ENGLISH RENAISSANCE AND HUMANISM The long and glorious reigning of Queen Elizabeth (15581603) implies the beginnings

of the English expansions on Earth and sea. t !as an epo"h of heroism and learning. Eli#abeth (!ho spo$e %atin& 'ren"h& talian and (ree$) en"ouraged the !ars and plunder expeditions that !ere a sour"e of in"ome of the "ountr). The people of the English *enaissan"e !ere at the same time soldiers& pirates& "ourt persons and ad+entures. The) "ombined in themsel+es different ,ualities- those of the man of a"tion . statesman& na+igator& soldier/ and those of the intelle"tual and the poets. *egarding the 16th "entur) in England it is to be mentioned that the new learning (the interest in classical authors and culture) be"ame full) asso"iated !ith the "ourtl) life and patronage late in the period of Eli#abeth0s reign. n England the "ourt !as "on"entrated on its international and religious politi"s. Though the "ourt supported some humanisti" s"holarship& it !as unable to follo! the European model of arts and learning until the last )ears of Eli#abeth1s reign. The great talian families helped finan"iall) s"holarship and some manifestations !hile in England the earl) "lassi"al learning !as the !or$ and dream of the uni+ersities and s"hoolmasters. The use of 2i"ero1s %atin rather than that of the medie+al "hur"h/ the stud) of (ree$ and e+en of 3ebre!& the publi"ation& editing& "ommentar) upon and appre"iation of texts of the "lassi"al authors be"ame part of a large institutions for forming the grounds of authorit) in human affairs. The talian s"holars !ho "oined the !ord 4humanism5 meant b) it a tea"her of the 6tudia 3umanitatis (language& literature and anti,uities .rom/ gr). The main "on"ern !as !ith a po!erful do"trine religious& philosophi"al and moral. The term is most "ommonl) applied to the "ultural mo+ement in *enaissan"e Europe "hara"teri#ed b) a re+i+al of 2lassi"al letters& an indi+idualisti" and "riti"al spirit& and a shift of emphasis from religious to se"ular "on"erns. 3umanism is the term generall) applied to the predominant so"ial philosoph) and intelle"tual and literar) "urrents of the period from 1700 to 1650. Humanism is a s)stem of +alues and beliefs that is based on the idea that people are basi"all) good and that problems "an be sol+ed using reason instead of religion. t represents a spe"ial de+otion to the 4humanities5 in"luding literar) "ulture as !ell& through the re+i+al of "lassi"al letters& indi+idualisti" and "riti"al spirit. The !ord umanisti deri+es from the studia humanitatis, a "ourse of "lassi"al studies that& in the earl) 15th "entur)& "onsisted of grammar& poetr)& rhetori"& histor)& and moral philosoph). The studia humanitatis !ere held to be the e,ui+alent of the (ree$ paideia. Their name !as itself based on the %atin humanitas& an edu"ational and politi"al ideal that !as the intelle"tual basis of the

entire mo+ement. *enaissan"e humanism in all its forms defined itself in its straining to!ard this ideal. Humanitas meant the develo ment o! human vi"tue, in all its !o"ms, to its !ullest e#tent$ %he te"m thus im lied su&h 'ualities as( unde"standin), benevolen&e, &om assion, me"&*, !o"titude, +ud)ment, "uden&e, elo'uen&e, and even love o! hono"$ 3umanism& then& ma) be a""uratel) defined as that *enaissan"e mo+ement that had as its "entral fo"us the ideal of humanitas. 3umanism "onstitutes a do"trine& attitude& or !a) of life "entered on human interests or +alues/ especially- a philosoph) that stresses an indi+idual0s dignit) and !orth and "apa"it) for self8 reali#ation through reason. Thus !e it represents also an) belief& method& or philosoph) that has a "entral emphasis on the human realm. 3umanisti" "ontributions to s"ien"e "onsisted mainl) in the re"o+er) of (ree$ s"ientifi" literature !hi"h e+in"ed a more a""urate and a""eptable bod) of fa"ts and ideas than most medie+al s"ientifi" !or$s.

%he ,-th &entu"* En)lish men !ho o""upied themsel+es !ith the stud) of "lassi"al
literature& s"ien"e and philosoph)& had all "ons"iousl) set themsel+es to impro+e the ,ualit) of life in their "ountr) b) these means.

En)lish humanism flourished in t!o stages- the first a basi"all) a"ademi" mo+ement that had its
roots in the 15th "entur) and "ulminated in the !or$ of 6ir Thomas 9ore& 6ir Thomas El)ot& and *oger :s"ham and the se"ond a poeti" re+olution led b) 6ir ;hilip 6idne) and <illiam 6ha$espeare. n 6ir Thomas 9ore (17=81535)& 6ir Thomas El)ot (c. 17>01576)& and *oger :s"ham (151568)& English humanism manifested in ma?or literar) a"hie+ement. Eli#abeth 1s reign sa! the last "on"erted expression of humanisti" ideas. Eli#abethan humanism& !hi"h added a uni,ue element to the histor) of the mo+ement& !as the produ"t of poets and pla)!rights. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@.

%H.MAS M.RE /,0123,4546( U%.7IA

t is !ell $no!n and a""epted that ea"h period of histor) has its remar$able e+ents and ea"h literature of the !orld is represented b) its genius !riters !ho imposed their eternit) in different literar) epo"hs. 'or the English 3umanism the greatest representati+e is undoubtedl) %homas Mo"e !ith the boo$ that made him famous immediatel) after it !as published in 1516. :fter ha+ing been published it

"ame out in 5 editions before 15A0& !as translated in (erman in 15A7 and in English in 1551 b) *alph *obinson. The 1st boo$ of Btopia !as !ritten on Thomas 9ore1s return to England from one of his diplomati" missions. ts ob?e"t is to point the "ontrast bet!een a rationall) adhered state in the Europe of 9ore1s da)s. Utopia is a (ree$ name of 9ore1s "oining& from ou-topos (4no pla"e5). 9ore1s 4Utopia des"ribes a pagan and "ommunist "it)8state in !hi"h the institutions and poli"ies are entirel) go+erned b) reason. The order and dignit) of su"h a state pro+ided a notable "ontrast !ith the unreasonable polit) of 2hristian Europe& di+ided b) self8interest and greed for po!er and ri"hes& !hi"h 9ore des"ribed in Coo$ . There (in Europe) all& in"luding the $ings& manipulate allian"e !ar !ith ea"h other. The ri"h English land o!ners dispossessed small farmers of their land in order to in"rease the pasture for sheep and thus the) "reate unemplo)ment. The unemplo)ed persons turn to beggar) and theft instead to die of star+ation. The English ?usti"e instead of using a s)stem of for"ed !or$ as means of punishment adopts the foolish method of hanging thie+es& !hi"h does not in fa"t redu"e their number. 4The sheep are the guilty. Its they that should be punished. t is important to reali#e in this a""ount of the e+ils of his da) as !ell as in the des"ription of Btopia itself& 9ore isn1t a radi"al reformer. 3is +ie! on so"iet) is of an ordered hierar"h). t is the $ing !ho is supposed to $eep order. %i$e the 1st boo$& the And one is put into the month of the tra+eler Ra hael H*thlodeus. t des"ribes the island state that this tra+eler found during the +o)ages that he made !ith his "ommander Ame"i)o 8ess u&i. *aphael tells us about a so"iet) !here e+er)thing is ordered a""ording the di"tates of reasons and nature !here people do not sa) one thing and do another. t is therefore no pla"e and that1s !h) if smth in Btopia stri$es us too mu"h !e must remember that Thomas 9ore is al!a)s sa)ing- 4This happens no!here5. Ceing a true humanist& 9ore shared in Btopia a right and perfe"t !orld in apposition !ith Europe of his time& !hi"h !as !rong& and his fa+orite mode to use iron)& !it and satire as means of ma$ing man to see !hat is good and true. Through dialogue 9ore spea$s in fa+or of the mitigation of e+il rather than its "ure& human nature being fallible. :mong the topi"s dis"ussed b) 9ore in Utopia !ere penolog)& state8"ontrolled edu"ation& religious pluralism& di+or"e& euthanasia& and !omen1s rights. The resulting demonstration of his learning& in+ention& and !it established his reputation as one of the foremost humanists. 6oon translated into most European languages& Utopia be"ame the an"estor of a ne! literar) genre& the utopian roman"e.