The Renaissance in Shakespeare's Time

Broadly speaking, the renaissance movement is used to describe how Europeans

moved away from the restrictive ideas of the Middle Ages. The ideology that
dominated the Middle Ages was heavily focused on the absolute power of God and
was enforced by the formidable Catholic Church.
From the Fourteenth Century onwards, people started to break away from this idea.
The renaissance movement did not necessarily reject the idea of God, but rather
questioned humankinds relationship to God an idea that caused an
unprecedented upheaval in the accepted social hierarchy.
Shakespeare: the Renaissance Man
Shakespeare was born towards the end of the renaissance period and was one of
the first to bring the renaissances core values to the theater.
Shakespeare Embraced the Renaissance in the Following Ways:
Shakespeare updated the simplistic, two-dimensional writing style of prerenaissance drama. He focused on creating human characters with
psychologically complexity. Hamlet is perhaps the most famous example of this.
The upheaval in the accepted social hierarchy allowed Shakespeare to explore the
humanity of every character regardless of their social position. Even monarchs are
given human emotions and are capable of making mistakes.
Shakespeare utilized his knowledge of Greek and Roman classics when writing his
plays. Before the renaissance, these texts had been suppressed by the Catholic
Church.
How does Shakespeare's plays reflect the Renaissance?
The Renaissance was a time of re-birth and awakening in Europe. Literature was
starting to grow and change. The Middle Ages were very restricted in what they
believed and what their art and literature was about; which was about Gods
absolute power; an idea that the Catholic church constantly reinforced. However,
once the Renaissance era started, no longer was the literature was very restrictive
and mostly about the absolute power of God. Now literature was questioning man
kinds relationship to God. The Renaissance movement was based on creativity,
culture, and Education of Greece and Rome.
How does Shakespeare's plays reflect the Renaissance?Author Name
Answered by: Amber ,
An Expert in the The Legacy of Shakespeare Category
The Renaissance was a time of re-birth and awakening in Europe. Literature was
starting to grow and change. The Middle Ages were very restricted in what they
believed and what their art and literature was about; which was about Gods
absolute power; an idea that the Catholic church constantly reinforced. However,
once the Renaissance era started, no longer was the literature was very restrictive
and mostly about the absolute power of God. Now literature was questioning man
kinds relationship to God. The Renaissance movement was based on creativity,
culture, and Education of Greece and Rome.

Although Shakespeare himself was not born until towards the end of the
Renaissance, he was one of the first to bring the core values of the era to life, and
he did so through his plays. Unlike the two-dimensional and simple characters of
the pre-renaissance era, Shakespeare created more complex and well rounded
characters that were more believable. He was able to bring hundreds of different
characters to life that were all believable and yet different from each other. This
aspect was truly able to represent the diversity of humanity. Along with these
characters he brought new emotional realism and real depth to his plays. Even
though his plays are centuries old, people can still identify with his characters,
through their desires and short comings, and still have compassion with the
characters dilemmas.
Shakespeare's plays left just as big a mark on the Renaissance as the Renaissance
left on his work. Shakespeare's plays in the Renaissance left an unforgettable mark
on this era and the world, because of his use of complex characterization, and his
use of rich language in his plays. An example of this can also be seen in Hamlet.
First, Hamlet is an immensely complex character whose character is so complex
that no other character in the play is fully able to understand him. Shakespeares
used emotional realism and deepness in his plays, as well created rounded
characters. Hamlet character is another good example of how Shakespeare uses
such rich language in his plays, through Hamlet To be or Not to Be, soliloquy.
How did Shakespeare influence the Renaissance?
A:
QUICK ANSWER
Shakespeare influenced the Renaissance by standardizing the English language and
expanding its vocabulary, deepening the humanity of the characters in his plays
through emotional complexity and using elaborate references to Greek and Roman
mythology in his writing. His attention to the intricacies of language,
characterization and plot became an example to follow for future playwrights and
other writers. CONTINUE READING
The Life of William Shakespeare (15641616)
Within the class system of Elizabethan England, William Shakespeare did not seem
destined for greatness. He was not born into a family of nobility or significant
wealth. He did not continue his formal education at university, nor did he come
under the mentorship of a senior artist, nor did he marry into wealth or prestige. His
talent as an actor seems to have been modest, since he is not known for starring
roles. His success as a playwright depended in part upon royal patronage. Yet in
spite of these limitations, Shakespeare is now the most performed and read
playwright in the world.
Born to John Shakespeare, a glovemaker and tradesman, and Mary Arden, the
daughter of an affluent farmer, William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26,
1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon. At that time, infants were baptized three days after
their birth, thus scholars believe that Shakespeare was born on April 23, the same
day on which he died at age 52. As the third of eight children, young William grew
up in this small town 100 miles northwest of London, far from the cultural and
courtly center of England.

Shakespeare attended the local grammar school, King's New School, where the
curriculum would have stressed a classical education of Greek mythology, Roman
comedy, ancient history, rhetoric, grammar, Latin, and possibly Greek. Throughout
his childhood, Shakespeare's father struggled with serious financial debt. Therefore,
unlike his fellow playwright Christopher Marlowe, he did not attend university.
Rather, in 1582 at age 18, he married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years his
senior and three months pregnant. Their first child, Susanna, was born in 1583, and
twins, Hamnet and Judith, came in 1585. In the seven years following their birth, the
historical record concerning Shakespeare is incomplete, contradictory, and
unreliable; scholars refer to this period as his lost years.
In a 1592 pamphlet by Robert Greene, Shakespeare reappears as an upstart crow
flapping his poetic wings in London. Evidently, it did not take him long to land on
the stage. Between 1590 and 1592, Shakespeare's Henry VI series, Richard III, and
The Comedy of Errors were performed. When the theaters were closed in 1593
because of the plague, the playwright wrote two narrative poems, Venus and Adonis
and The Rape of Lucrece, and probably began writing his richly textured sonnets.
One hundred and fiftyfour of his sonnets have survived, ensuring his reputation as a
gifted poet. By 1594, he had also written, The Taming of the Shrew, The Two
Gentlemen of Verona and Love's Labor's Lost.
Having established himself as an actor and playwright, in 1594 Shakespeare
became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain's Men, one of the most popular
acting companies in London. He remained a member of this company for the rest of
his career, often playing before the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Shakespeare entered
one of his most prolific periods around 1595, writing Richard II, Romeo and Juliet, A
Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Merchant of Venice. With his newfound
success, Shakespeare purchased the second largest home in Stratford in 1597,
though he continued to live in London. Two years later, he joined others from the
Lord Chamberlain's Men in establishing the polygonal Globe Theatre on the
outskirts of London. When King James came to the throne in 1603, he issued a royal
license to Shakespeare and his fellow players, organizing them as the King's Men.
During King James's reign, Shakespeare wrote many of his most accomplished plays
about courtly power, including King Lear, Macbeth, and Antony and Cleopatra. In
1609 or 1611, Shakespeare's sonnets were published, though he did not live to see
the First Folio of his plays published in 1623.
In 1616, with his health declining, Shakespeare revised his will. Since his only son
Hamnet had died in 1596, Shakespeare left the bulk of his estate to his two
daughters, with monetary gifts set aside for his sister, theater partners, friends, and
the poor of Stratford. A fascinating detail of his will is that he bequeathed the
family's second best bed to his wife Anne. He died one month later, on April 23,
1616. To the world, he left a lasting legacy in the form of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and
two narrative poems.
When William Shakespeare died in his birthplace of Stratford-upon- Avon, he was
recognized as one of the greatest English playwrights of his era. In the four
centuries since, he has come to be seen as not only a great English playwright, but
the greatest playwright in the English language. Reflecting upon the achievement

of his peer and sometimes rival, Ben Jonson wrote of Shakespeare, He was not of
an age, but for all time.
SHAKESPEARE'S LIFE
Very little is known for certain about William Shakespeare. What we do know about
his life comes from registrar records, court records, wills, marriage certificates and
his tombstone in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.
William Shakespeare was baptised on 26 April 1564 at Holy Trinity in StratfordUpon-Avon. Traditionally his birthday is celebrated three days earlier, on 23 April, St
George's Day.
SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHPLACE
John Shakespeare married Mary Arden, the daughter of Robert Arden, a farmer from
the nearby village of Wilmcote. In 1556 John bought the main part of the house in
Henley Street which is now known as the 'Birthplace' and their family, including
William, grew up there (see photo). John's principal business was that of a glover,
but he also traded as a wool and corn merchant, and he is recorded in 1570 as
being involved in money-lending.
SHAKESPEARE'S PARENTS
William's father, John Shakespeare, was an affluent glove maker, tanner and wool
dealer who owned property in Stratford. For a number of years he played a
prominent role in the municipal life of the town. He served on the town council and
was elected bailiff (mayor). However, around 1576 John Shakespeare was beset by
severe financial difficulties and he was forced to mortgage his wife's inheritance.
William's mother, Mary Arden, was the daughter of a prosperous farmer, Robert
Arden, who had left her some land in Wilmcote, near Stratford. John and Mary
Shakespeare had eight children: four daughters, of whom only one (Joan) survived
childhood. William was the eldest of the four boys.
EDUCATION
William almost certainly went to one of Stratford's 'petty' or junior schools where he
would have learnt his letters with the help of a hornbook. From the age of seven or
thereabouts, he would have progressed to the King's New School where the
emphasis would have been on Latin, it still being the international language of
Europe in the 1500s. Shakespeare probably left school at the age of 14 or 15.
Shakespeares plays reveal a detailed knowledge of the curriculum taught in such
schools which were geared to teaching pupils Latin, both spoken and written. The
classical writers studied in the classroom influenced Shakespeare's plays and
poetry; for example, some of his ideas for plots and characters came from Ovid's
tales, the plays of Terence and Plautus, and Roman history.

It is not known what Shakespeare did when he left school, probably at the age of
14, as was usual.
MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN
In 1582, when he was 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. She was 26. Anne
was the daughter of a well-to-do farmer, Richard Hathaway of Hewlands Farm in
nearby Shottery. Their first child, Susanna, was born in May 1583. Twins, Hamnet
and Judith, were christened in February 1585. Annes home, now known as Anne
Hathaway's Cottage, still stands in the village of Shottery.
From 1585 until 1592, very little is known about Shakespeare. These are generally
referred to as 'The Lost Years'. But by 1592 we know that he was in London where
he was singled out by a rival dramatist, Robert Greene in his bitter deathbed
pamphlet, A Groats-worth of Witte.
WRITING AND ACTING
Plague broke out in London in 1593, forcing the theatres to close. Shakespeare
turned to writing poetry. In 1593 Shakespeare published an erotic poem, Venus and
Adonis, dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, Third Earl of Southampton, a young
courtier and favourite of Queen Elizabeth.
Shakespeare's earliest plays included Henry VI Parts I, II & III, The Two Gentlemen of
Verona, and Titus Andronicus. The sonnets were also written about this time,
though they were not published until 1609.
In 1594, Shakespeare became a founding member, actor, playwright and
shareholder of the Lord Chamberlain's Men. Richard Burbage was the company's
leading actor. He played roles such as Richard III, Hamlet, Othello and Lear. Under
James VI/I, the company was renamed The King's Men. They performed at court
more often than any other company.
DRAMA IN SHAKESPEARE'S STRATFORD
In Shakespeare's youth, Stratford was often visited by travelling troupes of
professional actors. These players probably sparked his interest in the stage, and
he may have entered the London theatre world though contacts made with them in
Stratford.
We don't know when or why Shakespeare left Stratford for London, or what he was
doing before becoming a professional actor and dramatist in the capital. There are
various traditions and stories about the so-called 'lost years' between 1585 and
1592, a period for which there is virtually no evidence concerning his life.
WEALTH
Whereas John Shakespeare had lost a fortune, his son managed to amass great
wealth in his lifetime.

In 1597, he bought New Place, one of the largest properties in Stratford. In 1598, he
is listed as a resident of Chapel Street ward, in which New Place was situated. In
1601, when his father died, he may also, as the eldest son, have inherited the two
houses in Henley Street.
In 1602 Shakespeare paid 320 in cash to William Combe and his nephew John for
roughly 107 acres of land in Old Stratford.
He also bought a cottage and more land in Chapel Lane. In 1605, for 440,
Shakespeare bought a half-interest in a lease of many tithes which brought him an
annual interest of 60. When he died in 1616, he was a man of substantial wealth.
LAST YEARS
Shakespeare's elder daughter, Susanna, married a physician, John Hall in Stratford
in 1607. Their only child, a daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1608, the year in which
Shakespeare's mother died. Judith Shakespeare, his younger daughter, married a
vintner, Thomas Quiney in 1616. They had three sons: Shakespeare Quiney, who
died in infancy; Richard (1618-139) and Thomas (1620-1639).
Sometime after 1611, Shakespeare retired to Stratford. On 25 March 1616,
Shakespeare revised and signed his will. On 23 April, his presumed birthday, he
died, aged 52. On 25 April, he was buried at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.
Shakespeare's widow, Anne, died in 1623 and was buried beside him.
Shakespeare's family line came to an end with the death of his grand-daughter
Elizabeth in 1670.
In 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death, John Heminge and Henry Condell
(two actors from The King's Company) had Shakespeare's plays published by
William Jaggard and his son, Isaac. This first folio contained 36 plays and sold for
1.
IN THIS SECTION
DISCOVER SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS
Play and performance histories, synopses and more for all of Shakespeare's plays
FIND OUT MORE
PERFORMING SHAKESPEARE IN THE 17TH CENTURY
What was it like to see Shakespeare performed in a 17th century theatre? Find out
how much theatre has changed since Elizabethan and Jacobean times.
READ MORE
ELIZABETHAN LONDON

When Shakespeare arrived in 16th Century London he found a great centre for
entertainment
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Things Fall Apart is about the tragic fall of the protagonist, Okonkwo, and the Igbo
culture. Okonkwo is a respected and influential leader within the Igbo community of
Umuofia in eastern Nigeria. He first earns personal fame and distinction, and brings
honor to his village, when he defeats Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling contest.
Okonkwo determines to gain titles for himself and become a powerful and wealthy
man in spite of his father's weaknesses.
Okonkwo's father, Unoka, was a lazy and wasteful man. He often borrowed money
and then squandered it on palm-wine and merrymaking with friends. Consequently,
his wife and children often went hungry. Within the community, Unoka was
considered a failure and a laughingstock. He was referred to as agbala, one who
resembles the weakness of a woman and has no property. Unoka died a shameful
death and left numerous debts.
Okonkwo despises and resents his father's gentle and idle ways. He resolves to
overcome the shame that he feels as a result of his father's weaknesses by being
what he considers to be "manly"; therefore, he dominates his wives and children by
being insensitive and controlling.
Because Okonkwo is a leader of his community, he is asked to care for a young boy
named Ikemefuna, who is given to the village as a peace offering by neighboring
Mbaino to avoid war with Umuofia. Ikemefuna befriends Okonkwo's son, Nwoye,
and Okonkwo becomes inwardly fond of the boy.
Over the years, Okonkwo becomes an extremely volatile man; he is apt to explode
at the slightest provocation. He violates the Week of Peace when he beats his
youngest wife, Ojiugo, because she went to braid her hair at a friend's house and
forgot to prepare the afternoon meal and feed her children. Later, he severely beats
and shoots a gun at his second wife, Ekwefi, because she took leaves from his
banana plant to wrap food for the Feast of the New Yam.
After the coming of the locusts, Ogbuefi Ezeuder, the oldest man in the village,
relays to Okonkwo a message from the Oracle. The Oracle says that Ikemefuna
must be killed as part of the retribution for the Umuofian woman killed three years
earlier in Mbaino. He tells Okonkwo not to partake in the murder, but Okonkwo
doesn't listen. He feels that not participating would be a sign of weakness.
Consequently, Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna with his machete. Nwoye realizes that his
father has murdered Ikemefuna and begins to distance himself from his father and
the clansmen.
Okonkwo becomes depressed after killing Ikemefuna, so he visits his best friend,
Obierika, who disapproves of his role in Ikemefuna's killing. Obierika says that
Okonkwo's act will upset the Earth and the earth goddess will seek revenge. After
discussing Ikemefuna's death with Obierika, Okonkwo is finally able to sleep

restfully, but he is awakened by his wife Ekwefi. Their daughter Ezinma, whom
Okonkwo is fond of, is dying. Okonkwo gathers grasses, barks, and leaves to
prepare medicine for Ezinma.
A public trial is held on the village commons. Nine clan leaders, including Okonkwo,
represent the spirits of their ancestors. The nine clan leaders, or egwugwu, also
represent the nine villages of Umuofia. Okonkwo does not sit among the other eight
leaders, or elders, while they listen to a dispute between an estranged husband and
wife. The wife, Mgbafo, had been severely beaten by her husband. Her brother took
her back to their family's village, but her husband wanted her back home. The
egwugwu tell the husband to take wine to his in-laws and beg his wife to come
home. One elder wonders why such a trivial dispute would come before the
egwugwu.
In her role as priestess, Chielo tells Ekwefi (Okonkwo's second wife) that Agbala (the
Oracle of the Hills and Caves) needs to see Ezinma. Although Okonkwo and Ekwefi
protest, Chielo takes a terrified Ezinma on her back and forbids anyone to follow.
Chielo carries Ezinma to all nine villages and then enters the Oracle's cave. Ekwefi
follows secretly, in spite of Chielo's admonitions, and waits at the entrance of the
Oracle. Okonkwo surprises Ekwefi by arriving at the cave, and he also waits with
her. The next morning, Chielo takes Ezinma to Ekwefi's hut and puts her to bed.
When Ogbuefi Ezeudu dies, Okonkwo worries because the last time that Ezeudu
visited him was when he warned Okonkwo against participating in the killing of
Ikemefuna. Ezeudu was an important leader in the village and achieved three titles
of the clan's four, a rare accomplishment. During the large funeral, Okonkwo's gun
goes off, and Ezeudu's sixteen-year-old son is killed accidentally.
Because the accidental killing of a clansman is a crime against the earth goddess,
Okonkwo and his family must be exiled from Umuofia for seven years. The family
moves to Okonkwo's mother's native village, Mbanta. After they depart Umuofia, a
group of village men destroy Okonkwo's compound and kill his animals to cleanse
the village of Okonkwo's sin. Obierika stores Okonkwo's yams in his barn and
wonders about the old traditions of the Igbo culture.
Okonkwo is welcomed to Mbanta by his maternal uncle, Uchendu, a village elder. He
gives Okonkwo a plot of land on which to farm and build a compound for his family.
But Okonkwo is depressed, and he blames his chi (or personal spirit) for his failure
to achieve lasting greatness.
During Okonkwo's second year in exile, he receives a visit from his best friend,
Obierika, who recounts sad news about the village of Abame: After a white man
rode into the village on a bicycle, the elders of Abame consulted their Oracle, which
told them that the white man would destroy their clan and other clans.
Consequently, the villagers killed the white man. But weeks later, a large group of
men slaughtered the villagers in retribution. The village of Abame is now deserted.
Okonkwo and Uchendu agree that the villagers were foolish to kill a man whom they
knew nothing about. Later, Obierika gives Okonkwo money that he received from

selling Okonkwo's yams and seed-yams, and he promises to do so until Okonkwo

returns to Umuofia.
Six missionaries, including one white man, arrive in Mbanta. The white man speaks
to the people about Christianity. Okonkwo believes that the man speaks nonsense,
but his son, Nwoye, is captivated and becomes a convert of Christianity.
The Christian missionaries build a church on land given to them by the village
leaders. However, the land is a part of the Evil Forest, and according to tradition,
the villagers believe that the missionaries will die because they built their church on
cursed land. But when nothing happens to the missionaries, the people of Mbanta
conclude that the missionaries possess extraordinary power and magic. The first
recruits of the missionaries are efulefu, the weak and worthless men of the village.
Other villagers, including a woman, soon convert to Christianity. The missionaries
then go to Umuofia and start a school. Nwoye leaves his father's hut and moves to
Umuofia so he can attend the school.
Okonkwo's exile is over, so his family arranges to return to Umuofia. Before leaving
Mbanta, they prepare a huge feast for Okonkwo's mother's kinsmen in appreciation
of their gratitude during Okonkwo's seven years of exile.
When Okonkwo returns to Umuofia, he discovers that the village has changed
during his absence. Many men have renounced their titles and have converted to
Christianity. The white men have built a prison; they have established a
government court of law, where people are tried for breaking the white man's laws;
and they also employ natives of Umuofia. Okonkwo wonders why the Umuofians
have not incited violence to rid the village of the white man's church and
oppressive government.
Some members of the Igbo clan like the changes in Umuofia. Mr. Brown, the white
missionary, respects the Igbo traditions. He makes an effort to learn about the Igbo
culture and becomes friendly with some of the clan leaders. He also encourages
Igbo people of all ages to get an education. Mr. Brown tells Okonkwo that Nwoye,
who has taken the name Isaac, is attending a teaching college. Nevertheless,
Okonkwo is unhappy about the changes in Umuofia.
After Mr. Brown becomes ill and is forced to return to his homeland, Reverend
James Smith becomes the new head of the Christian church. But Reverend Smith is
nothing like Mr. Brown; he is intolerant of clan customs and is very strict.
Violence arises after Enoch, an overzealous convert to Christianity, unmasks an
egwugwu. In retaliation, the egwugwu burn Enoch's compound and then destroy the
Christian church because the missionaries have caused the Igbo people many
problems.
When the District Commissioner returns to Umuofia, he learns about the destruction
of the church and asks six leaders of the village, including Okonkwo, to meet with
him. The men are jailed until they pay a fine of two hundred and fifty bags of
cowries. The people of Umuofia collect the money and pay the fine, and the men
are set free.

The next day at a meeting for clansmen, five court messengers who intend to stop
the gathering approach the group. Suddenly, Okonkwo jumps forward and beheads
the man in charge of the messengers with his machete. When none of the other
clansmen attempt to stop the messengers who escape, Okonkwo realizes that they
will never go to war and that Umuofia will surrender. Everything has fallen apart for
Okonkwo; he commits suicide by hanging himself.
Things Fall Apart summary key points:
Igbo warrior Okonkwo takes pride in his wealth and his titles. He fears failure and
abhors all weakness, laziness, and cowardice. He's embarrassed by his father
Unoka, a debtor.
Okonkwo is appointed guardian of Ikemefuna, a boy from a rival village. When the
Oracle demands that Ikemefuna be sacrificed, Okonkwo kills the boy himself so as
not to appear weak.
At Ezeudu's funeral, Okonkwo's gun explodes, killing Ezeudu's sixteen-year-old son.
To appease the earth goddess Ani, he is exiled to his mothers village of Mbanta for
seven years.
Okonkwo returns to a village plagued by white missionaries and their provincial
government. Okonkwo and other village leaders burn the new church down, but are
jailed and humiliated for it.
Okonkwo kills a colonial messenger, but the divided village fails to rally behind him.
Okonkwo hangs himself, an act that violates Igbo traditions and prevents him from
receiving a proper burial.