Describe the main features of european renaissance give four point
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What are the main features of the Renaissance ?
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Main characteristics of the Renaissance include rediscovery, especially through expanded trade, which furthered access to knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome. An emphasis on secularism emerged as well, especially in terms of man. The printing press led to increased knowledge about the past, and the rise of nation-languages, such as English, French, and German, led to nationalism instead of Christendom.
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PHOLLAND14 eNotes educator| CERTIFIED EDUCATOR
The Renaissance was a time of rediscovery. Thanks to successful trading trips to the Middle East, more Europeans had access to ancient Greek and Roman learning. Another thing that accelerated this learning was the fall of Constantinople in 1453. As more Greek and Roman scholars came west, more people were curious to learn about ancient times. While the Church was still quite powerful, literature took on more of a secular tone. Erasmus's In Praise of Folly and Machiavelli's The Prince demonstrate a humanism which was rare in previous works of literature. These works of literature put the works of man in the center; while religion was not entirely discounted, man was the centerpiece. Also, new scientific works were being printed revealing the thoughts of ancient philosophers and medical practitioners. As the trade caravans and voyages became more common, Europeans thirsted for travelogues as well. The printing press made all of these works more widely available, and they were printed in the languages of the people rather than the classical Latin written by clergy and government officials. The rise of English, French, and German languages would also lead to the rise of nationalism within these countries. People began to see themselves as less a part of Christendom and more a part of a nation-state.
Answer:
Characteristics of the Renaissance include a renewed interest in classical antiquity; a rise in humanist philosophy (a belief in self, human worth, and individual dignity); and radical changes in ideas about religion, politics, and science.
Here are some examples of how these characteristics are illustrated in Hamlet:
Classic antiquity: Hamlet has lots of references to classical Greek and Roman stories, characters, and historical events. For example, you can find a murderous king (Pyrrhus), and a queen in mourning over her murdered husband (Hecuba), which mirror the main plot points of the play.
Humanist philosophy: In Act II, Scene 2, Line 311, Hamlet asks: "What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties..." In this speech, you can see a clear assertion of humanist ideas about the uniqueness and extraordinary abilities of the human mind.
Religion: In Hamlet's most famous soliloquy, which begins, "To be or not to be...", he alludes to an unknown afterlife, "The undiscovered country...," which is a stark departure from Medieval religious ideas rooted in a strict belief that people either go to heaven or hell when they die.
Politics: There were big political changes taking place during the time that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. This is reflected in the play by Hamlet's questioning of Claudius's right to ascend to the throne in his father's place. It was a new idea to question anything having to do with the "natural" hierarchical structures that maintained political power.
Science: This point is illustrated by Shakespeare's use of the play-within-the play in Hamlet. Here, Prince Hamlet's play, The Mousetrap, is presented to the court supposedly as entertainment, but Hamlet's intent is to gather obvious evidence of Claudius's guilt for the murder of his father. Says Hamlet: "...the play's the thing Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."