Renaissance literature : Comparison with other ages.

∆  COMPARISON BETWEEN THE ELIZABETHAN AGE AND PURITAN AGE :-

•Historical context:

• The Elizabethan era is the tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Qeen Elizabeth (1558 to 1603). And is considered by many historians to be the golden age . This era also known as Renaissance age. And the age of Shakespeare.

• The Puritan age began during the year (1625 to 1660) . The Puritan age also known as age of Milton. The Puritan age is marked by the decline of Renaissance age the age of revival of knowledge , Puritan age is further devided into two classes; the Jecobean period in which James I was  the ruler. Coroline period in which Charles I was the ruler.

• comparison between social context of the Elizabethan age and Puritan age :

    ° The Elizabethan age contrasts sharply with the previous and following reign. It  was a brief period of internal peace between the English Reformation and the religious battles between Protestants and Catholic and then the political battles between parliament and the monarcy that engulfed the remainder of the seventeenth century.

     ° The plain and simple colonial clothing was a public expression of the beliefs of the Puritan which encompassed the notion of simplicity. Puritans practised strictness and austerity in their religious , lifestyle and conduct . The colonial clothing warn by Puritan men and women reflected their beliefs in austerity.

 • Comparison between literature of Elizabethan age and Puritan age :

       ° The Elizabethan literature is generally inspiring it throbs with youth ,hope and vitality.

        ° While Puritan age speaks about sadness , gloom and passimism.

          ° The English Renaissance saw the flowering of poetry , music and literature. The era is most famous for theatre as William Shakespeare and many others composed play that broke free of England's past style of theatre . It was age of exploration and expansion.

         °    The writing style of the Puritan age was predominantly plain with simple sentences and language. Metaphorical construction where in limited use and excessive ornamentation or dramatic appears were discourage . Symbolism from scripture was used to make the sermons etc. impactful , the use of Greek Mythology. And Puritan writers used common themes include religious and political idealism.

      ° The Puritan age lost the romantic impulse of youth and become critical and inteleintell it makes us think rather than feel  deeply .

  • Comparison between characteristics of the Elizabethan age and the puritan age:

Elizabethan age                 Puritan age

(1) Religious Tolerance    (1) Breaking up of

(2) Social content ,                   old ideals

      Intellectual prograce.   (2) Mediaeval

(3) The age of proge and           standards of 

        Verse.                                     Chivalry.

•Great authors of the Elizabethan age and the puritan age:

° Elizabethan age: 

(1)  William Shakespeare

(2) Been Jonson

(3) Francis Bacon

° Puritan age:

(1)John Donne

(2) George Herbert

(3)John Milton

(4) John Bunyan

∆ Comparison between the Renaissance age and the Restoration age :-

• The Restoration age begin with 1660 to 1700. And this age also known as The age of French influence. It seems a curious contradiction , at first glance to place the return of Charles II at the beginning of modern England.

   This age also known as the Neo - classical period. Writers of the time placed great emphasis on the original writing produced by classical Greek and Roman literature.  The literature of the period imitate of the age of  Caesar Augustus.

•  The Elizabethan age also known as golden age of English literature and the Restoration has the great crisis in English history.

• Comparison between the Drama of Restoration age and the Elizabethan age :

 ° Genre in Restoration drama is peculiar authors labelled their work according to the old tags , "comedy " and " drama " and specially " history " , but these day defied the  category . From 1660 onwards , new dramatic genres arose mutated and intermixed very repidly . In tragedy , the leading style in the early Restoration period was the male dominated heroic drama , exemplified by  John Drydon's  " The conquest of Granada (1670 ) and  Aureng- zebe (1675) which created powerful , aggressive masculine heroes and their pursuit of glory both as ruler and conquerors and as lovers.

• Same of the most important playwrights come from the Elizabethan age , including William Shakespeare ,Been Jonson and Christopher Marlow. These playwrights wrote play that were petterned on numerous previous , sources including Greek tragedy , seneca's play , Attic drama , English miracle plays , morality plays and interludes.

• the Restoration period witnessed news become a comodits , the essay develop into a periodical art form and the beginning of textual criticism.

• Elizabethan age come some of the most highly respected play in Western drama.

• POETRY :

° The poetry of Restoration period was formal , intellectual satirical , realistic and written in heroic coplet of which  Dryden was the supreme master. His poetry can be convenient devided under three head : 

(1)  Political satires

(2)  Doctrinal poem

(3)  The fables

° .In Elizabethan age lyrical and narrative poetry were also very common . Poetry and verse play were majorly written in blank verse. The themes  of Nationalism ,Humanism  and patriotism dominated both poetry and drama.

• Comparison between characteristics of the Elizabethan age and the Restoration age :

°  Restoration period :

(1)  Rise of Neo - Classicism

(2)   Imitation of the ancient masters

(3)    Realism and formation

(4)   correctness and appropriateness

 ° Renaissance period

(1) Religious Tolerance

(2) Ege of proge and verse

• mejor authors of the Restoration age : 

  

 (1)  John Drydon

 (2) John Milton

 (3) William Congreve

∆ Comparison between the Elizabethan age and the Romantic age :-

•The Romantic era also known as the Romanticism. The Romantic period begin from 1800 to 1850.


• Romanticism was an artistic , literary , musical and intellectual  movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century.

° This age also called the age of enlightenment.

• Romantic writers were much  more interested in nature. They respect nature. We found recurrent themes in the evolution or criticism of the past cult of sensibility with its emphasis on women and children, the isolation of the artist or narrator.

• Characteristics of the romantic age : 
     (1)  Nature
     (2)  The French revolution
     (3)  Interest in the Rustic/ pastoral life
     (4)  Heroism
     (5)  Sense and sensibility
     (6)  Emotion

• The writers of the Romantic age :

     ° William Wordsworth
     ° Lord Byron
     ° William Black
     ° John Keats
     ° Coleridge

∆ Comparison between the Elizabethan age and the Victorian age :-

 • The Victorian age begin during the year 1837 to 1901 to the reign of Qeen Victoria.

   °  This age also known as age prose and novel.

    • The characteristics of the Victorian age :
      
       During the Victorian age we find out so many characteristics like ,
        (1) Serialization
        (2)  Industrialization
        (3)  science vs. Religion
        (4)  The woman question

° During the Elizabethan era  , prose  , fiction was non-existent . Fiction meant poetry or drama . It was the Victorians and the introduction of the printing press that introduce the novel as medium.

°   The English language was spoken in both era.

°.    Victorian believe that literature had to  "instruct " society . Victorians shied away from  " supernatural " elements .

 °   During the Elizabethan era it was only the very rich who could afford the books . All the literature at the time catered to the upper class since no one else would be buying . When the victorian came about the growing. Power of the middle class along with the improved literary and the printing press , meant there was a  market for middle class readers .

 •. The writers of the victorian age :

       (1) William Butler Years . 
       (2) Robert Browning
       (3) Thomas Hardy
       (4)  Samuel Butler
      

∆  A brief introduction of  Rudyard Kipling :-

         • Joseph Rudyard Kipling :

        ° Born  : 30 December 1865 , Bombay  ,                            India .
        °  Died : 18 January 1936 , London ,                                  England .

• Life of Rudyard Kipling :
           
             Rudyard Kipling was English journalist , short story writer  , poet and novelist . He was born in India.

            His father John Lockwood Kipling  was professor of architectural sculpture at the Bombay School of Art . In 1871 Kipling was sent to England for his education.

            Most of his childhood was unhappy . He faced many trouble in his life with difficult experience in his childhood and later , the death of his daughter and son to unfortunate incident .
   
      In 1892 Kipling married with Caroline Balestier.

   • Writing style of Kipling :
         
         Kipling's writing style is very imaginative , patriotic and humanistic . His literature represent life and political elements from earlier literature period. Work that is filled with magical aspects of nature .
         At the beginning of the first world war  (1914 -1918 ) , like many other writers Kipling wrote pamphlets and poems enthusiastically , supporting the UK war.

• Notable works for Rudyard Kipling :

       °  "The jungle book "(1894)
      °   "Kim " (1901 )
       ° " If-" (1910)
      °  " Gunga Din " (1890)
      ° "The God's of the copybook                               headings  " (1919)

• In 1907 he was awarded the Nobel prize     in literature.


       

Thinking activities

Question 1

How far do you agree with Plato's   to freedom of expression and artistic liberty enjoyed by creative writer nane text ( novel , play ,poems , movie , TV soaps etc. Which can be rightfully objected and banned with reference to Plato's objection)


                    Yes, sometimes I agree with Pleto's objection to freedom of expression and artistic liberty enjoyed by creative writers. Here we find three main objection to poetry are (1) the point of view of education (2) from philosophical point of view and (3) from moral point of view. Another objection is that it is often viewed as potraying either male dominance or female exploitation.  People argue that this should not be the way the world works , therefore it is not truth.

                        Here I would like to put one TV soap KUMKUM BHAGYA. Is an Indian soap opera created and produced by Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms for Zee TV.

                   

This story about  Pragya (Sriti Jha) and Abhi (Shabir Ahluvalia) . The pivotal characters of this show are strong, feisty women , leaving together in an all female matriarchal family. In this serioul we find out the whole story surrounding Pragya and Abhi . And  it is not gives any types of moral. We see that many events are repeating. And this serioul is not followed any rules and regulations of Pleto's theory. And we can not find out exect purpose of this serioul.

( Wikipedia)

Question 2

Which reference to the literary texts you have studied during B.A programme write brief note on the texts which followed Aristotelian literary tradition. (i.e.his concept of it tragedy catharsis , tragic hero  with hamartia etc.) 

According to Aristotle:

         "Tregedy, then is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude; in the language embellished with each kind of artistic ornaments . The several kinds being found in separate part of the play; in the form of action not of narrative through pity and fear  effecting the proper purgation catharsis of these and similar emotions."

 Catharsis means:

          "Purification , purgation , moderating or tempering of the passions , fulfillment or satisfaction." 

                             

              Here I would like to put the tregedy by Arthur Miller's " All my sons".It follows all rules of Aristotle's treged.Miller has been concerned in the most of his play  socio - economic aura of the  " Depression Age" of the American civilization.In All My Sons, Miller deal with the theme of materialism , wartime profiteering , and man's relationship and compulsion society above beyond the concerns of his own family.

                     

              

             Plot is the logiscal structuring of event. If should be complite and a perfect unit having traceble beginning , middle and end.

                   Arthur Miller's  All my sons (1947) is to be viewed in the light of Aristotle's dramaturgy. By implications , reader everything except the conclusion that is the sucied of the hero  Joe Keller,all the three act of the play are dovetail to a large event. The principle of eikos and ananke spoudaios ,time ,anagnorisis , hamartia , pity and fear catharsis can be explained with reference to All My Sons.Joe is man like us. He is not a king or renowed soldier.His pride proved him tregic.  At the end of the play we find Joe realised that all accident met pilots were his sons materialized fully with the estrangement of Chris and Kate. We feel pity for his nerrow mindedness.

(https://www.arcjournals.org)

Question 3

With reference to the literary texts you have studied during B.A programme write brief note on the text which did not followed Aristotle literary tradition.

                     During B.A  programme we was studied this three tregedy ,

            

              (1) Othello

              (2) All My sons

              (3) Tughalaq

  But these all tregedy followes the objection of Aristotle. The All My Sons followes the rule of plot and tragic hero with terms of hamartia and many characteristics.  Othello also  with complex plot ,tragic character and unity of action the beginning ,the middle and the end. And Tughalaq is a one historical play  with tragic end. In Tughalaq we find that beginning of the play the great Tughalaq and at the end of the play we find the mad Tughalaq.

Question 4 

Have you studied any tregedies during B.A programme ?who was / were the tregic protagonist' sin those tragedy? What was their hamartia

             Yes , we have studied the tregedy during our B.A  programme which is Othello by William Shakespeare. 

               

       Othello is a tregic hero with hamartia. The protagonist of the tregedy is a tregic figure because he is a man of great charactera and some virtues  but being  about his own doom due to a tragic flow.  As a tregic character Othello " error of judgement" lies in his faulty understanding of innocent people like his wife.

In the beginning of the tregedy we find

Power of his speech ,gentleness  ,reasonable , patient that's why he wins wife Desdemonas heart . But as a typical tragic character Othello has terrible fault (hamartia)  and at the end of tragedy Othello became madly jealous that's why he killed his innocent Desdemona .

Question 5 

Did the plot of those tragedy flow necessary rules and regulations proposed by Aristotle.(like chain of cause and effect, principle of probability and necessity) 

         We all know that the plot is very important figure of tragedy. According to Aristotle " plot is soul of tragedy" and Aristotle defines  plot as the " harmonious arrangement of the incident ". And in the tregedy plot must be with a beginning ,mid mid and the end. Another thing is the plot must be complite having unity of action. And Aristotle talk two kind of plot:  (1) simple and (2) complex.

              

           In All My Sons we see that the plot as a beginning has a few tragic element that are displayed in third part. All My Sons is the play which is complex plot because the play is about the character of Joe keller. All three act of the play are dovetailed to a large extent. The play about the chequered career of Joe Keller. In this play character Larry  elder brother of Chris is lost perhaps dead . And Joe Keller the catalyst in his tragedy is a businessman ,ships out defective rather cracked cylinders heads of P -40 airplane consequences 21 pilots lost their lives.

                At the end Larry's suicide is tragic because Larry recognize that the lives of the soldiers are meaninglessto those in charge. He sends Ann  the letter to let her know that he is sacrificing his life as a statement against the nature of war . Finally at the end of the play Joe 's suicide is a tragic because it is all he can do in the face of having admitted his past. And we feel pity for his nerrow mindedness.