who carried the cross. The image of the Knight with the shining armour became the romantic appeal for the people who lived during the period of 14^th Century.

Revolutionized Language

            Latin and English were the most dominant languages in 14^th century. Latin was considered to be the language of learned men. French replaced English in ordinary literary composition. Many writers such as Chaucer, Langland and Wycliffe wrote their works in English which inturn became an inspiration to the other writers. On the whole, English gained momentum during the 14^th century.

Important Occupations

There were many occupations that prevailed during the period of 14^th Century The people positioned themselves as  Knights, Squires, Yeomen, Landlords, Friar, Peasants, Wool Traders, Leather Merchants, Wine Merchants, Astronomers, Diplomats, Baker, Barber, Blacksmith, Boatman, Broker, Butcher, Carpenter, Gardener, Glasier, Goldsmith, Haberdasher, Jeweler,  and Horse monger.

Rulers

Edward I (1300-1307)           

Edward I ruled at the beginning of the 14^th century. He ruled only for the first seven years of the 14^th century. He carried out many crusades. Crusades helped in maintaining sea trade which inturn added profit to the economy of Europe.

Edward II (1307-1327)

            Edward II ruled England for fifteen years. He was removed from the throne in 1327 since he gave importance to his favourites which inturn led him to face many political problems. He did not have a good authority over the society.

Edward III (1327-1377)

Edward III was also known as Edward of Windsor. His 50 years rule was the longest rule in medieval period. He was noted for his military success. During his reign, the Hundred Years war was fought. Edward III and his parliament put forth the Ordinance of Labourers and the Statue of Labourers to stop the rise in wages that was caused by the Black Death. The Statue of Labourers was is best known legislation. His parliament composed House of Lords and House of Commons. It was during Edward III’s reign were the commons gained political influence. He also imposed Statue of Pleading which made English to be used in law court and his parliament was opened in English for the first time. Thus, the English language experienced a strong revival during Edward III’s reign.

Richard II (1377-1399)

            Richard II was also known as Richard of Bordeaux. He was the grandson of Edward III. During his reign, the peasant’s revolt began. Richard II played a vital role in solving this crisis. He also brought an end to Hundred Years War. He gave importance to art and culture. As Richard II was dependent on some of his courtiers, the government was taken over by a group of aristocrats who were known as Lord Appellant. Richard II was later defeated by Henry IV who came back to claim for his rights in England.

 

Henry IV (1399-1413)

            Henry IV was also known as Henry Bolingbroke. Henry IV involved himself in the revolt of the Lord Appellant against Richard II in 1388. He faced many rebellions during his reign. He had good foreign relationships.

Major Events

The Hundred Years War (1336-1431)

The first major political event of the 14^th century is “The Hundred Years War”. It took place from 1336 to 1431.This war existed about 116 years. It took place between France and England. It is a series of short conflicts that resulted from disputes between the ruling families of the French Capetians and English Plantagenets. These battles were largely fought by Yeomen. This war also generated the feeling of patriotism and nationalism.

The Black Death (1346-1353)

            The second major social event that took place in 14^th century is “The Black Death”. People were not much bothered about sanitation and cleanliness. This lead to the outbreak of many diseases such as leprosy. It is the outbreak of Burbonic plague. It broke out in England around 1348.The severest attack of tis plague came in the year 1377. It was called as the Black Death.  Within twenty years, it killed one third of Europe’s population. It made the value of money to get declined. The government also underwent a economic crisis which inturn made the king to impose disorganized prices.

The Peasant’s Revolt (1377-1381)

The third major social event that took place in the 14^th century is “The Peasant’s Revolt”. It was also known as the Labour’s Unrest. It took place from 1377 to 1381.This revolt was lead by Watt Taylor, Jack Straw, and John Bull. Due to the Hundred Years War, England wasted all its wealth and therefore it underwent a severe economic depression. Edward II was victorious but his imposition of heavy taxes aggravated the peasants. There was heavy internal taxation to recover from this situation.  The victims who suffered from heavy taxation due to this war were the poor peasants and the hardworking classes. So, the peasants of England revolted in 1381 because of the poll taxes that was imposed in the years 1377, 1379, and 1380 respectively. 20,000 peasants from Kent and Essex killed the Archbishop of Canterbury thinking that he was the one who had imposed unfair taxes on them. This event brought havoc in England. After this event, the medieval society was divided into two classes such as the rich aristocrats and the hardworking labourers.

The Lollard’s Movement

            The fourth major religious event of the 14^th century is “The Lollard’s Movement”. Religion played an important role in the 14^th century England. The medieval church was the most corrupted sector in the medieval society. Corruption prevailed in the churches. Clergymen were leading a meaningless life. They amassed wealth in the name of doing welfare for the people in the society. There were also many religious disputes occurring in the society. John Wycliffe was the founder of the Lollard’s Movement. This movement marked the beginning of transformation. It was also the first step towards the Reformation in England.

15^th Century (1401-1500)

The Early Renaissance Period

The fifteenth-century spanned parts of the Late Middle Ages. It was also known as the Early Renaissance period or the Early Modern period. This century experienced the fall of the Byzantine Empire and the end of the Hundred Years’ War. By the end of the century, the America was rediscovered by Christopher Columbus and the printing revolution had begun with the mass production of books. It was one of the most revolutionary centuries in history, particularly for the changing political structure of Europe. 

Rulers

The great rulers of 15^th Century England were Henry IV (1400-1413), Henry V(1413-1422), Henry VI,(1422-1461)(1470-1471),Edward IV(1461-1470)(1471-1483), Edward V(1483), Richard III (1483-1485) and Henry VII (1485-1500).

Major Events

The Battle of Grunwald (1410)

The Battle of Grunwald is considered to be one of the largest battles in medieval Europe. The Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania fought against the Teutonic Order. Following a joint invasion into Prussia, the armies met in the plains near Grunwald and a fierce battle broke out. Many leaders of the Teutonic forces were killed or captured and they were never able to recover the power because many of the knights losed their lives in the battle. This battle remains as one of the most important events in Polish and Lithuanian history.

The Glyndwr Rising (1400-1415)

            The Glyndwr Rising was the last war of Welsh independence against the Kingdom of England. It was led by Owain Glyndwr. After the removal of Richard IV, the Anglo Welsh raise to throne in England and Glyndwr was proclaimed as the Prince of Wales by his followers. For fifteen years war was waged between Henry IV’s forces against Glyndwr, until the death of the English King, Henry V. Many families were ruined during this war.

The Trial of Joan of Arc (1431)

            Joan of Arc was the French heroine of the Hundred Years War.She supported Charles III.A group of English allied French nobles captured her and she was put on trial by a church court who found her guilty of heresy. She agreed to an abjuration, though four days later returned to wearing soldiers’ clothes and claimed the voices had returned. This gave the court justification to execute her on the basis of relapse. Later, she was burned alive after two days.

Invention of the Printing Press (1440)

            Goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printing press around 1440.He marked the beginning of the Printing Revolution. This lead to the creation of books and newspapers in large number. By the end of the century, hundreds of cities were involved in the revolution. One of the earliest books printed by the printing press is known as the Gutenberg Bible. It had a great influence on the future versions of the Bible.

The Fall of Constantinople (1453)

The Fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Medieval period, resulting in the fall of the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman Empire. The 53-day siege of the Byzantine capital was led by Sultan Mehmed II. It is thought that the migration of Byzantine scholars contributed to the development of the Renaissance, particularly in humanism and science.

The War of the Roses (1455-1487)

            During the 15^th century, a series of civil wars broke out over the throne of England. It was fought between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. While Edward IV who belonged to the House of York, claimed the throne in 1450, many battles broke out over the years. The throne was reclaimed by Henry VI for a year before Edward IV retook the throne until his death. His son, Edward V, was made as the king but the throne was stolen by his uncle and Lord Protector, Richard III. This resulted in many supporters abandoning the House of York for their rivals. Later, Henry Tudor ascended the throne following the death of Richard III. This event marked the beginning of the reign of Tudor dynasty.

Discovery of America (1492-1493)

            Christopher Columbus took three ships to find a shorter route to the Indies in 1492 but instead found the Americas. Columbus spent some time exploring land in the area and before leaving to England, Columbus founded a settlement and came into conflict with the Ciguayos people of the modern Dominican Republic. He returned thrice to America to conquer the land.          

All the events that took place in the 15^th century acted as the foreground of the Renaissance Movement that took place in the later 16^th century.

16^th Century (1501-1600)

The Age of Renaissance and Reformation

            The England faced the period of Renaissance and Reformation in the period of 16^th Century. Christianity was the main source of knowledge during the medieval period. All the literature that was not absorbed in the larger framework of Christianity was discarded during that period. People in the earlier centuries believed that man had many falls because of his sins and he would be helpless without the source of divine (God). This ideology was not acceptable in the period following the medieval ages because the Renaissance took shape from 14^th century onwards and flourished enormously in the 16^th century. The people of 16^th century served as architects, artists, actors, judges, land owners, publishers, printers, writers, merchants, theatre managers, physicians,  and lawyers. Entertainment and Religion played a significant role in this century.

Rulers

Henry VII (1500-1509)

            The England experienced the Tudors rule in the 16^th century. Henry VII was also known as Henry Tudor or Earl of Richmond. He was the founder of the Tudor Dynasty. He succeeded in ending the war of the roses between the houses of Lancaster and York. Henry VII’s reign displayed both splendour and power. He wanted his parliament to avoid the instances of war inorder to promote efficiency in administration by increasing the revenue. Henry tried to encourage exports, protect home industries, help English shipping by the time-honoured method of a navigation act to ensure that English goods were carried in English ships which inturn led to the discovery of new markets in England.

Henry VIII (1509-1547)

            Henry VIII was known as the most famous kings of England who belonged to the 16^th Century. He split England from the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. He married six times. Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn, the sister of one of his mistresses, and tried to persuade the Pope to grant him an annulment of his marriage on the grounds that it had never been legal. But, the Pope did not give him a divorce and so Henry VIII resulted in imposing a series of Acts that diminished papal power and its influence in England which finally brought in the English Reformation. His ideas of reformation had produced dangerous Protestant-Roman Catholic differences in the kingdom. He removed The Pope from his position as head of the Church. The wealth of the monasteries was fully spent on war. It also built up the economic strength of the aristocrats and other families in the counties which in turn paved a way to encourage the ambitious factions of the Tudor court.

Edward VI (1547-1553)

            Edward VI was the son of Henry VIII. He was very intelligent but he was not physically strong. He was positioned to throne at the age of nine. Edward Sermour, the Duke of Somerset, acted as his Protector. He was dominated by the nobles. During his reign, the church of England became entirely protestant. The aspects of Roman Catholic practices became extinct and clergy men were allowed to marry. The Book of Common Prayer was also introduced in England during his period of reign. Most of the major changes to the Church of England happened during Edward VI’s reign.

Lady Jane Grey (1553)

            Jane was the first cousin of Edward VI. She was a strong protestant and this was the reason for her to possess the throne because many supported Reformation. Jane married Lord Guildford Dudley, a younger son of Edward's chief minister John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland. When the 15-year-old King Edward VI lay dying due to tuberculosis, he nominated Jane as successor to the Crown in his will, thus subverting the claims of his half-  sisters Mary and Elizabeth. She was also known as the nine days queen. Later, Jane was executed by Mary I on the account of high treason.

Mary I (1553-1558)

            Mary I was the oldest daughter of Henry VIII. She was also known as Mary Tudor. She was remembered for making England as a Roman Catholic country again. She was called as Bloody Mary by her protestant counterparts. She imprisoned many Protestant churchmen. She also maintained good foreign policies with France.      

Elizabeth I (1558-1600)

            Elizabeth I was also called as the Virgin Queen. She was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty who ruled for 44 years. England was emerging as a strong nation in Elizabeth I’s reign. The initial years of Elizabeth’s rule raised the hopes of prosperity. However, as soon as the years moved in the direction of a steadied economic path, England faced a crisis with its nationalist’s structure. The Elizabethan age was called as the Golden Age of English History. Her reign was marked with peace, national unity and affluence. It was an era of increased tolerance and relative peace until the war with Spain and the defeat of Spanish Armanda in 1588.

Major Events

The Renaissance

            Renaissance began in Italy around the mid-14^th century slowly moving outward over all of Europe and reaching England around the 16^th century. The Renaissance had its most important effect on painting, sculpture, architecture, and literature though it derived from the sciences, medicine, philosophy and geography. It gave a new life to literature and arts. This movement modified the European thought. It gave importance to rational thought and cultivation of oneself. Education was given much importance during the 16^th century. The major difference was that the human beings became secular people and actively participated in one’s self to continuously modify it on the strength of his/ her labour and decision-making. In the 16^th century, the modern man gave importance to his own self.

Some of the central features of the Renaissance are:

The Reformation

            The Reformation movement caused upheaval in Europe in the early 16^th century. It was started against the Roman Catholic Church by Martin Luther. The advocates of Reformation believed in an individual’s inner experience of God and the associated spiritual struggle and salvation. These were the ideas of early Protestanism. Faith was based on the word of Bible and could be intepreted by any individual in his/ her own way. In England, during the reign of Henry VIII, the nature of the church changed. Henry VIII broke ties with the Roman Catholic Church. He declared the Church of England or the Anglican Church as the supreme religious authority with the king as its head. With Reformation, the new ideas of individual vs God were put forward leading to exploratory, skeptical, faith centered and idealistic writings.

The Quest for Knowledge

            Scholars of this period began to think extensively about human nature. They wanted to learn more about the human mind and body. Thinkers developed theories in philosophy, psychology, and medicine in order to define the human. A great love for the artistic works were seen as the highest expression of culture and civilization.

The Rise of Civility

            Civility, courtesy and manners were key words in Renaissance culture. All over England, people were writing courtesy books which told people how to behave. Civility was supposed to be the mark of the cultured woman who begins to be called a gentleman.

The New World

            More commercial transactions across the seas began. Travellers sent back reports of the new sights they saw and the new people they met. The Europe’s idea of the world changed drastically because it came in contact with other cultures that lead to new ways of thinking.

The New Science

            Many scientific theories were formulated by famous scientists. Eg: Astronomical images filled John Donne’s poetry; Francis Bacon encouraged experiments in science.  Thus, the Renaissance slowly rejected religious and superstitious beliefs in favour of actual scientific experiments and logical/ rational thinking.

Act of Supremacy (1534)

            In 1534, the Parliament of England passed the Act of Supremacy which defined the right of Henry VIII to be the supreme head of the Church of England after the defeat of the papal power.

 Dissolution of Monasteries (1539)

Dissolution of monasteries is a set of administrative and legal process carried out by  Henry VIII. It is also known as Suppression of Monasteries. Henry VIII did not give importance to monasteries and convents of England.

Wyatt’s Rebellion (1554)

 Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger led the Wyatt Rebellion. He lead a group of several thousand Kent rebels in a march on London with the primary aim of preventing Mary I of England from marrying Prince Philip of Spain. They also wanted to appoint Elizabeth as the Queen of England. The rebels were also motivated by the fall in living standards in England caused by inflation, food shortages, the decline in trade and several deadly epidemics. But the rebellion failed due to lack of support. The leaders of the rebellion were executed and Elizabeth was sent to Tower of London. Mary started to persecute Protestant heretics which became the reason for her to be called as Bloody Mary by everyone.

The London Plague (1563)

            The London city was overcrowded and untidy in 1563.London experienced the dangerous plague in 1563. It was also known as the Great Plague of London. It was caused due to poor sanitation facilities in London. It swept away 24% of the London’s population over a year.

Construction of The Theatre (1576)

            The Theatre was the first public playhouse of London. It was designed and built by James Burbage. It was opened in 1576. It was a circular building with three galleries surrounding a yard. It was also roofless. Many companies such as the Lord Admiral’s Men and Lord Chamberlain’s Men that were associated with William Shakespeare performed in this theatre. Entertainment was given much importance during the Elizabethan Age.

The Defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588)

            The Spanish Armada was also called as Invincible Armada. It was a great fleet sent by King Philip II of Spain in 1588 to invade England. The defeat of the Spanish Armada saved England from invasion.  It also prevented the Dutch Republican from the urge of extinction. Politically, the action of Spanish Armada had a great historical significance as the first major naval gun battle under sail. The gun-armed sailing warship dominated the seas for more than two years.

The East India Company (1600)

 The East India Company was mainly formed to exploit the trade with East, Southeast Asia and India. It was also known as the English East India Company. It was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1600. The company acted as an agent of British Imperialism over the eastern countries.

Geoffrey Chaucer, Edmund Spencer, Thomas Wyatt and Sir Philip Sidney had influenced the society in their works. Religion, Occupation, and The Royal People played a significant role in their specified works. They wanted to represent or satirize the reality of the society in which they lived through their works. All the political, social, religious and cultural events that took place from 14th century to 16th century raised the level of thinking of many poets and writers such as Chaucer, Spencer, Wyatt and Sidney.