Elizabethan Age

Introduction:

           Elizabethan Age is generally regarded as the greatest Age in the History of English Literature. W.J.Long writes about this period.

"After the reigns, if Edward, and Mary, with defeat and humiliation abroad and presentations and rebellion at home, the occasion of popular sovereign was like the sunrise after a long night."  

In the words of Milton we suddenly see England.

"A Nobel and pleasant nation, rousing herself, like a strong man after sleep and shaking her invincible locks."

The Elizabethan Age is rightly called the 'Golden Age' in the History of England. England made astonishing progress in all fields of National Life with the accession of Queen Elizabeth on the throne of England in 1558 the whole country blossomed like a flower. In England the Age of Queen Elizabeth is also known as the Age of 'Renaissance', Denotes its broadest sense and the gradual enlighten of human mind after the darkness of the Middle Ages. Renaissance means Re-Birth or Re-Awakening. Which come to 

According to Taine,

"The essence of the whole movement was that man so long blinded, had suddenly opened his eyes and seen."

Renaissance had its Birth in Italy in the 14^th and 15^th Centuries. The Italian scholars are spread it all over Europe, Germany, France and England. In England the Elizabethan period was the Manhood of the Renaissance which produced geniuses like Shakespeare, Marlowe, Spenser, Sidney and Ben Jonson.

Age of New Classicism :

            During the Elizabethan Age there was the revival of classical learning. The study of the classical authors became a passion with the people of this age. They turned to Greek philosophy and poetry for nourishment the new classical influences were a great benefit. They tempered and polished the earlier rudeness of English literature. Greek philosophical thought had deeply affected the Renaissance thought Spenser is influenced by Greek philosophic thought. One of the purposes of the new poetry of the Renaissance was to popularize among the people the treasure of the Classical Philosophers, Poets and Authors. The Classical Thoughts,

"For Soul is frame and doth the bodied make therefore wherever that thou dost behold a comely corpse, write beauty faire endowed know this far. Certain that the same doth hold, a beauteous Soul, with fair conditions thawed fit to receive the seeds of virtue and strewed for all that is faire is by nature Good!"            

Age of New Romanticism :

            

          The Supreme Romantic Movement in English literature is the Renaissance. It had brought about a transformation not only in English but also in European life. The Romantic quest is for the remote the wonderful and the beautiful places were seen. All these desires were abundantly come out during the Elizabethan Age so far as the Romantic spirit is concerned Spenser, Marlowe and Shakespeare were masters. Mark the aesthetic quality in the speech of 'Doctor Faustus',

"Was this the face, that launched a thousand ships, And burnt the topless towers of Ilium? Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss. Come Helen, come, give me my Soul again Here will I dwell for heaven; is in these lips."

The Spirit of Independence :

            In spite of borrowing from abroad, the authors of this age showed a spirit of Independence and creativeness Shakespeare borrowed freely but by his creative imagination he transformed the dross in to gold. Spenser introduced the Spenserian Stanza revolutionized the medium of drama by presenting his plays in an impressive blank verse.

Age of the Development of Drama :

            Elizabethan Age has produced the greatest Dramatist of world literature. In the respect of drama  Legouis remark :

"The soil was fertilized by a deep level of translation by 1579 many of the great books of    ancient and modern times had been translated in to English, almost all of them by 1603. The end of Elizabethan's reign some of these translation formed current reading and some became as popular as the best writing of English Authors".  

Marlowe has been called "the true child of Renaissance". In his four plays 'Tamburlaine', 'Dr. Faustus', 'The Jew of Malta', 'Edward II',. We notice a full blooded expression of the entire age with all its new aspiration, hopes and dashing adventure.

Age of The Popularity of Poetry :

            Elizabethan Age is termed as the nest of singing birds as the songs, lyrics and sonnets were produced in poetry of numbers. It was the flowering of poetry. Poetry enjoyed its heyday during the Elizabethan Age. The Whole Age lived in a state of poetic fervor. In versification there was a marked introduced in poetry by Spenser especially in his 'The Fairie Queen'. Shakespeare was the greatest sonneteros of the age his sonnets were devoted to William Herbert and a Dark Lady :

"Loving in truth and faith in verse my love to show that she! dear she might take some pleasure of my p' n".

Development of Prose and Novel :

For the first time prose to the position first rate importance in the view of Seccombe and Allen :

"Even the development of poetical drama between 1579 to 1629 is hardly more extra. Ordinary than the sudden expansion of English prose and its adoption to every literary requirement" 

English Novel made its first proper appearance during this age. It was the greatness of Bacon as a Stylist that he set up a model of writing prose particularly in "Essays" which avoided the prevailing defects of the English prose style. During the latter half of the 16^th century a number of Prose romance is Rich and Ornate.            

               

Factors Responsible For Renaissance

Religious Tolerance:

            The most important characteristics of the Age was comparative Religious tolerance which was due largely to Queen's influence upon her occasion. Elizabeth found the hole kingdom devices divided against its self the North was largely. Catholic, while Southern country were the followers of Protestant. The Queen Elizabeth favored both the Religious party and would saw with amazement Catholic and Protestant. Acting together as trusted counselor of great sovereign.

Social Contentment :

            It was an Age of comparative Social Contentment in strong contrast to the previous period increasing trade brought enormous wealth to England. The improvement in living, The opportunities for labor, The new Social Contentment this are also the factors which help for. The new literary activity during the new Elizabethan Age.

Age of Adventure :

            The Renaissance and the new learning had lead to a spirit of Adventure. This spirit was given freedom by the political peace and unity.

"Adventure's of the mind lead to Splendid literature, music and art. Adventure's of the body resulted in the exploration of the oceans and the discovery of farm lands."

Revival of Learning :

          The scholars from Italy brought with them books of great Greek and Latin writers. The young student's of Oxford and Cambridge Universities studied the great work of literature. A new wave of learning swept the whole of England. The invention of printing press helped in making the books available to the middle class people of England. The study of classical Authors became a passion for the people of England.

Humanism and Reformation :

            The re-discovery and re-interpretation of antiquity gave birth to a new culture that of Humanism. The Humanist started taking interest in classic literature.

            

       The Reformation work which began in the time of Henry 7 reached to its culmination during the Elizabethan Age the literature of this period reflected the social and political Reformation. Thomas Moore's 'Utopia', Bacon's 'The New Attants' and his essays and Spenser's 'The Fairie Queen all suggest Reformation.

National Spirit and Patriotism :

Taine rides in his History of England,

"The soul of Elizabeth's England was its national spirits."

 Men were no equal but they were free men of different social groups and even men of different religious opinions work willing to come together in order to defend against the threats from inside and outside country. The defeat of Spanish Arcadia brought about the revival of Nationalistic and patriotic feeling among the people of this time.

            To, conclude, we can say that the Elizabethan Age was Rich in literary productions of all kinds. In the Elizabethan Age pamphlets and treatise were freely written Art and literature can grow only n an atmosphere of peace, order and prosperity. The Elizabethan Age provided this favorable atmosphere to a remarkable degree. As a result the Elizabethan Age excelled in producing all forms of literature of the highest quality. Thus, we can say that the Elizabethan Age remarks unsurpassed in all respects in the History of England.