From Tudors to Stuarts: England’s Shifting Power and Conflicts
Mary, Queen of Scots: A Claim to the English Throne
Mary Stuart, also known as Mary, Queen of Scots, held a significant claim to the English throne. As the granddaughter of Henry VII through her grandmother Margaret, who married a Scottish king, Mary possessed Tudor blood. This made her a potential successor to Queen Elizabeth I, especially if Elizabeth died without an heir. However, Mary’s staunch Catholicism presented a major challenge in Protestant England.
In 1568, following a military defeat,
Read MoreSpanish Literature: Generation of ’98 and Valle-Inclán
The Generation of ’98 Novel
The nineteenth century ended with the Disaster of ’98, which meant the loss of the last Spanish colonies, Cuba and the Philippines, to the United States. This event served as a harsh wake-up call, making the nation aware of its declining status.
At that time, a group of young people in their thirties reacted to the political unrest and moral crisis, sometimes taking contradictory positions, in an effort to renew Spanish consciousness. They analyzed the ills of Spain (its
Read MoreLiterary Genres, Forms, and Grammatical Degrees Defined
Grammatical Degrees
Grammatical Degrees: Degrees of intensity of the grammatical expression property of adjectives, designated by qualifiers.
- Positive Degree
- Comparative Degree
- Superlative Degree
Literary Forms
Literature: An artistic form of expression using the oral or written word as primary matter.
Verse: A form of composition that aims to create rhythmic sensations.
Prose: Generally lacks the rhythm that characterizes verse, as it does not use repetition of similar units in its structure, and breaks,
Read MoreMedieval Narrative Verse Forms
Medieval Narrative Verse
The Epic
The medieval epic unfolded between the 12th and 14th centuries, linked to the minstrel, a popular character. Epic poems sought to spread two important aspects of the time:
- The spirit of chivalry and feudal ideals at the time of the first emerging nations.
- The story of the extraordinary exploits of a hero who represents the ideals of the people, whose identity is aimed at consolidating.
Features
Epic poems were anonymous and composed to be recited with music and performance.
Read MoreMedieval Spanish Literary Forms
Epic Poetry
Medieval epic poetry is constituted by so-called epic poems.
Examples
French Epic
- Chanson de Roland: Based on the historical figure of the knight Roland from Charlemagne’s court.
Spanish Epic
- Cantar de Mio Cid: The only preserved Castilian epic. Based on the last years of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid, a knight at the courts of Sancho IV and Alfonso VI of Castile and León. Attributed to Per Abbat.
Structure of Cantar de Mio Cid
The poem is structured in three parts:
- Song of Exile: Narrates
Literary Terms and Text Analysis
Literary Terms Defined
Imagery: It is the representation through language of sense experience. An image most often suggests a mental picture (sight), but an image may also represent a sound, smell, taste, or tactile experience.
Similes: A comparison between two things which are essentially dissimilar. The comparison is directly stated through words such as ‘like’, ‘as’, ‘than’, or ‘resembles’.
Metaphor: A comparison between two things which are essentially dissimilar. The comparison is implied rather
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