English Literature

 Elizabethan (1558-1603),
 Jacobean (1603-1625),
 Caroline (1625-1649),

THE RENAISSANCE  The Commonwealth

(1649-1660)

1500 - 1660
 Characteristics of the Period and the Term
Renaissance - Rebirth
 The activity, spirit, or time of the great revival of art, literature, and learning in Eur
ope.
 It began in the 14th century in Italy and extended to the 17th century all over the
Europe, marking the transition from the medieval to the modern world.

 Elizabethan Age is in the same period with Renaissance so it is also known as The Age
of Renaissance.

 It is also considered to be the transition from revelation to secularism.

 The beginnings of modern English

 Characteristics of the Period and the Term
The Renaissance (Rebirth)

 The new impulse for learning

 Humanist philosophy was adopted.
 Strong English Nationalism.
 The Printing Press was invented by Gutenberg in Germany. Nearly 70 years later it was used
first time by William Caxton in Westminster, England.
 Emphasis on classical studies.
 Increasing literacy among ordinary people.
 Growth of a critical, skeptical type of scholarship, leading to sci­entific inquiry.
 Increasing trade leads to individual wealth. general prosperity, nationalism, and
materialism.
 Gradual movement from unquestioned religious beliefs towards a more human-
centered philosophy.
  Characteristics of the Period and the Term
The Renaissance

• Though the renaissance began in 1453, its effect on English life and
literature was felt after 1500.
• For this reason it is generally accepted that renaissance period
began with the beginning of the 16th century and continued till the
Restoration in 1660.
• This period is called the Renaissance period because renaissance
spirit was the main force that characterized the literature of this
time.
• This period of 160 years is subdivided into four shorter ages
according to the names of the political rulers:
  Elizabethan (1558-1603),
 Jacobean (1603-1625),
 Caroline (1625-1649),
The Renaissance  The Commonwealth (1649-1660)

Elizabethan Age (1558-1603)  Elizabeth I introduced Anglicanism to settle

religious problems. It has a long history. In the
• This era was the period of new ideas and new 16th century Martin Luther of Germany and
thinking. Various other works like fine arts endured Zwingly and Calvin of Switzerland protested
support and assistance from the Queen. Due to the
Queen’s support and patron, the works of that time
against the autocracy of the then Pope. Those
came to be known as ‘Elizabethan’. The poetries and who supported them were called Protestants
dramas were prospered more, in particular. and those who still supported the Pope were
Geographical and astronomical discoveries of the called the Papist or Catholics. Henry VIII who
previous decades brought unlimited fortune during was the king of England during those years
this period. supported Protestantism for personal
• This age is named after Queen Elizabeth I who reigned advantage. He wanted to divorce his first wife,
over England from 1558 to 1603. This is the most Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn, his fiancee,
glorious age of English literature. The important events but the pope did not approve it. So he denied
of the age were: Pope's authority and introduced Protestantism
• With the accession of Queen Elizabeth I, dynastic to England. Some of the people accepted King's
problems and political chaos come to an end. Stability religious authority but the rest followed the
was attained and national prosperity began. Pope's rule.
  Elizabethan (1558-1603),
 Jacobean (1603-1625),
 Caroline (1625-1649),
The Renaissance  The Commonwealth (1649-1660)

 Elizabethan Age (1558-1603)  Geographical and astronomical

 This caused a bloody civil war which continued till
Elizabeth came to power in 1558. She understood the discoveries of the previous decades
problem and introduced Anglicanism, England's own brought unlimited fortune during this
church. This religious settlement brought stability and
prosperity to England in the second half of the 16th period.
century.
 Renaissance that had started earlier
 The Elizabethan Age is regarded as the Golden Age in the was now very strongly felt in England.
history of English literature. The renaissance brought Erasmus reached England, and with
ancient Greek and Roman wisdom to England. The
religious Reformation taught religious tolerance and
Colet, taught humanism and other
secularism. The geographical and astronomical ideals of renaissance.
explorations brought affluence and power. In other
words, the social life of England was marked by a strong
national spirit, humanism, religious broadmindedness,
scientific curiosity, social content, intellectual progress
and unlimited enthusiasm. All these aspects of the social
life are reflected in the writings of this period.
  Elizabethan (1558-1603),
 Jacobean (1603-1625),
 Caroline (1625-1649),
The Renaissance  The Commonwealth (1649-1660)

 Jacobean Age (1603-1625), • Colonial territories were expanded.

 This age is named after James I who • Religious conflict that subsided in the
reigned England from 1603 to 1625. Elizabethan age, revived in this
The word "Jacobean" is derived from period. Protestants were divided into
"Jacobus", the Latin version of James. three sects: (1) Anglicans, (2)
Some historians like to call the last five Presbyterians and (3) Puritans.
years of this age as a part of another • Renaissance's influence continued.
age which they call The Puritan Age
(1620-1660). They call it so because in • Scotland was brought under the rule
between 1620 and 1660 puritanism of the king of England.
became the driving force in the life and
literature of England. The important
elements of this age were:
  Elizabethan (1558-1603),
 Jacobean (1603-1625),
 Caroline (1625-1649),
The Renaissance  The Commonwealth (1649-1660)

Caroline Age (1625-1649),  In 1642 English theatre was officially closed. On

• This age is named after Charles I who reigned over England
14 June 1643 Licensing Order for printing was
from 1625 to 1649. "Caroline" is derived from "Carolus", passed.
the Latin version of "Charles". This age is also a part of the  The Cavaliers were defeated, the king was
Puritan Age (1620-1660). The important events of this caught and publicly beheaded on 30th January,
period were:
1649. His death marked the dissolution of
monarchy for the time being.
• There was a long civil war between " Cavaliers" and
"Roundheads". Those who supported the king were called "  English colonies were further expanded.
Cavaliers" Most of them were lords and their dependants.  Oliver Cromwell emerged as a Puritan leader
"Roundheads" were those who supported Parliament. Most and came to power in 1649.
of them were puritans. A group of lyric poets associated
with the "Cavaliers" are called "Cavalier poets". Richard  This age is not an age of drama. Drama
Lovelace, Sir John Suckling, Robert Herrick and Thomas collapsed because of the civil war and
Carew were the members of this group. These poets are puritanical attack. Sermons, pamphlets, history
also called Sons of Ben as they were the admirers and
followers of Ben Jonson. Their lyrics are trivial, gay, witty and philosophy were written in prose.
and often licentious. Metaphysical poetry was the main literary
product of the age.
  Elizabethan (1558-1603),
 Jacobean (1603-1625),
 Caroline (1625-1649),
The Renaissance  The Commonwealth (1649-1660)

 The Commonwealth (1649-1660)

o This period, like the earlier two periods, belonged to the Puritan
Age. This is the period when there was no monarch in England.
During this time period, the English civil war ended. After the
death of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, the puritan leader, came to
power. Oliver Cromwell led the Parliament and ruled the nation. He
died in 1658 when his son Richard Cromwell became the ruler of
England. He ruled England till 1660. Commonwealth age was a dark
age for theatres and Dramas. All the theatres were shut down by
Puritans as they considered theatres morally degraded place also
they wanted to stop public assembly. In this period puritanism
became gradually unpopular. The English people realized that
monarchy was essential for them.
  Prolific Figures and Their Works
The Renaissance
• Prose • Poetry • Drama
• Sir Thomas More (1478-1534): Utopia o Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542)
• Wil­liam Shakespeare (1564-1616):
(1516)
o Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517- • The Comedy of Errors (1590-93):
• Sir Thomas Elyot (1490-1546): The Book 1547). • The Merchant of Venice (1596-97):
of the Governor (1531). • Romeo and J uliet (1595):
o Edmund Spenser ( c.1552-1599):The
• Roger Ascham (1515-1568): Toxophilus • Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1601):
Faerie Queene ( Books I-llI 1590; Books •
(1545), The Scholemaster (1570). Othello, Moor of Venice (1604):
IV-VI , 1596).
• King Lear (1605-6 ):
• Sir Philip Sydney: Arcadia, The Defence of o The Cavalier poets: Called the ' 'Tribe of • Macbeth (1606):
Poesy. (poet-prose writer) Ben' ' because they were greatly
• Sir Wal­ter Raleigh (1552-1618): The influenced by Ben Jonson , they were
• Christopher Marlowe (1564-93):
History of the World (poet-prose writer). sophisti­cated poets who supported the
• Tamburlaine the Great (1587-88)
King and opposed the sober Puritans.
• John Lyly (1554-1606): Euphues: The • The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (1589):
Anatomv of Wit (1578). o John Donne (1572-1631)
• Ben Jonson (1572-1637):
• Robert Greene (1500-1592): Pandosto, the o John Milton (1608-1674): Paradise Lost • Every Man in His Humours (1598 ):
Triumph of Time (1588) (Also a dramatist). • The Alchemist (1610):
o Andrew Marvell (1621 -1678 ):
• Thomas Nashe (1567-1601): The
Unfortunate Traveler, or the Life of Jack
Wilton (1594) (The first picaresque novel).
• King James Bible (1611).
 Renaissance Prose

• Sir Thomas More (1478-1534)

• Friend of Erasmus (Dutch Humanist)
• Utopia (1516): tells of an ideal state
with a truly repre­sentative government,
• İt is the most widely read book.
• It describes a land where robust health
is exalted, work-days are only six hours
long, both women and men are
educated, all houses are equally com
fortable, all religions are tolerated, war is Sir Thomas More (1478-1534)
detested ,and the welfare of the whole
is paramount.
 Renaissance Prose

• Sir Thomas Elyot (1490-1546):

• His great work, The Boke Named the
Governour (1531), is a lengthy treatise on the
virtues to be cultivated by statesmen.
• Sometimes referred to in modern English as The
Book of the Governor,[2]
• Published in 1531.
• It was dedicated to Henry VIII and is largely a
treatise on how to properly train statesmen.
• It also discusses ethical dilemmas in the education Sir Thomas Elyot (1490-1546)
system of the time. The Book of the Governor is
evidence of the impact that Renaissance humanism
 Renaissance Prose

• Roger Ascham (1515-1568): An accomplished Greek

scholar who was tutor to Elizabeth I.
• Ascham was a master of the distinctly native English
prose style.
• Toxophilus (1545) is a Platonic dialogue between
Philologus (lov­er of knowledge) and Toxophilus (lover of
archery) .
• The Scholemaster (1570): This treatise on education
Roger Ascham (1515-1568)
advocates avoidance of the birch rod on young students.
He suggests imitat­ing classical models to develop a
good prose style and condemns The Canterbury Tales
and Morte D’Arthur for immorality.
 Renaissance Prose

• Sir Philip Sydney (1554-1586)

• Arcadia (1577-85): Written to amuse Sidney's sister, this
discur­sive narrative has two ship-wrecked princes
falling in love with the daughters of the King of
Arcadia.
• The Defence of Poesy (1579-84): Sidney defends the
writing of imaginative literature against the Puritan charge
that it is an enemy of virtue. Sidney argues that poetry
has the function of both teach­ing and delighting.
 Renaissance Prose

• Sir Wal­ter Raleigh (1552-1618):

was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable
figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation
of North America, suppressed rebellion in Ireland, helped defend England
during the Spanish Armada and held political positions under Elizabeth I.
A Report of the Truth of the Fight about the Isles of Acores (pub. 1591 ) is a
prose epic about the naval battle between Sir Richard Greville's ships
against an overwhelming Spanish fleet. Tennyson derived his poem "The
Revenge" from Raleigh's account.
The Discovery of the Large, Rich, and Bewtiful Empire of Gui­ana ( 1596)
concerns the quest for gold in a lush, virgin jungle, with graphic
accounts of hand-to-hand combat.
The History of the World (1614), written in prison in the Tower of London ,
contains valuable history (up to 130 B.C.), written in magnificent prose
style.
 Renaissance Prose

• Some Other Prose Writers:

• John Lyly ( 1 554-1606): His best-known work. Euphues: The Anatomv of Wit (1578), was read for its alliterati ve style and
extravagant la­ guage rather than its tri vial plot and bland moral izing. It was a fad at the court to imitate characters in Euphues, asserti
ng "that hot love is soon cold, that the bavi n though i t burn bright, is but a blaze, that scalding water if it stands a wh i le
turneth almost to ice, that pepper though it be hot in the mouth is cold i n the maw.·'
• Robert Greene (1500-1592): Also a dramatist, he was the most prolific of the prose fictionists, writing twenty romances in the 1580s,
the best-known being Pandosto, the Triumph of Time (1588), the source of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. More significant and
distincti ve was A Notable Discovery of Cosenage (1561 ), first of a series of "cony-catching" pamphlets about con-men who
cheated the inno­cent. Greene captured accurately the slangy idiom of the under­world.
• Thomas Nashe (1567-1601): Nashe's unique tale, The Unfortunate Traveler, or the Life of Jack Wilton (1594) is the first
picaresque novel in English. Picaresque novels describe the adventures of a vag­abond or rogue (picaro in Spanish) with stark realism.
• Raphael Holinshed (d. 1580): The Chronicles (Jf°En?,land , Scotland and lre_lad ( 1578), known as Holinshed 's Chronicles, is a
history of Bntam to 1575. From these Chronicles Shakespeare borrowed the plot of Macbeth , parts of Cymheline , and possibly
King Lear.
• Richard Hakluyt (c. 1552-1616): With mi nor collaboration he wrote the masterpiece of Engl ish travel l iterature: The Principal
Voyages, Traffics, and Discoveries of" the English Nation (3 vols. , 1598- 1600), which transmi ts the wonder and novelty of
nat u re i n l i ttle known parts of the planet Earth.
• Samuel Purchas (c. 1575-1626): When Hakl uyt died. his work was continued by Purchas. The completed work was entitled
Haklu\'f ·s osthumus, or Purclws His Pi I?,rimes (1625 ). which i nspi red Coloridge to write "Kubla Khan.··
 Renaissance Poetry

• John Milton: John Milton was a seventeenth century English poet whose
works have greatly influenced the literary world. Milton wrote poetry and
prose between 1632 and 1674, and is most famous for his epic poetry.
• Paradise Lost: This is Milton's monumental epic poem in twelve books of
superb blank verse. Based on the Bible and other writings available in the
Renaissance, the epic begins with the fall from Heaven of the rebel angels,
and continues through Satan's temptation of Adam and Eve and their expulsion
from the Garden of Eden. Though some have argued that Satan is the epic hero,
the real hero is mankind, and the dramatic conflict is within humanity's
divided propensity for good and evil.
 Renaissance Poetry

• Edmund Spenser: English poet whose long allegorical poem The Faerie
Queene is one of the greatest in the English language. It was written in what
came to be called the Spenserian stanza.
• The Faerie Queene ( Books I-llL 1 590; Books IV-V I , 1596): Spenser's
monumental scheme for this work is comparable i n scope to Dante's Divine
Comedy. Spenser hoped to present noth ing less than the total ci vi lization of
his era. He planned first to portray eleven pri vate moral virtues, each portrayed
by a knightly figure, with Arth ur summi ng up all v irtues in the twelfth book.
Next would come twelve more alle­gorical books, celebrati ng the pol i tical
virtues of Arth ur after he became king. Only six books were completed.
 Literary Philosophers of the Period

Francis Bacon ( 1561 -1626): was one of the leading figures in natural philosophy and in the field
of scientific methodology in the period of transition from the Renaissance to the early modern
era.

Essays (totaling 106, written in between 1597-1625): Bacon 's primary pur­pose was to teach
young contemporary aristocrats how to succeed. He praises wealth and gives advice on attaining it
and using it wisely.

Advancement of Learning ( 1605) is a tract on education in two books; the first praises
knowledge and challenges prejudices against learning, the second is a survey of learning, laying
a foundation for a national culture.

Novum Organum (1620): the best statement of Bacon's philoso­phy. It espouses the Novum
Organum ("new instrument") of induc­tive reasoning to unlock scientific mysteries. Bacon's
Novum Organum, which constitutes a breaking point in the history of philosophy, offers a new
organon, a "tool" that will purify the "weak human mind" that has been invaded by "false concepts"
and "idols" due to the existing organon, and will take it to the sciences.
 Literary Philosophers of the Period

 Thomas Hobbes ( 1588-1679): His philosophical works are considered the major English
works of the type between Bacon and Locke.

 Leviathan (1651): The name of the book comes from a sea monster called "Leviathan" in the
Bible. The work concerns the structure of society and legitimate government, and is regarded as
one of the earliest and most influential examples of social contract theory.[7] Written during the
English Civil War (1642–1651), it argues for a social contract and rule by an absolute sovereign.
Hobbes wrote that civil war and the brute situation of a state of nature ("the war of all against
all") could be avoided only by strong, undivided government.

 The Elements of Law Natural and Politic (1640): established him as the founder of modern
empirical philosophy . He states that the ultimate reality is the ceaseless motion of matter.
Chief drive is self-preservation and free will is an illusion.
 Literary Philosophers of the Period

 Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536): Erasmus was a Dutch writer,

scholar and humanist. He was one of Europe's most famous and influential
scholars. A man of great intellect who rose from meager (inadequate) beginnings
to become one of Europe's greatest thinkers, he defined the humanist movement
in Northern Europe.

 As a philosopher, he argues that man is better by nature. The basis of his political
thought is the concern of finding the common good and peace.
 He began writing in around 1500, on both theological and secular subjects. All his
work displays his huge learning and intellectual brilliance, but also his humanity
and wit. Many of his early works attacked corruption and superstition in the
church and his famous satire 'The Praise of Folie' (1509), dedicated to his English
friend Thomas More, advocated a return to a more simple Christianity.
 Renaissance Poetry
The revival of alliterative poetry

 Poetry was held in high consideration

during the Elizabethan Age.

 Renaissance poetry is mostly known

with the sonnet but there were other
popular types of poetry such as the
songs, pastoral poetry, patriotic poetry,
religious poetry, satirical and mocking
poetry.
 Renaissance Poetry
The revival of alliterative poetry

 The goal of each poet was to capture

the essence of beauty in the modern
world.

 Two of the most significant poems

written during this time are the epic
Paradise Lost by John Milton (1667) and
 The Faerie Queene ( Books I-llI 1590;
Books IV-VI , 1596) by Edmund Spenser
 Renaissance Poetry
• Edmund Spenser ( c.1552-1599):
was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an
epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the
Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognized as one of the
premier craftsmen of nascent Modern English verse and is often
considered one of the greatest poets in the English language.
• The Faerie Queene ( Books I-llI 1590; Books IV-VI , 1596):
it remains one of the longest poems in the English language.
It is an allegorical work, and can be read (as Spenser
presumably intended) on several levels of allegory, including
as praise of Queen Elizabeth I. In a completely allegorical
context, the poem follows several knights in an examination
of several virtues.
 Renaissance Poetry
• John Milton (1608-1674): was an English poet and intellectual who
served as a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under its
Council of State and later under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote at a
time of religious flux and political upheaval, and is best known for
his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667)

• Paradise Lost:This is Milton's monumental epic poem in twelve

books of superb blank verse. Based on the Bible and other writings
avai lable in the Renaissance, the epic begins with the fall
from Heaven of the rebel angels, and continues through Satan's
temptation of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden
of Eden. Though some have argued that Satan is the epic hero,
the real hero is mankind. and the dramatic conflict is withi n
h umanity's divided propensity for good and evi l.
Renaissance Drama

• English Renaissance theatre, also known

as early modern English theatre, or
(commonly) as Elizabethan theatre,
refers to the theatre of England between
1562 and 1642.
• This is the style of the plays of William
Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and
Ben Jonson.
 Renaissance Drama
Early Tudor (1485-1558), Elizabethan (1558-1603), Jacobean (1603-1625), Caroline (1625-1649), & the Commonwealth (1949-1660)

 This period is considered to be the

«Golden Age» of English Drama.

 All the writers of the time, except

Sidney and Spenser, wrote a lot of
plays.

 William Shakespeare dominated the

English drama arena during the
Renaissance.
 Renaissance Drama

 At first the plays were performed in

great halls. Each company had its own
dramatist and the plays were the
property of each of them.

 There was no copyright (the plays were

not published).

 These companies helped the foundation

of a national theatre.
The first real theatre, called The Theatre,
was built near London by James Burbage.
 Renaissance Drama
• Three Prominent Dramatist
• Wil­liam Shakespeare (1564-1616):
• The Comedy of Errors (1590-93):
• The Merchant of Venice (1596-97):
• Romeo and J uliet (1595):
• Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1601):
• Othello, Moor of Venice (1604):
• King Lear (1605-6 ):
• Macbeth (1606):

• Christopher Marlowe (1564-93):

• Tamburlaine the Great (1587-88)
• The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (1589):
• Ben Jonson (1572-1637):
• Every Man in His Humours (1598 ):
• The Alchemist (1610):
Renaissance Drama

William Shakespeare
 Renaissance Drama
Early Tudor (1485-1558), Elizabethan (1558-1603), Jacobean (1603-1625), Caroline (1625-1649), & the Commonwealth (1949-1660)

Wil­liam Shakespeare (1564-1616): was an English

playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as
the greatest writer in the English language and the
world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's
national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the
Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations,
consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long
narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of
uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated
into every major living language and are performed
more often than those of any other playwright. His
William Shakespeare
works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
 Renaissance Drama
Shakespeare’s best known Works:

The Comedy of Errors (1590-93): Set in the city of Ephesus, The Comedy of Errors
concerns the farcical misadventures of two sets of identical twins. Many years
earlier, the Syracusan merchant Egeon had twin sons, both named Antipholus. At their
birth, he bought another pair of newborn twins, both named Dromio, as their servants.

The Merchant of Venice (1596-97): Antonio, an anti-Semitic merchant, takes a loan

from the Jew Shylock to help his friend to court Portia. Antonio can't repay the loan,
and without mercy, Shylock demands a pound of his flesh. The heiress Portia, now the
wife of Antonio's friend, dresses as a lawyer and saves Antonio.

Romeo and J uliet (1595): Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by

William Shakespeare early in his career about two young Italian star-crossed lovers
whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's
most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most
frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young
lovers. William Shakespeare
 Renaissance Drama
Shakespeare’s best known Works:

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1601): It is Shakespeare's longest play, with

29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts Prince Hamlet and his
revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in
order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother.

Othello, Moor of Venice (1604): The subject of Othello is the love and
jealousy of the Moorish black commander Othello, who showed heroism
in the service of the Venetian state, and Desdemona, the daughter of a
Venetian noble family. Othello, who is madly in love with his wife, begins
to be unnecessarily jealous of his wife with the intrigues of Sergeant
Iago.

William Shakespeare
 Renaissance Drama
Shakespeare’s best known Works:

King Lear (1605-6 ): An aging King Lear decides to divide his lands
between his 3 daughters. While his elder daughters Goneril and Regan
tempt the king with fancy words, his youngest daughter Cordelia is
rejected by her father as a result of her sisters' intrigues. The king, who
sent his only daughter who truly loved him far away and handed over the
country to his deceitful and manipulative daughters, sealed the fate of
both himself and his country with this decision. The king's decision will
bring tragedy and disaster.

William Shakespeare
 Renaissance Drama
Shakespeare’s best known Works:

Macbeth (1606): Macbeth tells his wife about the dialogue between
three witches who greet him as the "King" on the way back to his country
after suppressing the rebellion of the Norwegian army. Lady Macbeth,
who sees that the witches who predict the future are starting to come
true, puts her husband's plans into practice, which disregards
conscientious values.
Despite the war of conscience in which Macbeth is drowning, he does not
turn away from his path. Because the earth and the sky are now under
the control of the most familiar and unimaginable kinds of evil... Three
witches tell the Scottish general Macbeth that he will be King of
Scotland. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth kills the king, becomes the
new king, and kills more people out of paranoia. Civil war erupts to
William Shakespeare
overthrow Macbeth, resulting in more death.
 Renaissance Drama

Christopher Marlowe (1564-93):

Tamburlaine the Great (1587-88)

The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (1589):
The Jew of Malta (1591):
 Renaissance Drama

Ben Jonson (1572-1637):

Every Man in His Humours (1598 ):

The Alchemist (1610):