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ELIZABETHAN
PERIOD
THE GOLDEN OF PERIOD
 Age of Renaissance/Age of
Shakespeare/The Golden Period

PERIOD– 17th Nov 1558-24th March

1603

STARTED- This era is started from

late 16th century to early 17th
century as it begins from 17 Nov
1558.

ENDED- ended at 24th March 1603.

 ELIZABETHAN ERA
We call this era as an Elizabethan Period because Queen
Elizabeth has ruled over the period(from 1558-1603).
Elizabethan Age is known as “The Age of Renaissance and
The Age of Shakespeare”.

Historian mention this era as The Golden Period of English

Literature because ‘peace’ and ‘prosperity’ were
reflecting in England and ‘art grew’.
Elizabethan era witnessed the richest period in the
history of England. The growth of feelings, patriotisms and
nationalism brought in this age among English people with
an unexampled new progresses.
 The poets, dramatists and prose writers of this age
started writing after taking inspiration from the country of
Europe related to their traditional works and mostly from
Italians.
 “The Age of Renaissance and
The Age of Shakespeare”

Elizabethan Age is known as The Age of

Renaissance. The term “Renaissance” at
first used by the French historian,
Jules Michelet, in his History de France,
which is published in 1855. New idea and
new thinking are brought up in this age
and this is why the age called as
Renaissance.
At first, Renaissance came in Italy around the years 1350 to 1400. The
new idea, information and increased knowledge about science
technology and astrology led to a renewed interest in the
supernatural including witches, witchcraft and ghosts which led to
belief in superstitions and the supernatural powers. So the
reformations from the Renaissance in England are in, political,
economic, religion, society, intellectual influences, and artistic trends,
seen. Not only in literature but in every field, new discoveries are
seen. The introduction of the printing press during the Renaissance
was responsible for the interest in the different sciences and
inventions.
Theatres are also opened again in 1642. Thus, the Renaissance tends
to represent not only the historical movement but also takes in the
beginning of new culture, literary, artistic and philosophical values,
which gave literature a new identity in terms of development.
 RELIGION IN ELIZABETHAN
ENGLAND-

The two major religions in Elizabethan

England were Catholic and Protestant.
 Characteristics of the
Elizabethan Age (1558-1603)
The age of Queen Elizabeth comprising the latter half of the
16th centuryis the golden age in the history of the English
people. It was an age in which theminds of the people
were set free from religious persecution, from fear
ofpoverty and starvation and from the fear of foreign
invasion. It was an era ofsocial, political and religious peace.
It was also an era of great adventure, traveland discovery.
It was the golden age of literature, an age in
which theRenaissance could come to full flowering.
The reign of Queen Elizabeth proved to be a rich flowering
season forliterature. There were various reasons for this
high rate of productivity
 1. Renaissance spirit
The general atmosphere of the nation was charged
withthe spirit of new learning. "Every breeze was
dusty with a pollen of Greece,Rome and Italy” and it
stimulated the intellectual and aesthetic faculties of
thepeople.
2. Reformation
The English Bible was adopted and Anglican Church
becamea reality. The Reformation awakened the
spiritual nature of the people andindependent
theological enquiry resulted in greater moral
earnestness.
 3. Social and Political peace
Queen Elizabeth's wise policy of moderationresulted in social
and political peace. Queen Elizabeth was a true child of
theRenaissance and the people worshipped her for they "rightly
saw in her theincarnate spirit of the nation and the age".
4. Intense Patriotism
There was an upsurge of patriotism which sprang
fromEngland's growing consciousness of her strength, her
pride of prosperity and thespirit of adventure. The English
considered themselves to be the chosen peopleof God and "the
living God is only the English God" became the popular
belief.Elizabethan love of letters had its beginning in patriotic
pride.
 5. Imperialism
England emerged as a naval power and there was an
upsurge ofmaritime activity. The exploits of John
Hawkins, Walter Raleigh and FrancisDrake fired the
imagination of the people. The defeat of the Spanish
Armada in1588 made England the supreme naval
power in Europe. The East IndiaCompany was
founded in 1600 and thus were sown the
seeds of Britishimperialism. In the 16th century the
British began to establish overseas colonies.
There was a keen interest in England's past, pride
in England'sgreatness and hatred of England's
enemies during the Elizabethan period. It wasan
age in which "men lived intensely, thought
intensely and wrote intensely".Hamlet's remark,
"What a piece of work is man!" is the very
epitome of theRenaissance spirit. It was an age
when people were very eager to respond to
theappeal of genius. In short, it was a glorious
age in which men of genius likeShakespeare,
Spenser, Marlowe, Sydney and Bacon could make
their significantcontributions to English
literature.
 THE IMPORTANT WRITERS OF
ELIZABETHAN AGE ARE-

POETS- Thomas Sackville, Thomas Norton,

George Gascoigne, Edmund Spenser, Thomas
Wyatt, Henry Heywood, Sir Philip Sidney, Samuel
Beckett, Daniel Michel Drayton, and so on.

DRAMATISTS- William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson,

Thomas Middleton, John Webster, Thomas
Heywood, John Marston, Philip Massinger, Shirley,
John Ford
Nashe, Thomas Kyd
 PROSE WRITERS-
Sir Philip Sidney, Francis Bacon, Raleigh Hooker, William
Webber

UNIVERSITY WITS-
Christopher Marlowe, John Lyly(Leader of University
Wits), George Peele, Thomas Lodge, Robert Greene,
Thomas Nashe, Thomas Kyd
 REFERENCES
https://prettyeasyy.com/elizab
ethan-age/literature/english-
literature/