The Renaissance began in Italy in the late Middle Ages and spread to other European countries. Key features included a revival of classical Greco-Roman artistic, literary and philosophical ideals, an emphasis on secular and humanist ideas over religion, and a growing curiosity in knowledge. The printing press helped spread Renaissance ideas more widely. Other forces shaping the Renaissance included increased wealth from trade, the decline of feudalism after the Black Death, and the influence of prominent humanist thinkers who studied classical works. The Renaissance had distinctive national variations as it influenced countries like Germany, England, and France at different times.

1. Q3. What is The Renaissance and its Distinctive Features.
Ans3. Meaning of Renaissance: The Renaissance in English literature boosted poetry and theatrical
drama to new heights. The Renaissance is a French word which means re-birth, revival or re-awakening. The
Renaissance was both a revival of ancient classical mythology, literature and culture as well as a re-awakening
of the human mind, after the long sleep of the dark Middle Ages. In the words of the M.H. Abrahams
Renaissance is “the birth of the modern world out of the ashes of the dark ages.” With the capture of
Constantinople by the Turks, the Greek scholar fled for safety. Most of them came to Italy and started their
studies afresh. This is known as ‘New Learning or Renaissance. The movement spread over other European
countries. England also came under the impact of Renaissance. Renaissance movement broadened the outlook
of people. The influenced the works of ‘University Wits’, Shakespeare, Ben Johnson and it reached its climax
in the works of Spenser, Sidney and Shakespeare. Bacon incorporated the Renaissance culture in his works.
Thomas More’s ‘Utopia’ shows us a clear picture of the Renaissance.
The Renaissance was an era of striking accomplishment in painting, sculpture, architecture, music, literature,
philosophy, science, and technology. It was an age of change in the economics an in the basic structure of
European society. Renaissance also affected the Christian Church. The Renaissance stressed humanist ideas.
Its salient features are– curiosity about more knowledge, desire for unlimited wealth and power, love of
adventures, own country, beauty, humanism and the past.
Beginning of Renaissance = (Renaissance in Italy) :
The Renaissance is considered to have begun in Florence, Italy around the year 1350. Renaissance began in
Italy with Patriarch, Boccaccio, Giotto, Raphel, Leonardo. It carried with it, as it went on reviving the thought,
literature and law of Greece and Rome, romantic poetry of middle age. It made classic literature and art the
main pillar of a new literature and the new art. It began a new worship of beauty, a worship of knowledge,
and a new statesmanship. Old Church was paganized, nudity in sculptures and in paintings was accepted. All
that was beautiful in the eyes of Renaissance as well as divine. The Italian Renaissance gave birth to what is
known as "humanism", i.e. a stress on the human person rather than on religion, man being the measure of all
things. It revered the intelligent, noble and talented man, although it tended to ignore the status of women who
were regarded as somewhat inferior to men.
Renaissance in Germany: The printing press was invented by Johann Gutenburg, a German, in the
1450s. The printing press allowed the Renaissance to spread because it made new ideas available to a much
larger audience. German Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement that spread among German
thinkers in the 15th and 16th centuries, which originated from the Italian Renaissance in Italy. This was a
result of German artists who had traveled to Italy to learn more. The German Renaissance pushed classical
thinking, art. During this period many artists, scientists, and men of the church traveled to Italy. They brought
back these ideals, and help push Germany into renaissance. Germany also became the home of reformation.
Luther began it in 1517 when he attacked the power of the church and Pope. In Italy Renaissance influenced
through the senses but in Germany it influenced through the intellect. The emphasis in Germany was on
scientific intellectualism although England and France concentrated on humanistic literature.
Renaissance inEngland: The influence of renaissance reached England much late – as late as the end of
fifteenth century. Henry VII was, an able king, established a strong monarchy, restored political and social
order, limited the powers of barons. Caxton‘s press, which was established in 1476 in London, was the earliest
forerunner of Renaissance in England. King Henry VIII, who acceded to the throne of England in 1509, began
an era of significant and purposeful changes. . He encouraged trade and manufacturers, and increased the
wealth of the country. He hastened the decline of feudalism by allowing men of low birth to high positions.
Men of talent and learning found honourable place in his court. Edward VI ruled from 1547 to 1553. The
reign of Queen Mary from 1553 to 1558 was spoiled by religious conflicts. Both the Elizabethan and Jacobean
Periods in the history of English literature are also known as The Age of Shakespeare. This span of time is the
golden age of literature. In England, the sixteenth century marked the beginning of the English Renaissance

2. with the work of writers William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, Sir Thomas More,
Francis Bacon, Sir Philip Sidney, John Milton.
England’s Contactwith Europe:
England’s contact with Europe enlarged. Henry VII encouraged trade and established commercial relations
with European countries. He entered into treaties with a number of European countries. Now the isolation of
England ends as it brings in the literary influence. An Italian teacher of Greek was busy in one of the colleges
at Oxford. William Grocyn and Thomas Lincare went to Italy to study with the Italian humanists. On the ir
return they imported Oxford an international reputation as the home of Greek studies. The Dutch Erasmus
came there to study , thinking it no longer necessary for young men to resort to Italy. Erasmus, John Colet and
Thomas More were the pioneer of humanism in early renaissance.
Reasons Behind Renaissance / Forces that shaped Renaissance:
1. Secular Curiosity: One key reason for the Renaissance was the emergence of secular
curiosity. During the long feudal period in Western Europe, education was done through the church. Not
even kings were necessarily literate; those who could read and write learned through the church. This means
that all education was non-secular. The Black Death, and a combination of other factors, led to the decline of
feudalism. With increased trading with the East, new and different thoughts, principles, and ideas came into
Europe, and a renewed interest in secular education came about.
2. Printing Press:Another reason for the Renaissance was the printing press. The invention of printing
press in different countries allowed the Renaissance to spread because it made new ideas available to a much
larger audience. This allowed the Renaissance to develop more fully.
3.New Wealth and the Black Death: Black Death simply “The Plague”, was a disease which perhaps
killed one third of the population in Europe during the fourteenth century. While devastating, some of the
survivors found themselves better off financially and socially. This was especially true in Italy. Some areas
saw struggles between the workers and their bosses, this ‘new’ wealth was often was spent on display items
to get prestige. This also allowed people to patronize Renaissance artists. Italy also saw a great increase in
their wealth from their role in trade, from the same trade ways which spread the Black Death so quickly.
4.Humanism: The renaissance started in the 14th century in cities of Northern Italy. Renaissance Humanism
was a new manner of thinking and approaching the world. It has been called the earliest expression of the
Renaissance. that humanist philosophy stressed the dignity of humanity. Renaissance humanism is a collection
of intellectual Greek and Roman teachings, undertaken by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today
known as Renaissance humanists, taking place initially in Italy, and then spreading across Europe. Some
important Italian Humanists are:
Francesco Petrarca, known as Petrarch (1304-1374) was the Father of Humanism, a Florentine who spent
his youth in Tuscany and lived in Milan and Venice. Petrarch is best known for his Italian poetry, notably his
Italian sonnets to Laura and the Canzoniere and the Trionfi. Most accounts of the Renaissance stress the
"rediscovery" of classical Greek literature, since only a handful of medieval scholars knew Greek and only a
handful of Greek texts circulated in medieval Europe. He was a collector of old manuscripts.
Leonardo Bruni (1369-1444) wrote a biography of Cicero, encouraged people to become active in the
political as well as the cultural life of their cities. He was a historian who today is most famous for The History
of the Florentine Peoples.
Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375): was an Italian writer, poet, and an important Renaissance humanist.
Boccaccio wrote a number of notable works, including The Decameron and On Famous Women. As a poet
who wrote in the Italian vernacular. Boccaccio's work is considered to be the best prose of the Renaissance.

3. Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529) : He was a great man and a big influence in the Italian Renaissance.
In 1528, the year before his death, the book for which Castiglione is most famous, The Book of the Courtier
was published. The book was more concerned with the details of correct behaviour in polite society than with
courtly manners.
5. Peace and War: Both periods of ‘peace and war’ credited Renaissance to spread and become a European,
then global. For instance, the end of the Hundred Years War between England and parts of France resulted
rise of Renaissance ideas to enter these nations. And the involvement of France in wars within Italy resulted
the spread of the Renaissance to that nation.