Characteristics of The Renaissance Period – Hamlet, Doctor Faustus & Paraidse Lost Book- IX

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Vishva Gajjar
Roll No. 45
Email ID : vishvagajjar27@gmail.com
Smt. S.B.Gardi Department of English
Paper No. 1 THE RENAISSANCE LITERATURE
Characteristics of The Renaissance Period – Hamlet, Doctor
Faustus & Paraidse Lost Book- IX

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Introduction
 Began in Florence, Italy in the 14 Century.
 Location : Europe, France, Holland, Italy.
 It is a period in European history covering the span between the
14th and 17th centuries.
 Meaning of Renaissance in French is ‘Rebirth’.
 Age of Enlightenment to modern history.

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Characteristics
 Reforms in the institutions
 Dominance of reason
 Man-centred society
 Development of Science
 The counter-reformation

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The Era of Renowned Names
 Some of the greatest name in the world of literature
 Dramatists – Shakespeare, Marlowe, Webster and Jonson
 Poets – Sidney, Spenser, Donne and Milton
 Prose Writers – Bacon, Nashe, Browne and Hooker.
 Authorised version of Bible was published in 1611.

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Renaissance features in Hamlet
 Humanist Philosophy : In Act II, Scene 2 Hamlet asks : ‘What a piece of
work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties.
 Religion : Hamlet’s most famous soliloquy which begins, “to be or not to
be”, he alludes to an unknown afterlife ‘ the undiscovered country’.
 Politics
 Science : “ ….. The plays’ the thing wherein I will catch the
………………. of the king.”

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Doctor Faustus as a Renaissance play
 Thirst for knowledge
 Wealth and Exploration.
 Love of Beauty.

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Impact of Renaissance on ‘Paradise Lost’
 Christianity during Renaissance
 Individualism
 Humanism
 Love of Beauty.
 Revival of Greek Mythology

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Conclusion
So, this way we can see the
reflection of Renaissance period in
these works.

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