TheRenaissanceOneofthemostcreativeperiodsinhistoryoccurredinEuropearound1350–1700.

ThisculturalrevivalisknownastheRenaissance(meaning“rebirth”).TheEnglishRenaissancewasaculturalandartisticmovementspanningfromthelater15thcenturyuntiltheearly17thcentury. Itwasaproductof the ItalianRenaissancewhichstarted in the14thcentury. LikemostofnorthernEurope,England did not get the full effect of the Renaissance until about a century later, and the height of the EnglishRenaissanceisconsideredtobeintheElizabethanEra(1558–1603)namedafterQueenElizabethIwhoruledEngland1558-1603."Renaissance,"Frenchfor"rebirth,"perfectlydescribestheintellectualandeconomicchangesthatoccurredinEuropefromthefourteenththroughthesixteenthcenturies.Duringthisperiod,therewasapassionforknowledge.BeforetheRenaissance period, scholars had mostly studied the teachings of the Church, but during this period, scholarsrediscoveredancientphilosophersandwritersandsoughtinspirationfromthepast.AttheheartoftheRenaissanceliesthemassiverenewalofinterestinthewritingsofancientGreeceandRome,someofwhichwereliterallyrediscoveredinmedieval monasteries. These ancient writings seemed to show the greater sophistication and learning of ancientcultures,whichcametorepresentidealsoftheRenaissanceperiod.Also at its core, The Renaissancewas a timewhen the ordered social structures of theMiddle Ages began to breakdown,capitalismbegantotakeroot,andindividualidentityincreasedinimportance.During this period, Europe emerged from the economic sluggishness of theMiddle Ages and experienced a time offinancialgrowth.Also,andperhapsmostimportantly,theRenaissancewasanageinwhichartistic,social,scientific,andpolitical thought turned in new directions. The Renaissancewas not only a rebirth of society; itwasan age of newdiscoveries - both geographical and intellectual. Europewas discovering the Americas and settling there, expandingtheirhorizons.Fromthe15thcenturyonwards,peoplewerechallengingeverythingtheyknew:Copernicuschallengedscience,MartinLutherchallengedreligion,andsoon.In the feudal structureof theMiddleAges, thenobleswho lived in the countryprovided the kingwithprotection inexchange for land. Peasantsworked the land for thenobles, forwhich they receivedprotection and their own smallparcelsofland.Theseruralpeasantsworkedfromsunuptosundown,buteventhenobleshadfewcreaturecomforts.Infeudalcities,wheretherewasasmallmiddle-classpopulation,lifewasalittleeasierandindividualshadthefreedomtopursuewhatevertradeorindustrytheyliked.InthelateMiddleAges,whenthethreatofinvasionfrombarbarianshadlessened,peopleleftthecountryfortownsandcitiessotheycouldengageinmoreprofitablepursuits.ThePlagueBeginsLife in the city was soon to change drastically. During the lateMiddle Ages and early Renaissance (1350-1450) theBubonicPlague,alsocalledthe"BlackDeath,"devastatedonehalfofthepopulationofEurope.Theplague,whichwasalmostalwaysfatal,spreadmostrapidlyincities,wherepeoplewereinclosecontactwitheachother.Theonlywaytoavoidthediseasewastoleavethecityforthecountry.Thissolutionwas,unfortunately,availableonlytothosewealthyenoughtomakethetrip.ThePlague'sEffectontheEconomyTheurbanpopulationdecreasecausedbytheplagueledtoaneconomicdepression.Merchantsandtradespeoplehadfewercustomerstobuytheirproducts.Economichardshipspreadthroughoutthecities.Ascasesoftheplaguedecreasedinthelatefifteenthcentury,populationsgrew,creatinganewdemandforgoodsandservices.Anewmiddleclassbegantoemerge,andbankers,merchants,andtradespeopleonceagainhadamarketfortheirgoodsandservices.TheNewMiddleClassAsthefortunesofmerchants,bankers,andtradespeople improved,theyhadmorethanenoughmoneytomeettheirbasic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. They began to desire larger, more luxurious homes, fine art for these

residences, lavishclothingtoshowoff theirwealth inpublic,andexoticdelicaciestoeat.Thesedesiresof themiddleclassstimulatedtheeconomy.Asaresultofthenewlyaccumulatedwealth,themiddle-classpopulationalsobegantohaveleisuretimetospendoneducation. In fact, education was essential for many middle-class professions. Bankers and accountants needed tounderstand arithmetic. Those trading with other countries needed knowledge of foreign currencies and languages.Readingwasessentialforanyonewhoneededtounderstandacontract.Intheirleisuretime,middleclassalsonowhadtime and money to spend on entertainment. They enjoyed such pastimes as reading for pleasure, learning to playmusical instruments, and studying a variety of topics unrelated to their businesses merely for entertainment – theluxuriesofamiddleclasslife.AMajorInventionWhenGutenberginventedtheprintingpressin1445,heforeverchangedthelivesofpeopleinEuropeandeventually,allovertheworld.Previously,bookmakingentailedcopyingall thewordsand illustrationsbyhand.Oftenthecopyinghadbeendoneonparchment,animalskin thathadbeenscrapeduntil itwasclean, smooth,andthin.The labor thatwentintocreatingthemmadeeachbookveryexpensive.BecauseGutenberg'spresscouldproducebooksquicklyandwithrelativelylittleeffort,bookmakingbecamemuchlessexpensive,allowingmorepeopletobuyreadingmaterial.TheDemandforBooksGrowsIntheMiddleAges,bookshadbeencostlyandeducationrare;onlytheclergyhadbeenregularreadersandownersofbooks.MostbookshadbeenwritteninLatin,consideredthelanguageofscholarship.IntheRenaissance,theeducatedmiddleclasses,whocouldnowaffordbooks,demandedworksintheirownlanguages.Furthermore,readerswantedagreatervarietyofbooks.Almanacs,travelbooks,chivalryromances,andpoetrywereallpublishedatthistime.Simultaneously,ameansofprintingmusicwasalsoinvented,makingsheetmusicavailableatareasonablecost.Asthedemand for books grew, the book trade began to flourish throughout Europe, and industries related to it, such aspapermaking,thrivedaswell.Theresultofallofthiswasamoreliteratepopulationandastrongereconomy.HumanismEmergesThenewincreasedavailabilityandaffordabilityofbooksledtoincreasedknowledgeinmanyfields.Forexample,anewphilosophyemergedwhenRenaissancescholarsknownasHumanistslookedbacktotheworksofancientwriters.Previously,duringtheMiddleAges,scholarshadbeenguidedbytheteachingsoftheChurch,andpeoplehadconcernedthemselvesprimarilywithactionsleadingtoheavenlyrewards.Therefore,thewritingsofancient,pagan(pre-Christian)GreeceandRome,calledthe"classics,"hadbeengreatlyignored.Tostudytheclassics,HumanistslearnedtoreadGreekandancientLatin,andtheysoughtoutmanuscriptsthathadlainundisturbed for nearly 2,000 years. Renaissance Humanists rediscovered writings on scientific matters, government,rhetoric,philosophy,andart.Theywereinfluencedbytheknowledgeoftheseancientcivilizationsandbytheemphasisplacedonman,hisintellect,andhislifeonEarth.ACulturalMovement-TheHumanistPhilosophyHumanismwasaphilosophythatemergedduringtheRenaissance;itencouragedpeopletobecomeeducatedintheclassicalarts,literature,andscience.Humanismencouragedrealismandhumanemotioninart–notjustreligiousimagery.Humanismalsoapprovedthepursuitofcomfort,riches,andbeauty–luxuriesbeforeonlyaffordedtotheChurch.Thenewinterestinsecular/non-religiouslifeledtobeliefsabouteducationandsocietythatcamefromancientGreeceandRome.HumanistsbelievedthattheChurchshouldnotrulecivicmatters,butshouldguideonlyspiritualmatters.The Church rejected the accumulation of wealth and worldly goods, supported a strong but limited education, andbelievedthatmoral/ethicalbehaviorwasdictatedbyscripture.

Humanists,however,believedthatwealthenabledthemtodonobledeeds,thatgoodcitizensneededawell-roundededucation(suchasthatadvocatedbyancientGreeksandRomans),andthatmoralandethicalissueswererelatedmoretosecular/non-religioussocietythantospiritualconcerns.SpiritualMattersDuringtheRenaissance,MartinLutherchangedChristianity.OnOctober31,1517,hewenttohischurchinthetownofWittenburg,Germanyandposteda listof95 items thatworriedhimabout theChurch.His list included the church'scorrupt practice of selling “indulgences”, reductions in the amount of timeone’s soulmust spend in purgatory afterdeath for his/her confessed sins. Indulgenceswerepurchasedby churchmembers, and theChurch got rich! Luther’srequest for reform – the “95 Theses” - ignited the Protestant Reformation. Several new Christian religions wereestablishedduring this timeas a result. TheoldChurchbecameknownasRomanCatholicChurchandnewChristiansectswereknownbytheirleaders--amongthemLutherans(Luther)andCalvinists(JohnCalvin).LiteratureThe rebirthof classical studiesof theancientGreeksandRomans contributed to thedevelopmentofall formsofartduringtheRenaissance.Literaturebegantoshowsignsofclassicalinfluence.MusicRenaissancecomposersalsoincorporatedtheclassicsintotheircraft.BystudyingGreekdrama,theydiscoveredtheartofmaking theirmusic reflect the lyrics in their songs--makingmusic soundhappy forwordsof joy and sorrowful forwords of grief. When they learned that ancient Greek drama brought the audience to tears with its sad music,Renaissance composers tried to re-create that theatrical experience. Their efforts eventually resulted in the birth ofopera.PaintingArtistsbecamefascinatedbythehumanbody.Tocelebrateitsbeauty,theyturnedawayfromtheformaldrawingstyleof the Middle Ages and adopted a more realistic, natural style. Paintings of the Renaissancedemonstrate the application of Humanistic ideals learned from the ancients. In works from theMiddle Ages, saints and Biblical figures are arranged in unnatural, geometric groups, andbackgrounds are nothing more than washes of gold. Renaissance painters depicted the humanfigureasrealisticallyaspossible,oftenwithbackgroundsofthenaturalworld.MonaLisa-perhapstheworld'smostfamouspainting-waspaintedduringtheRenaissancebyLeonardodaVinci.The term “RenaissanceMan” refers to a personwho is educated and talented inmany areas –knowledgeableinmanyfields.ThetruegeniusesoftheRenaissanceweregreatexamplesofthis.LeonardodaVinciwasamasterpainter,sculptor,scientist,inventor,architect,engineer,andwriter.Michelangelo-asuperbpainter,sculptor,andarchitect.**************************************************************************************************

WilliamShakespearewasbornin1564rightinthemidstoftheRenaissance,andmanyofhisworksreflecttheRenaissanceidealssuchas…

• Influenceofclassicaltexts-TheinfluenceoftheLatinpoetOvidonShakespeareisparticularlywell-known.Ovid’s

stories are influential in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Tempest.Shakespeare is also known to have been influenced by the Roman playwright Seneca, and theGreek historianPlutarchwhoseresearchwasusedtowriteTheTragedyofJuliusCaesar.

• Religiousconflict–Anon-religious,evenatheistic,pointofviewcanbedetectedinsomeofShakespeare’sworks.MythologyandsuperstitionsofPre-ChristianGreeceandRomeappearasoftenasChristianreligiousideas.SomescholarssuggestthisisreflectiveofShakespeare’scommitmenttoreformingChristianity/riddingitofcorruption.

• RiseofRealismand theRiseof the Individual -TheRenaissance isoftenseenasatimewhentheorderedsocialstructuresoftheMiddleAgesbegantobreakdown,capitalismbegantotakeroot,andindividual identitybecamemoreimportant.ThisisreflectedinShakespeare’sportrayalofdistinctiveindividualsfromallclassesofsociety.ThenurseinRomeoandJulietandtheporterinMacbethareexamplesofinterestingcharactersbelongingtothelowerordersofsociety,showingShakespeare’sdesireforrealismandinterestinthevalueofindividuality.

• TheValueofFame–AnimportantcharacteristicoftheRenaissancewasanincreasedconcernwithworldlyfame.Manypoets,forinstancecametodesirefame,notjustinthesenseofbeingfamousintheirownsociety,butinthesenseofachievingsomethingthatwouldlastandberespectedbyfuturegenerations.ThisconcernforliteraryimmortalityduringthisperiodcametoreplacetraditionalChristiannotionsofimmortalityamongsomesectionsofsociety.Shakespeare’sworksalsoexpressesthisconcernforliteraryglory.ManyoftheShakespeare’ssonnets,suchasnumber55andthefamousnumber43(“ShallIcomparetheetoasummer’sday?”)describethewayinwhichthesepoemsthemselveswillliveonthroughfuturegenerations.ThisconcerncanalsobefoundinShakespeare’splays.InHamlet,Hamlet’slastwordsexpressconcernaboutthe“woundedname”thatwilloutlivehim.HethereforeasksHoratiotostayalivetoensureheisrememberedwellbyfuturegenerations:“inthisharshworld”,hetellsHoratio,“drawthybreathinpain,totellmystory.”

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WatchforthesecentralidealsoftheRenaissanceinTheTragedyofJuliusCaesar!