Literature of Renaissance

It took 2 centuries to produce a poet equal to Geoffrey Chaucer. The 100 years war ended, but another misfortune befell the country: a feudal war broke out between the descendants of Edward III in the 15^th century. When the English were completely driven out of France by 1453, the Yorkists took up arms against the Lancastrians and in 1455 the Wars of the Roses began. It was a feudal war between the big barons of the House of Lancaster, wishing to continue the war with France and to seize the lands of other people thus increasing their land possessions and the lesser barons and merchants of the House of York, who wished to give up fighting in France as it was too expensive for them. When the Wars of the Roses ended in1485 Henry VII was proclaimed King of England. The reign of the Tudors was the beginning of an absolute monarchy in England, and at the same time it helped to do away with feudal fighting once and for all.

The poor priest was the poet William Langland and John Wycliffe. They urged to fight for their rights. But the greatest writer of the 14^th century was Geoffrey Chaucer, who was the writer of the new class, the bourgeoisie. He was the first to clear the way for realism (2, 32-33).

The most vivid description of the 14^th century England was give n by Geoffrey Chaucer He was the first truly great writer in English literature and is called the “Father of English poetry”. Chaucer was born in London, into the family of a wine merchant. His father had connections with the court and hoped for a courtier’s career for his son. At 17 Geoffrey became page to a lady at the court of Edward III. At 20 Chaucer was in France, serving as a squire. During 1373 and the next few years Chaucer traveled much and lived a busy life. He went to France, made 3 journeys to Italy. Italian literature opened to Chaucer a new world of art. Chaucer's earliest poems were written in imitation of the French romances.

Sir Thomas More was born in London and educated at Oxford. Thomas More was a Catholic, but fought against the pope and the king’s absolute power. The priests hated him because of his poetry and discussions on political subjects. Thomas More refused to obey the king as the head of the English Church, therefore he was thrown into the Tower of London and beheaded there as a traitor. The work by which Thomas More is best remembered today is “Utopia” which was written in Latin in 1516. It has been translatedinto all European languages. “Utopia is the name of a non-existent island. The work is divided into 2 books. In the 1^st the author gives a profound and truthful picture of the people’s sufferings and points out the social evils existing in England at that time. In the second book Thomas More presents his ideal of what future society should be like. It is an ideal republic. Its government is elected. Everybody works. All schooling is free. Man must be healthy and wise but not rich. “Utopia” describes a perfect social system built on communist principles (1, 50-51).

Christopher Marlowe was a young dramatist who surpassed all his contemporaries. His father was a shoemaker in Canterbury. He studied at Cambridge University and was greatly influenced by the ideas of the Renaissance. Almost nothing is known of his life after he left the University. He was killed at a tavern at the age of 29. Christopher Marlowe is famous for his 4 tragedies:” Tamburlaine the Great”; Doctor Faustus; The Jew of Malta and Edward II.

Marlowe approached history from a Renaissance point of view. His tragedies show strong men who fight for their own benefit. No enemy can overcome them except death. They are great personalities who challenge men and goods with their strength.