Essay on the English Renaissance: Cultural and Artistic Movements from the 15th to 17th Century

Introduction

The English renaissance refers to the period between the 15th to the early 17th century when various cultural and artistic movements were observed to sweep across England. There were multiple reasons that got attributed to the beginning and progression of the English renaissance period with some of the critical reasons including; the interactions between multiple cultures, the emergence of humanism, new technological and artistic innovations, the discovery of ancient Roman and Greek texts among other innovations (Ayse, 1995). These changes, therefore, resulted in a widespread cultural as well as lifestyle changes in ancient England, where these changes were essential in the development of a new cultural setting in England's social and structural governance regimes.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The field of literature was also influenced by the renaissance period, where there was the observation of new and different thematic concerns in the literature publications. The aspect of humanism was observed to be primarily addressed where various societal concerns affecting the communities and societies at large were addressed. The field of poetry, among other social aspects of literature, was observed to be more oriented towards the elements of the human body in its nature and the various forms the collection is exhibited in (Herbert, 1966).

George Herbert's 'Man' Review

Man is a poem by George Herbert that focuses on the nature of man being the most astounding of all God's creation (Paul, 2013). In the poem, George is keen to highlight the significant ways in which man can be viewed as being divine in his nature and how his close proximity with God can be strengthened. There have been many authors who have come forward to explain the true nature of man in various aspects, including the anatomy, intelligence, roles played in the natural balance among other key thematic concerns.

In his poem, George Herbert views the human body as an entity where God can dwell in unison with the spirit. This can be considered to be an instance of biblical allusion according to the saying, "Your body is the temple of the holy spirit" The poem can, therefore, be identified to be serving various purposes including a religious purpose where believers can identify with the poem which also significantly contributes to their aspects of faith (John, 2014). The author has used various poetic devices that have been determined to be essential in enhancing the effectiveness with which the intended message is passed along. There are multiple styles, such as imagery, symbolism, rhyme, and other writing styles.

John Ford's 'Tis Pity She's a Whore

John Ford, on the other hand, has managed to express the nature of the human body in a different way as compared to George Herbert. In his tragedy entitled 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, there is the depiction of the human body and nature in a raw sexual, provocative nature where some of the characters are presented in questionable light by the author. The tragedy revolves around the life of Annabella and her brother Giovani who are involved in an incestuous relationship and end up bringing trouble for the people around them. Giovani returns from Bologna to Parma and develops sexual desires for his sister Annabella. He opens up and shares hos woes with Friar Bonaventura, who advises him to act on restraining his desires. However, Giovani does not take heed in this advice and goes ahead to have a sexual relationship with his sister.

After a while, they realize that Annabella is pregnant and decide to marry her before the pregnancy is noticeable. She marries Soranzo, and when an argument breaks out between them, she comes to realize that indeed Soranzo loved her truly, and she is consumed with guilt for all her past actions. When her husband realizes her cheating habits, he locks her up in her room and is on a quest to determine who her lover is and the father of her unborn child. One day in a feast, Giovani sneaks into Annabella's room, and when they are kissing, he stabs her fatally. She dies. Soranzo also dies at the banquet after getting into an argument with Giovani.

Literature Review- (The Body)

The above two pieces of literature have managed to present a contrasting view of the human body to the readers where each author presents us with a different side of the coin. While George Herbert is focused on the divine nature of the human body and its close proximity with God, John Ford addresses the various tragedies that have been identified to occur as a result of the human body and its desires. The two works of literature are similar in the subject matter yet so different in the presentation of the ideas and concepts herein. The diverse ideologies of the two authors help to present the reader with a broader understanding of the various literal concepts of the society and the perception of the human body in society today.

"Man is all symmetry,

Full of proportions, one limb to another,

And all to all the world besides:

Each part may call the farthest, brother:

For head with foot hath private amity,

And both with moons and tides."

The above stanza is an excerpt from George Herbert's poem Man, in which the poet can be identified to be identifying the various aspects of beauty that the human body exhibits. The author has taken on an anatomical approach to analyze the nature of the human body, taking into account the amount of symmetry that various organs show. For instance, the author says, "Man is all symmetry" (Vernor, 1931). This can be observed in the way that the body has a pair of almost every organ that work together in unison to achieve the desired effect. For instance, the symmetry described above could be identified in the hands where the two sides work together in holding or balance purposes.

The poet goes further to say that "each part can call the farthest brother" basing this reference on the concept of familial allusion, the author presents the reader with the idea of working together for a given course like family members do for both physical and moral support. Similarly, the human body in all its beauty is a vessel that has been identified to be homely enough to share in the shape of God.

John Ford, on the other hand, maintains a different view, and his piece of literature is in direct contrast with George Herbert's. He presents the reader with a dark side of human nature and some of the selfish gains that most people may take into but are seldom addressed. Incest is one vice that has been identified to be prevalent in society, a practice which even science is against. However, Giovani is involved in an incestuous relationship with his sister Annabella to the extent of making her pregnant. To make matters worse, rather than owning up to their wrongdoings and coming up with a solution, a plan is hatched to conceal their acts.

This contrasts George Herbert's depiction of Man in his poem, where John form displays the exact opposite. By comparing the two presentations, the reader may be provoked to question the authenticity of the beauty of the symmetry of the human body in light of the vile actions that man is capable of. If the human body is clean enough to share with God as a dwelling, where then does the evil within originate from?

John Ford's idea of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore is further manifested when Annabelle falls victim to all her actions. From her incestuous relationship with her brother to random sexual activity and eventually getting discovered to be cheating on her husband, Annabelle can be identified as a promiscuous woman. However, it is a pity that her promiscuity only leads to her death and the loss of a lover who truly cared about her feelings and also her wellbeing (John, 1997). In the argument with her husband, Soranzo, we are informed that she came to realize that indeed Soranzo loved her, which results in Annabelle getting consumed with guilt. It is, therefore, a pity that she is a whore, given that she losses something real and beautiful in pursuit of short-lived pleasure that is her eventual downfall. She does not get to live to enjoy the love that she and her husband could have shared. Instead, she dies at the hands of her brother, who she had given her body too, but instead puts his interests ahead and "takes care of the situation" by murdering her.

Further Analysis

The contrast presented in the two works of literature can be used to analyze significant aspects of the sociological perspectives of human existence i.e., order and disorder. The authors present their views in such an opposing manner that the concepts of order and disorder in man are vividly evident. While one author focuses on serenity, the other focuses on the aspect of tragedy and chaos. Such a diverse view is necessary and essential as it helps the reader or the target audience to make an informed decision with respect to the side on which they choose to base their support. While some may choose to view man in the order that George Herbert depicts, others may decide to see the different side of the coin and side their support with the concept of disorder that John Ford presents.

Analysis Findings

From evidence and information gained from the two publication works, it is possible to make the inference that human society is composed of different individuals who also possess varying lines of thought and ideologies. While the man may be viewed as a sacred being who exists at a higher level of consciousness based on their capabilities such as increased brain function, there are some aspects of our living that makes us more or less similar to other forms of creation existing at lower forms of consciousness. For instance, as John Ford depicts in the tragedy 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, the various acts of lies and deceit are reason enough to question the true nature of human superiority in comparison with other beings (Susan, 2001).

On the other hand, George Herbert focuses on the beauty of human nature, inspiring unison, anatomical harmony among other aspects of beauty that truly makes the human body a work of order that can attract God's presence to reside in this body. The author's observation is justifiable, but the lack of order in various social settings can be identified as a broadly undermining factor for the above observation. While man's body may be the epitome of God's beauty and presence among us, human actions can be identified as inconsistent behavior that contravenes this observation.

Conclusion

The human body has been considered to be unique by various social institutions ranging from the church, where it is believed that the body id the temple of the holy spirit to the world of medicine, where it is considered as a work of science and anatomy. However, literature perspectives have been identified to have another view of the human body, where it is regarded as the origin or epicenter of sociological interactions. While different people have been designated to express different sides of the same coin, the human body has been identified to be capable of exhibiting two different orientations, as George Herbert and John Ford have managed to show in their works. However, the side that gets displayed is dependent on the nature of the surrounding sociological factors. For instance, Annabelle in 'Tis Pity She's a Whore could have probably been a decent woman if she was exposed in a different social setting where her brother did not make sexual advances on her. However, her inability to resist these advancements and take part in incestuous activities willingly and other forms of deceit beats the logic that George Herbert presents in his work.

The literature evaluation process, however, serves as an eye-opening exercise where the reader and analyst are brought to terms with the different aspects of human nature and is able to ma...