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Websites

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16th-century Renaissance English Literature
www.luminarium.org/renlit/
renaissanceinfo.htm
Provides biographies of key 16th-century figures and their writings. The poems of Elizabeth I and Henry VIII sit alongside better-known works by Edmund Spenser and Christopher Marlowe.

People in History
www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/
History_n2/a.html
An excellent website that gives biographies of key 16th-century individuals in areas such as culture, science and religion.

The Magician, the Heretic and the Playwright: Faustus, Marlowe and the English Stage
www.wwnorton.com/nael/16century/
topic_1/welcome.htm
Excellent article on the intrigue that surrounded Christopher Marlowe's murder.

Books

The Penguin Book of the Renaissance by J H Plumb (Penguin Classic, 2001) £5.99
In this vivid survey, the whole sweep of Renaissance achievement is brilliantly portrayed and analysed.

The Penguin Book of Renaissance Verse 1509-1659 (Penguin Classic, 1993) £12.99
Brings out the relationship between the period's poetry and politics, and explores the growth of innovative humanist ideas and forms. It devotes generous space to women poets, popular literature and draws attention to international influences on early modern British culture.

The Cult of Elizabeth: Elizabethan portraiture and pageantry by Roy Strong (Thames & Hudson, 1987) £8.95
Beautifully written and revealing account of how Elizabeth I was honoured by painters and dramatists.

Astrea: The imperial theme in the sixteenth century by Frances A Yates (Pimlico, 1993) Currently out of print; may be available through libraries or specialist bookshops.
Well-written, detailed account of how the image of Elizabeth I was constructed by poets, writers and painters.

Life in the Elizabethan Theater by Diane Yancey (1996) US edition only; available through online bookshops.
Explains how the many people involved in Elizabethan theatre lived during this time of intellectual ferment and how the institution of the theatre reflected the social and political milieu of late 16th- and early 17th-century England.

English Court Theatre, 1558-1642 by John H Astington (Cambridge University Press, 1999) £42.50
An account of the physical and aesthetic conditions under which actors worked in open-air public theatres and the private, indoor theatres at court.

Shakespeare: The poet and his plays by Stanley Wells (Methuen, 2001) £10.99
A good general introduction to the plays and poetry of William Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare: His life and work by Anthony Holden (Little Brown, 1999) £20
A good general introduction to the life and work of William Shakespeare.

Painting in Britain 1530-1830 by Ellis Waterhouse (Yale University Press, 1994) Out of print; may be available through libraries and specialist bookshops.
Surveys the work and influence of foreign-born painters such as Holbein. Scholarly yet readable, with colour illustrations.

Sculpture in Britain 1530-1830 by Margaret Whinney (Yale University Press, 1992) £20
Comprehensive survey of sculpture in Britain from the Reformation to the accession of Queen Victoria.

Architecture in Britain 1530-1830 by John Summerson (Yale University Press, 1993) £20
An introduction to English architecture, which charts the development of architectural theory and practice from Elizabeth I to George IV.

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