RENAISSANCE 1500 – 1600

1. Renaissance means Revival of learning or Rebirth of Knowledge.

(a)    “Man discovered himself and the Universe”

(b)   “Man so long blinded had suddenly opened his eyes and seen”

(c)    There was a shift from Theo - centricism to Anthropo- centricism, i.e. from God to Man.

2. It is also called Elizabethan age or Shakespearian age
3. Renaissance started after the fall of Constantinople (a city of Greece) in 1453 by Turks
4. Greek scholars spreaded in Europe, especially they took refuge in Italy. They brought their unique manuscripts with them. This knowledge created change, first in Italy, later in England.
5. Printing Machine was invented in this period. And books were printed in large scale.
6. Columbus discovered America in 16^th century.
7. Vasco da Gama circumnavigated the earth.
8. Copernicus discovered solar system.
9. There was a new trend in Voyaging, trading, science and philosophy.
10. It was also the start of Colonialism and Nationalism. It also started Protestantism and reformation movement, against Medievalism and Catholicism.
11. Italy became the 1^st centre of renaissance in 15^th Century.

(a)    Dante wrote “Divine comedy” in Italy, against priesthood and God’s Authority.

(b)   Machiavelli wrote “the prince” // Petrarch and Boccaccio were two great poets of this period.

12. In England Elizabethan Prose progressed to a great extent.
13. Elizabethan loved decorative modes of expressions & flowery style.
14. There was a new movement of humanism it means man’s concern with himself - proper study of mankind
15. Man is responsible for his own actions.
16. There was enhanced sensitiveness to formal beauty & aesthetic sense.
17. Martin Luther founded Protestantism, they Challenged the authority of pope and burnt pardons
18. There was also a strong trend of sensuousness. Now the writers started to write about women and women beauty. E.g. John Donne’s Poems.
19. It was also a period of utilitarianism, individualism, selfishism, deceive, double cross.