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The Renaissance

The renaissance, (also known as rebirth), is the name applied to the period of European history that began in Italy during the early 1300's and later spread to many European countries. It was a great cultural movement and a period of renewal, revival, and growth for the people of the era. The changes in thinking during Renaissance happened gradually. New ideas in art, science, literature, philosophy and religion, were developed and advanced by a few individuals.
The English renaissance dates from the early 16th century to the early 17th century. Although this period is commonly referred to as the Elizabethan era, it also includes the Jacobean, Caroline and Commonwealth ages.

Religion and superstition played a big role in the lives of many people as they believed in things like the chain of being and the wheel of fortune. The fact that God was at the top of the chain meant that he played a large part in their daily lives.
In the Elizabethan era it was widely believed that fate was the main controlling force in life, hence many people believed in the wheel of fortune. If a man was at the top of the wheel, he was said to be at the pinnacle of his life. Summer is also at the top of the wheel as it was seen as the best season of the year.

During the renaissance, a movement known as humanism had a great influence on men and their philosophy of life. Although many people believed fate controlled their lives, humanists had great faith in man’s ability to shape his own future. They tended to shift the emphasis from life after death to life on earth. Initially, a humanist was simply a teacher of Latin literature. By the mid-15th century humanism described a curriculum comprising of grammar, moral philosophy, history and poetry.
The rise of humanism meant that there was an increase in literature, especially poetry. In Shakespeare’s time, life was all about romanticizing things and therefore, many poets wrote about their courtly love towards their, ‘mistress.’...