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The Influence Of The Renaissance And Self Identity

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The Renaissance was a movement that deeply affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry. Renaissance scholars employed the humanist method in study, and searched for realism and human emotion in art. The emergence of Renaissance ideas led to the growth of modernism .Renaissance posited the idea of Humanism. Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism, empiricism) over established doctrine or faith (fideism). Humanistic ideas led to the rejuvenation of Greek and Roman art and literature by hitherto unseen emphasis on the human being. Humanism also gave much importance to the …show more content…

He argues that the ability to shape one’s own identity awards oneself with greater freedom and agency. Around sixteenth century the formulation of self-identity had become “a maniulative and artful process” Epithalamion, a work by Spenser stands out from amultitude of sonnets in the renaissance tradition in this that the beloved gives in to the yearning of the lover and the latter achieves transcendence not in the demise of the beloved, but in the experience of love. By this Spencer apperars to have been trying ti reverse the role of the Queen and the courtier. This leads to Catherine Bates remarking thus, “Henceforth (it seems), the images of power and subjection which have structured the self-positioning of the poet and his mistress are changed round, for it is no longer the male poet who suffers in captivity but, rather, his beloved”

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