Important topics.

1. Bacon and Renaissance

2. Prose style of Bacon
3. Character of bacon
( Wisest, Brightest, meanest of mankind.
4. Bacon as moralist ( his philosophy of life)
5. Bacon,s contribution to Prose

Most important man of renaissance

Bacon’s “Essays”: A Reflection of the

Renaissance Spirit

The Renaissance
The term ‘Renaissance’ means ‘rebirth’, or more generally, ‘revival’. It was the series
of events by which Europe passed from a Medieval to a modern civilization. The
Renaissance meant a revival of learning, and specially of the study of Greek which broke
down the rigid conventions of the Middle ages. There was a new spirit of inquiry,
of criticism, a passion for scientific accuracy, which was accompanied by a
sense of individualism and worldliness. Its chief features are only too well
reflected in the great prose writer of the age, Bacon. The essays have several features
that show-the spirit of the Renaissance.
Pragmatical Spirit
A very important writer of the Italian Renaissance was Machiavelli, and the
attitude he represents is quite typical of the age. An opportunistic philosophy that
sacrificed high ethical ideals in the interests of achieving material progress, would not
have been possible in the Middle ages but is the common spirit of the Renaissance.
Bacon too teaches no ideal morality; he judges the Tightness of an action by
the results it bears. Man is an individual and an end in himself and this sense of
individualism gave rise to the feeling that he must know how to get on in this world.
Thus we see Bacon advising his readers on how to become rich and
influential, how to rise to high positions, how to exercise one’s power, and
so on. Bacon does not consider it much of a drawback in a man to adopt
crooked methods in order to achieve his ends.
But here another spirit of the Renaissance asserts itself: the spirit of
nationalism. It is to be noted that Bacon advocates even unethical ways but never at
the expense of his country or state. The state is ever important and whatever men might
do must be calculated to ensure the best for the country. Every thing that Bacon
deals with has a utilitarian tone, so much so that even friendship is
considered from the aspect of the advantages it can offer. Petitions can be
granted to the undeserving person too if one likes the person. Compromise and
expediency are the governing principles of Bacon’s advice. This concern for worldly
success is one aspect of the spirit of the Renaissance.
Exploration, Adventure and Political Conquest
There was in the Renaissance a growing spirit of adventure and
exploration. The importance of ‘great enterprise’ is mentioned often in the essays of
Bacon. A country should make efforts at becoming great and powerful, and to this end
should be ready to make war and become a military state. He gives practical advice to
king and rulers on how to keep the subject under control and how to anticipate and
avoid the dangers faced by the rulers. Not the essays of Empire and of Sedition. In the
essay of the True Greatness of Kingdoms, Bacon gives a clear analysis of how to become
a powerful state. Those were the days of naval wars and Bacon writes: “To be master of
the seas is an abridgement of a monarchy.” His attitude towards war and peace is typical
of the age in which there was tendency towards expansion of territory and power of a
nation.
Classical Learning
The revival of classical learning and the study of ancient Greek and
Roman literature and history was a hall-mark of the Renaissance. This
spirit of learning is very much in the essays of Bacon. There are innumerable
quotations from ancient writer that he employs to support his arguments. The several
allusions to ancient history and the references to classical mythology are all evidence of
the typical Renaissance culture. Latin writers like Tacitus, Seneca, Lucian, Lucretius,
Virgil are often referred to and quoted from. There is hardly an essay that is free from
these quotations or allusions. Classical mythology is often used to re-inforce his
arguments. His love of learning is clearly portrayed in his essay, Of Studies, where he
emphasises upon the advantages of books and studies. Many of his essays are heavy
with learning. Note how he substantiates his arguments in the essay, of friendship, with
instances from history.
Bacon was the true child of renaissance. He was the wisest because of his
worldly wisdom, he was brightest owing to his powerful intellect and the art of
writing terse essays, and he was meanest due to his treacherous character. He
was a man of multi- talents. His thirst for infinite knowledge and versatility was
astonishing. He possessed the intellect of the highest order. He was proficient in
Greek, Latin, English, Science, Philosophy, Classics and other fields of
knowledge. He is regarded as the creator of the modern school of experimental
research.
From the above statement it is clear that Bacon was the true child of renaissance. He was
the wisest because of his worldly wisdom, he was brightest owing to his powerful intellect
and the art of writing terse essays, and he was meanest due to his treacherous character.
 He was a man of multi-talents. His thirst for infinite knowledge and versatility was
astonishing. He possessed the intellect of the highest order. He was proficient in Greek,
Latin, English, Science, Philosophy, Classics and other fields of knowledge. He is regarded
as the creator of the modern school of experimental research. He says, “
Man is the servant and interpreter of nature”. The essays are loaded with the ripest
wisdom of experience and observation conveyed through short, compact and terse sentences.
Bacon was indeed an eloquent prophet of new era and the pioneer of modern science.
Wealth of Metaphor and Analogy
Yet another important characteristic of the Renaissance to be found in Bacon’s
essays, is the abundant use of striking figures of speech. The metaphors and similes
taken from different spheres of knowledge and experience reflect the exuberance of the
age. To quote only a few sentences that have this typically rich, metaphorical quality,
1.       “It is heaven upon earth to have a man’s mind move in charity, rest in providence, and
turn upon the poles of truth.”                                                            (Of Truth)
2.       “For a crowd is not company, and forces are but a gallery of pictures, and talk but a
tinkling cymbal, where there is no love,”                                             (Of Friendship)
3.       “...glorious gifts and foundations are like sacrifices without salt, and but the painted
sepulchres of alms, which soon will putrefy and corrupt inwardly.                         
                                                                    (Of Riches)
Curiosity and Love of Travel
The sense of curiosity, and the love of increasing one’s knowledge is what prompts
Bacon in his recommending travel for both the young and the old. The list that he makes
of the things worth seeing are typical of the spirit of the Renaissance, It exhibits the
tendency to know more and more about everything and every place.
An Exception
In one and only one aspect Bacon moves away from the spirit of the Renaissance.
He does not reflect the ages’ pride in the English language. He preferred and admired
Latin to English and in fact thought that the Latin version of his essays would be more
popular. He apparently did not feel with others of his age that English could match the
classical languages.
Conclusion
One can say that Bacon was a writer who represented the most salient features of his
age, the age of the revival of learning and study of the ancients, the spirit of inquiry and
individualism and nationalism.
It is easy to agree with the critic who says of Bacon that he was “the product of the
Renaissance man’s glory, generous or terse, his opportunity of mind and body, his eye
finely rolling across the subtlety and magnificence of the world, his joy in learning,
discovering, weighing, or eating – all this as it existed in Bacon’s mind sifted through
into the essays.”