Renaissance

Renaissance in the words of Michelet, the French historian means, 'the discovery of the world and the discovery of man by man'. In the 16th century, Renaissance in Europe means the liberation of the human mind from the authority of the church and the new spirit of enquiry and challanges. Renaissance means the freedom from all blind faith in conventions and dogmas. The Middle age which was dominated by religion, suppressed freedom of thought and freedom of action. But after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the revival of learning occurred when the  greek and the roman writings were studied with great zeal and eagerness. In England, 'New Learning' got a new impetus from the publication of two books- Thomas More's Utopia and The Praise of Fooly by Erasmus. The scholars like Elyot, Wilson and Aschan played their parts in the revival of humanism. Humanistic spirit of the Renaissance was supported by the Reformation which made Protestantism of Martin Luther Triumphant. Also in England, Shakespeare, Marlowe , Kyd and Spenser promoted humanism in their writings and the legacy of the classical literature is upheld.