The Influence of the Renaissance and the Reign of Elizabeth I in Europe

What are the differences between Italian and Northern Renaissance?

The Renaissance that flourished in Northern Europe during the 16th century, was in many ways very different from what happened in Italy a century earlier. The Italian Renaissance was a period of great political instability. In Northern Europe the Renaissance was delayed by the reformation in England was integrated into the cultural life of a society where the power of the Church had already been reduced thanks to thereforms instituted by Henry VIII. This spirit of reform continued during the reign of Elizabeth I. The point of view of elisabettiati was tacitly encouraged by the Queen until the late 16th century when the conservative forces of reform began to take control of Europe. If the Italian Renaissance produced numerous artistic geniuses, the English Renaissance was a period of great expansion of knowledge of a wide variety of fields: literal, moral, philosophical, social, scientific and religious. It is significant that the two universities of Oxford and Cambridge it espasero enormously during the Renaissance. The study of classical culture (as Latin and Greek) which for centuries had been forgotten, was reborn and it was from this revival which is called the Renaissance.

The Rise of Humanism

During the Renaissance the figure and human thought began to take precedence over the divine sphere that had dominated the medieval period, creating a cultural movement called humanism. The human being in this world became the center of cultural and moral context while the women and the colonized were located at its margin. This period was the beginning of a journey towards progress which was made possible by the expansionist policies of major trading Nations in Europe. These policiesinvolved the conquest of other countries like Africa, Asia and America.

The Reign of Elizabeth I

In 1558, Elizabeth became Queen. It was during her reign that the English Renaissance achieved its highest point. Elizabeth's reign was a time of great political significance for England. Elizabeth surrounded himself with advisers who became part of the Privy Council made up of about 20 members. In 1570, Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth. Afterwards there were many plots against her. Elizabeth's reign coincidedwith the beginning of the British Empire. Spain was one of the main rivals. There was also an exploration of new lands, the most famous explorers were Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe and Sir Walter Raleigh brought tobacco and potatoes to England from America.

Elizabeth's Influence on Culture

Despite the huge pressure, Elizabeth never married and was known as the Virgin Queen. She used her chastity as a political weapon to maintain stability in the country.With his charisma, Elizabeth captured the imagination of many poets and writers, a famous example is Edmund Spenser whose epic poet "The Faerie Queene" was partly an attempt to flatter Elizabeth. Elizabeth was considered as the center around which everything turned. Medieval Ptolemaic theory States that the Earth was the center of the universe around which revolved the Sun and all the other planets. The revolutionary discoveries of Copernicus were considered to be subversive. The educated Elizabethan congregated in the private rooms to discuss theories that could not be accepted in public, while the writers were careful to hide the subversive ideas within amoral structure accepted.