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WhatWhat wewe normallynormally referrefer toto asas thetheRenaissanceRenaissance inin WesternWestern EuropeanEuropean historyhistorymarksmarks aa breakbreak oror transitiontransition fromfrom thethe

MedievalMedieval periodperiod andand leadsleads towardtoward ourour modernmoderneraera.. TheThe RenaissanceRenaissance embracesembraces aa seriesseries ofofreligious,religious, economic,economic, andand politicalpolitical changeschangeswhichwhich rippleripple intointo areasareas ofof science,science, literature,literature,

andand philosophyphilosophy..

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TheThe EnglishEnglish RenaissanceRenaissance waswas aa culturalculturalandand artisticartistic movementmovement inin EnglandEngland datingdating fromfromthethe earlyearly 1616thth centurycentury toto thethe earlyearly 1717ththcenturycentury..

InIn England,England, thethe ElizabethanElizabethan eraera markedmarked

thethe beginningbeginning ofof thethe EnglishEnglish RenaissanceRenaissance withwiththethe workwork ofof writerswriters WilliamWilliam Shakespeare,Shakespeare,ChristopherChristopher Marlowe,Marlowe, EdmundEdmund Spenser,Spenser, SirSirThomasThomas More,More, FrancisFrancis Bacon,Bacon, SirSir PhilipPhilipSidney,Sidney, JohnJohn Milton,Milton, asas wellwell asas greatgreat artists,artists,

architectsarchitects (such(such asas InigoInigo JonesJones),), andandcomposerscomposers suchsuch asas ThomasThomas Tallis,Tallis, JohnJohnTaverner,Taverner, andand WilliamWilliam ByrdByrd..

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Major English Renaissance figures :Major English Renaissance figures :

W.Shakespeare Christopher Marlowe Edmund Spenser

Sir Thomas More Francis BaconSir Philip Sidney

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John Milton Inigo Jones

Thomas TallisWilliam Byrd

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DuringDuring thisthis period,period, therethere waswas anan enormousenormousrenewalrenewal ofof interestinterest inin studystudy ofof classicalclassicalantiquityantiquity.. RenaissanceRenaissance waswas alsoalso anan ageage ofof

discoveries,discoveries, bothboth geographicalgeographical (exploration(exploration ofofthethe newnew world)world) andand intellectual,intellectual, forfor exampleexampleCopernicusCopernicus.. InIn fact,fact, RenaissanceRenaissance thinkersthinkersoftenoften thoughtthought ofof themselvesthemselves asas usheringushering ininthethe modernmodern age,age, asas distinctdistinct fromfrom thethe ancientancientandand medievalmedieval eraseras..

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Characteristics of the Era:Characteristics of the Era:

TheThe characteristicscharacteristics featuresfeatures ofof thisthis eraera werewere::

1.1. ReligiousReligious andand tolerationtoleration

TheThe mostmost characteristiccharacteristic featurefeature ofof thetheeraera waswas thethe comparativecomparative religiousreligious tolerance,tolerance,whichwhich waswas duedue largelylargely toto thethe queen'squeen's

influenceinfluence..

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22.. SocialSocial contentmentcontentment

ThisThis waswas anan eraera ofof comparativecomparative socialsocialcontentment,contentment, inin strongstrong contrastcontrast withwith thethe daysdaysofof EnglandEngland.. It'sIt's proved,proved, thatthat manymany worksworks havehavebeenbeen influencedinfluenced byby socialsocial backgroundbackground.. TheTheincreaseincrease ofof wealth,wealth, thethe improvementimprovement inin living,living,

thethe opportunitiesopportunities forfor labor,labor, thethe newnew socialsocialcontent,content, thesethese alsoalso areare factors,factors, whichwhich helphelp totoaccountaccount forfor thethe newnew literaryliterary activityactivity..

3. Enthusiasm3. Enthusiasm

It is an era of dreams, of adventure, ofIt is an era of dreams, of adventure, ofunbounded enthusiasm springing from the newunbounded enthusiasm springing from the newlands of fabulous riches revealed by Englishlands of fabulous riches revealed by English

explorersexplorers

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ManyMany historianshistorians andand culturalcultural historianshistorians

nownow preferprefer toto useuse thethe termterm "early"early modern"modern"forfor thisthis period,period, aa neutralneutral termterm thatthathighlightshighlights thethe periodperiod asas aa transitionaltransitional oneonethatthat ledled toto thethe modernmodern world,world, butbut lackslackspositivepositive oror negativenegative connotationsconnotations..

OtherOther culturalcultural historianshistorians havehave counteredcounteredthat,that, regardlessregardless ofof whetherwhether thethe namename"renaissance""renaissance" isis apt,apt, therethere waswas undeniablyundeniably ananartisticartistic floweringflowering inin EnglandEngland underunder thethe TudorTudormonarchs,monarchs, culminatingculminating inin ShakespeareShakespeare andandhishis contemporariescontemporaries..

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