Important Writers and Renaissance Literature
The Renaissance was an evolutionary period for the people in Europe. New philosophies such as humanism developed and grew throughout the 13th-16th centuries. These philosophical concepts influenced art and literature of the time. In fact, some of history’s greatest works of literature were created during the Renaissance.
One of the first literary works that contributed to the Renaissance was the Divine Comedy written by Dante Alighieri in 1321. Dante was one of the most prominent developing forces of Italian literature and the Renaissance. The Divine Comedy is a three part epic poem of Dante’s fictional journey into the afterlife. It represents the soul’s journey towards God. The poem was written in Italian rather than Latin which marks the end of the Middle Ages and rise of Renaissance humanism. Through his writing he contributed to the growth of humanism, created new literary elements that later authors adopted, and challenged the power of the Church.
Another important Renaissance literary work is The Praise of Folly. It was written by Desiderius Erasmus in 1509. The essay critiques the practices of the Church and its political allies. It created much controversy and played an important role in the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation.
Niccolo Machiavelli authored The Prince in 1513. The book criticized another important institution; the government. The Prince presented many controversial concepts and theories about politics and power. Machiavelli used the character of “a new prince” that would come to power through deceit, force, and careful calculation. He justified the use of doing wrong things to get power if it meant that that power could be used to do good. Although controversial, it is seen as the earliest work of modern political philosophy. This political thought influenced many leaders throughout history.
The later part of the Renaissance gave way to works such as Don Quixote written by Miguel de Cervantes of Spain in 1612. This was considered the first modern novel and is one of the most readily available pieces of Western literature in history. It was a renaissance humanist critique on how people often chase impractical delusions of idealism and nobility.
The greatest writer of the Renaissance (and perhaps in all of history) was William Shakespeare. Born in England around April 1564, Shakespeare was a playwright, poet, and actor. His works comprise of over 150 sonnets and nearly 40 plays, including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, and many more.