RENAISSANCE

Introduction:

The capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453 had far-reaching effects. Scholars left this city and
settled in various European nations. They spread ancient Latin and Greek classics wherever they went. Thus a new
enthusiasm for classical learning and culture developed among the countries like Italy, France, Spain and England.

Renaissance:

The term literally means rebirth. The word usually used to refer the revival of classical learning between
14 and the 16th century. On the other hand, it was more than that. During this period, there developed a critical
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attitude towards medieval institution. Men were no longer willing to accept without question.

Renaissance in Italy, France and Spain:

After the capture of Constantinople, Italian states were ruled by despots who welcomed the Greek exiles
to their capitals and posed as patrons of literature and art. Great Italian writer of the period was Machiavelli. In
France the effect of the renaissance was seen in the lyric poetry of Ronsard, the prose of Francois Rabelais and the
scholarly essays of Montaigne. In Spain, the effect was seen in the works of Cervantes. His “Don Quixote” is the
most beautiful and wonderful gift of the renaissance to the literature.

Renaissance in England:

During the 15th century, Thomas Linacre, William Grocyn and Hugh Latimer went to Italy to study Latin and
Greek classics. They returned from Italy to England in 1490 and established schools for teaching Latin and Greek.
John Colet started St. Paul’s grammar school, completely devoted to the study of classical literature. Other schools
like Christ’s hospitals and charterhouse were started in London. Apart from the study of the classics in their
original, the period of the renaissance was also an age of translation. Virgil, Cicero, Demosthenes and Plutarch
were all translated into English. These translations enabled the readers to experience the Latin and Greek writers’
works.

Thus renaissance in England might have started with the publication of Sir Thomas More’s utopia in 1516.
Later it was translated from Latin to English in 1551. Spenser, the representative poet of the English renaissance,
wrote the first great English epic “Faerie Queene”. A good bulk of romantic drama was written by Shakespeare,
other memorable were Ben Johnson, Francis bacon and Christopher Marlowe.

Inventions and discoveries which helped renaissance movement:

There were certain discoveries and inventions which contributed to the general development of renaissance.
Of these chief among them were the invention of the printing press, mariner’s compass and telescope. The art of
printing was introduced into Europe by John Gutenberg of Germany in 1454. Later it reached in Italy in 1465,
Switzerland in 1461, France in 1470, Austria and the Netherlands in1473 and Spain in 1474. The first printing
press in England was established in 1476 by William Caxton at Westminster. He introduced Latin and Greek
classics at a cheap price, to the English readers but English books were printed only in1483. The invention of
mariner’s compass enabled the sailors to undertake longer voyages. Thus Columbus discovered America in1492.
Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in 1498. The invention of the telescope paved the way for the beginning of the
science of astronomy. Towards the middle of 16th century, Copernicus discovered that the sun was the centre of
universe. Before this, the earth was the centre of the universe.

Renaissance on Education:

The two schemes of education, one devised for the clergy and the other to make a perfect and gentle knight
was found defective. So, a new educational system had been devised. Chief among those who conducted
educational experiments were Comenius, Rabelais and Montaigne.

Renaissance on religion, art and literature:

The renaissance in religion consists of two movements, the reformation and counter-reformation. The
reformation started in Germany by Martin Luther. He translated the old and new testaments into German. William
Tindale gave the explanation of the translation made by Erasmus which enabled the readers to interpret the text. As
an outcome of this, there was a split in the church and those who protested against the supremacy of the pope came
to be known s Protestants.

The names closely associated with the renaissance in art and literatures were Michael Angelo, Raphael and
Leonardo da Vinci.

Architecture was also underwent a classical revival which spread over the whole of Europe. Roman and
Greek styles replaced the medieval gothic style. This style reached England in the 17 th century. St. Paul’s cathedral
in London after the great fire of 1666 was a fine example.