Short Note on Renaissance Period (1500-1660)
The term ‘renaissance’ was first used by the French
historian, Jules Michelet, in his ‘Historic de France’, published in
1885. Renaissance means re-birth or revival of knowledge, learning and wisdom
and denotes in its broadest sense the gradual enlightenment of the human mind
after the darkness of the middle age. The Renaissance period in English
literature is also called the Elizabethan period or the Age of Shakespeare.
By the invasion of the Turkish army in Byzantium empire’s capital,
Constantinople in 1453 AD, the Greek scholars residing over there spread all
over Europe and brought with them invaluable Greek manuscripts. With the
discovery of these classical models resulted in the revival of learning in the
14th and 15th centuries. Renaissance first started in Italy, Europe.
During the Renaissance period or the Elizabethan Period, the most memorable
achievement in literature was field of drama. Humanist teaching in schools and
university resulted in a great development of the study of Latin drama and the
practice of acting of Latin plays by Plautus, Seneca and Terence, and also
contemporary work both in English and Latin. Some of the dramatists of that
time were as under: -
Lyly (1554-1606)
George Peele (1558-1597)
Thomas Kyd (1158-1595)
Robert Greene (1560-1592)
Christopher Marlowe (1564-153)
William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
In the renaissance period poetry took a new trend. The poetry was of the new
age of discovery, excitement and enthusiasm. Under the impact of the
renaissance, England people were infused with vigour and freshness, and all
these qualities are reflected in the poetry of that age. The verse of sir
Thomas Wyatt and the earl of Surrey marked the first English poetry of the
renaissance.
The Puritan movement in literature may be considered as the second and
the greatest Renaissance, marked by re-birth of the moral nature of the man
which followed the intellectuals awakening of Europe in the 15th and 16th
centuries. The renaissance brought with it culture, it was mostly sensuous and
pagan and it needed some sort of moral sobriety and profundity which were
contributed by the Puritan movement.
Different dimensions of Renaissance
v The Reformation
v The New
Learning
v The
growth of Nationalism
v The
Exploration of the World
v The Invention
of the Printing Press
v The
Spread of Education
v The Growth
of the Feeling of Humanism
Renaissance period
is often sub-divided into 4 parts
1. Elizabethan Age (1558-1603)
2. The Jacobean Age (1603-1625)
3. The Caroline Age (1625-1649)
4. The Common Wealth Period (1649-1660)
Elizabethan Age (1558-1603)
The
Elizabethan Age refers to the period of Queen Elizabethan’s reign. This age is
known for the vigorous and intellectual thinking. It is considered as ‘Golden
Age of English Literature’. There was peace and prosperity all around in England.
It helped in flourishing of literature. Some of its notable figures were
Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, Francis Bacon, Sir Walter Raleigh and we cannot
forget William Shakespeare.
The Jacobean Age (1603-1625)
The Jacobean
Age is named for the reign of James. The noteworthy writers of this age are
Jhon Webster, Jhon Donne, William Shakespeare, Lady Mary Wroth and Ben Jonson. The
King James translation of the Bible also appeared during the Jacobean Age.
The Caroline Age (1625-1649)
The Caroline
Age covers the reign of Charles I (Caroles). The notable writers of this age
were Jhon Milton, George Herbert and Robert Burtun.
The Common Wealth
Period (1649-1660)
It was the period between the end of the
English Civil War and the restoration of Monarchy. Thus was the time when the
puritan named Oliver Cromwell ruled the nation. At this time public theatres
were not allowed to be opened by the authorities. This was the time when Milton
and Thomas Hobbes political writing appeared and a few woks of Thomas Fuller,
Andrew Marwell and Abraham Cowley were published.
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