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UNIVERSITY OF ZENICAUNIVERSITY OF ZENICAFACULTY OF PEDAGOGY FACULTY OF PEDAGOGY

Department: English Language and LiteratureDepartment: English Language and Literature

Subject: English LiteratureSubject: English Literature

MENTOR:MENTOR:STUDENT:STUDENT:

Prof. Dr. Shahab Yar KhanProf. Dr. Shahab Yar Khan Naida MerdanoviNaida Merdanovi

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INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

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Humanism and renaissance are two separate concepts, and they should bedistinguished. Humanism is the restoration of humana studia, i.e. thestudies of Latin and Greek language and antic literature, which humanist

rediscover, because in the Middle Ages they were unknown and neglected.

Renaissance stands for great flourishing of literature and art, which ismanifested in different periods from XV to XVIII century in differentEuropean countries. Important difference between the two is thathumanism is internacional and Latin, while the renaissance developsnational language and national artistic personalities of every nation.

What distinguishes English renaissance from all the others is that therevision of antic plays had humanist complexion and not the classicistcomplexion it had in Italy. Also English drama speaks of the problems of

common people, it is about common issues, like education, politicalafiliations and health. It was essentially a massive movement, produced bycommon people and performed in public theatres, and it was a realisticmovement not a metaphysical one. And these are the reasons why somecritics call it Genaissance.

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CHAPTER I

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MARLOWE AND SHAKESPEARE THE RISE OF MACHIAVELLISM

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Marlowe

English drama will remain indebted to Marlowe because he first displayedthe potentialities of blank verse for dramatic use.

English drama had dealt with single-minded individuals before Marlowe'sTamburlain and Dr. Faustus . The struggle inside a character was shown ina morality play fashion, it would be symbolized by conflicting bodies of minor characters, and not as a struggle inside a character.

The theme in Doctor Faustus again is the idea of a passionate struggle toreach beyond the grasp of ordinary mortals. Marlowe gives to Faustus adream of power similar to, but more subtle in design of action, thanTamburlain's.

It is again a conqueror's dream, but one in which dominance is to beattained by fineness of knowledge instead of strength. However, he isnever concerned with carrying on the pursuit of pure knowledge,knowledge for its own sake or for the advancement of humancomprehension.

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Shakespeare

For Shakespeare we can say that he was a true connoisseur of human nature,and most importantly that he was able to show this through his plays. Notonly he knew the true nature of men, but he was also able to show how itreacts to the changes in the society.

The dinamics of the society was changing, and a lot of these changesoccurred thanks to Niccolo Machiavelli and the ideas elaborated in his

Prince.

Machiavelli changed the way people thought about many things, but mostimportantly he accounted much more for the ability of people than for their origin.

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Macbeth

When thinking of Macbeth, most of us think of him as of a murderer andusurper, but is this the only way to think of Macbeth?At the beginning of a play we hear of a great hero brave Macbeth,Bellonas bridegroom and of noble Macbeth , only to hear of him as of adead butcher at the end of the play. Reasons for Macbeths killing the kingare not just the ambition to be the king, but much more serious and patriotic,than it seems in the first place.

Macbeth: this DuncanHath borne his faculties so meek: hath beenSo clear in his great office,.. (I.vii.l.1-3)

But is the king who is facing a war, a rebellion and an invasion at the sametime, a capable king, and having this in mind, can we think of Macbeth as of a

patriot not the usurper.

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Duncan names his son Malcolm as his heir, who is not really a perfect

choice for a king at such critical period for Scotland. Because Malcolmhimself tells us at the beginning of a play about his warrior skills.

Malcolm: This is the Sergeant,Who like a good and hardy soldier fought

Gainst my captivity (I.ii.l.4-6)

The crown in Scotland at that period was not strictly hereditary, so Duncancould have named Macbeth as his heir, because he was much more capablethan Malcolm.

And we all think of Macbeth as the 21st century audience, and it waswritten for 16th century audience, and for them so much blood on the stagewas normal.

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According to Victor Kiernan Iago is going through psychological crisis of a crussader, meaning that Iago is a psychological victim of an unnaturalgrowth of a Muslim in a Christian Venice.

A.C.Bradley says that the hatred is the result of tension of socio-historicalforces, that is the Crussades. Iago is a Crussader, that is a soldier trained tokill the Infidels, and all of a sudden, there is this Muslim commanding over one of the most important Christian armies at that period, and moreimportantly commanding over him. And after everything he has gonethrough he must obey this Muslim Moor, and Iago coming from the societyin which certain prejudices about Muslims were rooted, cannot take thisand he plans to kill the Moor.

The whole play is concieved as a Machiavellian strategy on how to kill theInfidel. And the strategy is Machiavellian because, Iago convinces Othellothat he is honest Iago.

Even though Iago is a true Machiavellian I am not what I am , he is notsomeone who hurts other people so he could enjoy in their pain, because if he was just a remorseless villain he would not have entrapped so manywith his character.

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Thou Nature art my Goddess, to thy Law

My services are bound, wherefore should I Stand in the plague of custom, and permit The curiosity of Nations, to deprive me?...

(I.ii.l.22-42)

In his soliloquy Edmund is addressing the goddess of nature, and she seems the guardian of powers we all approve: strength of mind, animal vigour, handsome appearance, instinctive appetite, impatience withhambug and iconoclastic force .

Edmund is not a devil. On the contrary, he is a normal, sensible, reasonablefellow, but an emancipated fellow, and in his soliloquy he showed us areflection of new rationality which is opposed to the old-fashioned reasonof Lear. His knowledge of what nature is like is a real knowledge of whatshe really is like, and not a twisted image of it in his community.

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CHAPTER II

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Throughout the 17th century Johnson was considered to be Englandsleading dramatist, and by many he shared equality with Shakespeare. It is

even sometimes said that he has unjustly been overshadowed byShakespeare.

But Johnson lacked Elizabethan insight into life as whole, he depicted thehumours of character, not life in its entirety. Also Johnson relied toomuch on learning and detailed realism instead of imagination, and on

classical form rather on classical spirit, the result is that, while Shakespearelives, Johnson is but a memory.

Two comedies The Alchemist and Volpone are Johnsons lastingmasterpieces. They depict characters in the grip of obsessions, usually for love or for money, and the farcical build up of the plays reaches a climax

of deceit and trickery that is unique in the theatre. These plays have beendefined as comedy of humours, where the humour is the principalcharacteristic of an individual. The humours, choleric, melancholic,

phlegmatic, or sanguine, of which the human body was believed to becompounded, determined disposition, and the exaggeration of any one of them gave rise to the comic obsession Johnson portrayed.

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Johnson endows each of his characters with some particular whim or affection, but in Volpone he depicts a master passion, the passion of greed,as it affects a whole social group. The play itself opens with a hymn to

gold which is regarded by Volpone as a saint or deity, and a love of gold pervades the whole play, and all the characters are in love withmoney, property and gold.

But the two main characters in the play, Volpone and Mosca, are notgoverned by a single obsession which excludes every other passion. Bothof them seem to transcend mere miserliness. They treat gold not assomething possessed for its own sake, but rather as an instrument used to

purchase other delights, or as symbol of their genious. For them theessence of man is the exercise of cunning in order to gain wealth.

Mosca is a trickster of an exceptional kind, he has unique ingenuity of mind, and is distinguished from other persons of his kind by awareness of his art as something inborn. Throughout the play Mosca is demonstrating acapacity for counterfeiting roles and playing different parts, while nobodyis able to see through his disguise at any stage.

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CHAPTER III

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MILTON A MAN OF SATANSPARTY

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AAs the greatest writer of the 17th century, John Milton wanted to realizes the greatest writer of the 17th century, John Milton wanted to realizehis long-standing ambition to write an epic poem based upon such classicalhis long-standing ambition to write an epic poem based upon such classicalmodels as themodels as the Iliad Iliad and theand the Aeneid Aeneid . During the seventeenth century, the. During the seventeenth century, the

epic was considered the greatest creative achievement possible, and Miltonepic was considered the greatest creative achievement possible, and Miltonsought to pen the definitive English epic, following conventionssought to pen the definitive English epic, following conventionsestablished by Homer and Virgil.established by Homer and Virgil.

Although he had originally planned his theme around the ArthuriansAlthough he had originally planned his theme around the Arthurianslegends, Milton decided to focus instead on thelegends, Milton decided to focus instead on the Book of Genesis Book of Genesis in thein the

Bible Bible . This is how he created one of the most famous epics in the world. This is how he created one of the most famous epics in the world Paradise lost Paradise lost , which centers on the fall of Adam and Eve and their , which centers on the fall of Adam and Eve and their restoration to Gods favour, and the epic ranges over time from therestoration to Gods favour, and the epic ranges over time from therebellion of Satan and his followers in Heaven to Judgement Day.rebellion of Satan and his followers in Heaven to Judgement Day.

The reasons whyThe reasons why Paradise lost Paradise lost is popular even todayis popular even today , is because its topic is, is because its topic is

not fiction but real hell and heaven, it is about absolutes not about regions,not fiction but real hell and heaven, it is about absolutes not about regions,it is the universal epic epic of human kind, it is the most contemporaryit is the universal epic epic of human kind, it is the most contemporaryepic and it is written in a language shared and spoken by all mankind.epic and it is written in a language shared and spoken by all mankind.Readers have objective correlative, what means that they can findReaders have objective correlative, what means that they can findthemselves in the epic, because it is the epic about mankind.themselves in the epic, because it is the epic about mankind.

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SatanSatanWe can analise Satan through his first four speaches in the epic, whichWe can analise Satan through his first four speaches in the epic, whichfollowfollow their their fall from heaven and their waking up, as a defeated party of fall from heaven and their waking up, as a defeated party of the war against God, in hell. If we accept the opinion, that the first fewthe war against God, in hell. If we accept the opinion, that the first few

lines determine the mind of a character, than we can openly say that thelines determine the mind of a character, than we can openly say that thecharacter of Satan is glorious.character of Satan is glorious.

His first speech is after he wakes in the lake of fire, and recognises hisHis first speech is after he wakes in the lake of fire, and recognises hissecond in command Beelzebub, changed after the war. He forgets hissecond in command Beelzebub, changed after the war. He forgets hissuffering after he sees other suffering, and he takes the role of a leader,suffering after he sees other suffering, and he takes the role of a leader,

trying to raise their broken spirits.trying to raise their broken spirits.

TThe Satan acknowledges only a lost battle and not the war, and through thehe Satan acknowledges only a lost battle and not the war, and through thefollowing lines he not only shows that his ego cannot be won,following lines he not only shows that his ego cannot be won,determination in his plans to revenge, hate because no one can convincedetermination in his plans to revenge, hate because no one can convincehim that God is good, but also that he will never surrender:him that God is good, but also that he will never surrender:

What though the field be lost?What though the field be lost?All is not lost the unconquerable will. All is not lost the unconquerable will.And study of revenge, immortal hate, And study of revenge, immortal hate,

And courage never to submit or yield.. And courage never to submit or yield..(BK.I.l.105-108)(BK.I.l.105-108)

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His firm resolution to do nothing but evil, does not make him necessarilyHis firm resolution to do nothing but evil, does not make him necessarilyevil, because he does not do evil for the sake of doing it, but he does it inevil, because he does not do evil for the sake of doing it, but he does it inorder to oppose God, and it is evident from his own words, which alsoorder to oppose God, and it is evident from his own words, which alsoshow that he is not bad in nature but he is forced to be bad. From this isshow that he is not bad in nature but he is forced to be bad. From this isevident that Milton is not portraying the Biblical Satan, but the Manicheanevident that Milton is not portraying the Biblical Satan, but the Manicheanone, according to Manicheans we cannot distinguish good from badone, according to Manicheans we cannot distinguish good from bad

because they are complementary. because they are complementary. To do aught good never will be our task,To do aught good never will be our task,

But ever to do ill our sole delight, But ever to do ill our sole delight,As being the contrary to His high will As being the contrary to His high will

Whom we resist.Whom we resist.(BK.I.l.159-162)(BK.I.l.159-162)

EEmbattled seraphims are mentioned in Satans speech , and they werembattled seraphims are mentioned in Satans speech , and they werethe angels created to worship God. Through this the Satan shows us thatthe angels created to worship God. Through this the Satan shows us thatGod was unpopular in heaven, when even the creatures which burned withGod was unpopular in heaven, when even the creatures which burned with

passion for God, stood up against Him. passion for God, stood up against Him.Miltons own self esteem, pride and republicanism, are voiced by theMiltons own self esteem, pride and republicanism, are voiced by theSatan, and that is why he is the embodiment of heroic energy in whichSatan, and that is why he is the embodiment of heroic energy in whichMilton believed. Probably that is the reason why Blake called MiltonMilton believed. Probably that is the reason why Blake called Milton of of the Devils party the Devils party

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CONCLUSION

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One of the consequences of the humanism was that the interpretation of theBiblical texts by the church came under the question. People were nolonger willing to blindly accept approaches of the church regarding thereligion, but they wanted to make their own based on their reading and

understanding of the texts. And as a result of the change in the society,which now needed men who were able to let go of the past and focus onthe present, the concept of divine virtue was becoming the thing of the pastand sin became socially expedient.

When all that is said is taken into account it is no wonder that characters

like Dr. Faustus, Macbeth, Iago, Edmund, Mosca and Satan were put onthe stage. For most of the named characters it can be said that they wereliving in moral vacuum, but they were just a new power emerging on thesurface. They faced fierce criticism, because of their daring attitudestoward the world and everything in it. It would be ridiculous to claim thatthey are the first ones who were Machiavellians, but they definitely are themost prominent. Refusing to follow the established conventions of

behaviour, and believing more in the ability of an individual than in Gods plan for every creature, they were demonstrating one of the basic humanist beliefs that the individual matters more than cosmology. It is important tonotice that this did not lead to ateism but to the belief that religion is morethan the forms and rituals performed.

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THANK YOU