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The Renaissance Elizabethan Age

(1558 — 1603) Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry VIII, became the Queen of England at the age of twenty-

 five. That was the time of English enaissance. Elizabethan age is often called the golden age

of England on the grounds that art, music, !oetry and drama flourished.

The dark Middle Ages were followed by a time known in art and literature as the Renaissance. The word "Renaissance" means "rebirth" and this word marked a new step in the

cultural development in Europe in the 15th1!th centuries #eople got interested in the ancient

culture of $reece and Rome% they studied the works of the philosophers% artists and writers of the

ancient times &n the basis of both the most progressive achievements of the culture of the

Middle Ages and the ancient cultural heritage the new outlook began to dominate% the culture of 

Renaissance began to develop The epoch of 'umanism came That ideology was progressive%

 because the main sub(ect of 'umanism was a great interest to human feelings% thoughts% human

happiness and human life

Eli)abethan Age was introduced by prose which developed in several very different forms

&ne kind of style was used at court by ladies That style was very artificial% but it was necessary

for every young lady to know not only *rench but also Euphuism Euphuism was a fashionable

manner of speech The sentences were complicated and long% and while speaking the speaker 

often forgot the main idea of his utterance The style was filled with alliteration and a great

number of similes behind which the reader forgot the thought The word "Euphuism" came from

+ohn ,yly-s novel "Euphues” .15!/15/0% which started a fashion which spread in conversation

as well as in books 2ueen Eli)abeth herself used it

That novel was the first one in English literature 3t was a love story where the characters

were imaginary

The second trend in the development of Eli)abethan prose was 4uite the opposite to

Euphuism Thomas Nash didn-t want to write in such a style and invented his own independent

novel "The Life of Jacke Wilton"  , a story about men of bad characterThe third kind of prose was created by Francis acon% who wrote "Essays”, a composition

on general sub(ect 3t happened in 15! The sentences in "Essays” are short and laconic6 "All

colours will agree in the dark%" or "Revenge is a kind of wild (ustice" 7ome of the sentences

from the "Essays” became famous sayings6 "A wise man will make more opportunities than he

finds8

3n Eli)abethan Age many courtiers became either writers or poets The writing of poetry

was part of the education of a gentleman 3n 155! "Songs and Sonets", a book of poems% was

 published% and it contained a lot of good lyrics by !"att% #$rre" and others

!illiam %$nbar .19:015;0% a great poet of the 7cottish Renaissance% e<posed the social

wrongs of the time 3n one of his poems he called on the merchants who  controlled the

Edinburgh =ouncil to save the reputation of their "nobill toun" by dealing with disorder in thestreets The greatest 7cottish ,atinist and scholar% known as a #rince of #oets% &eorge

$chanan (150:15/;% wrote the history of 7cotland

English humanists dreamed of social changes The most progressive people of the country

could not help seeing the growing power of landowners and the in(ustice caused by it The rich

drove thousands of peasants off their lands and captured those lands% made pastures for sheep

There was no work for the poor A great number of peasants became homeless and miserable

>ool production became the leading industry% but it served the interests of the rich% because the

 poor had nothing The peculiarity of English humanism was that it was both antifeudal and anti

 bourgeois These ideas were best e<pressed by the first English humanist Thomas 'ore

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T*'A# '*RE

(1+,8-1535)Thomas More was born in ,ondon in 19!/ 'e was a welleducated man 'e studied in

&<ford% knew ,atin and started his life as a lawyer ?eing the first English humanist% Thomas

More was e<tremely interested in the reasons of the social evil 'e was an activeminded man

'e wrote articles on social and political sub(ects Thomas More worked in the #arliament during

the reign of 'enry @33 .19/5150% but he wasnt liked by the #ope and the priests on accountof his progressive political views 3n the reign of 'enry @333 .150159! Thomas More was

made ,ord =hancellor% because 'enry @333 had 4uarreled with the #ope and gathered around

himself all the enemies of the 'ead of the =atholic =hurch Thomas More was one of them ?ut

very soon he fell a victim to the kings anger% because he was against the kings absolute power

Thomas More was also against the #opes power in England ?oth were the reasons why Thomas

More was arrested and thrown into prison% the Tower% where he was beheaded in 15B5

E%'.N% #/EN#ER 

(155-15)

Edmund 7penser was born in ,ondon in 155; 'e was of noble origin 7penser began towrite at seventeen and made a great contribution to poetry6 he invented CThe 7penserian 7tan)a8%

a special metre rhymed in a particular pattern6 ababbcbcc CThe *aerie 2ueene8 .15/15: was

written in such a way 3t was devoted to 2ueen Eli)abeth The wonderful music of the lines% the

magic of the sound create the atmosphere of sweetness% though it is rather difficult to read

 because of its allegorical form

7penser praised 2ueen Eli)abeth in his great poem CThe 7hepherds =alendar8 This poem

is written in twelve books% one for each month of the year They are arranged in the form of 

discussion ?esides praising 2ueen Eli)abeth% shepherd speaks on various sub(ects Thats why

the English accepted the book as the beginning of a great literary age

&ne of the beautiful 3rish castles built soon after Dorman invasion .11!1 and repaired by

7ir 'enry >allop in Eli)abethan time was leased to Edmund 7penser3n 159 7penser married Eli)abeth ?oyle and devoted to her his perfect marriage song

CEpithalamion8 .155 and // 7onnets under the title CAmoretti8 3ts worth attention that

7pensers friend% 7ir #hilip 7idney% was also a writer and a poet whose book of sonnets was

 published in 151 after his death

Another poet of those times was 7ir >alter Raleigh 'is poems have been lost% but the

short pieces which remain show his real gift for lyrics6

  3f all the world and love were young

  And truth in every shepherds tongue%

  These pretty pleasures might me move

  To live with thee and be thy love

3n those times comedies and tragedies began to appear rama was born rama was the main

literary glory of the great Eli)abethan age 3t is important to mention the fact that comedies were

much better than tragedies