The Renaissance

The Renaissance was a period of history in which all the arts (along with culture, politics and economics) of Europe went through a huge change from the Middle Ages to modernity. They saw a return of classical and ancient Greek or Roman principles in painting, art, philosophy and more. It began in Italy and was partly fuelled by the patronage of the immensely wealthy Medici family. This all came after the huge period of stagnation and decline after the Fall of the Roman Empire in arts and academics. Scientific discoveries (like astronomy and exploration) and inventions (like the printing press, and maritime compasses) also came out of this time. It was in this period that Shakespeare and his contemporaries, like Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Middleton wrote in (the Elizabethan era). It also contained the end of the period of medieval theatre, and the creation of Commedia dell'Arte, and the Restoration.

The Renaissance didn't simply spring into existence. A humanist philosophy developed over centuries and marked a shift from lives centred around God and penance to one's own personal spirit, encouraging free inquiry and thought. The failure of the Catholic Church and Holy Roman Empire to unify the continent, the emergence of nations and city-states, and the decline of the feudal system allowed people to break free of the religious orthodoxy. As Constantinople fell in 1453, eastern scholars brought more classical Grecian knowledge to the west (in Italy) - the boost to humanism allowed the Renaissance to bloom.

This results in theatre that is considerably more philosophical and free-thinking, as well as entertaining or rude. Theatre, like all other arts and culture, shifts back towards a more sophisticated, classical genre.