Some important features of Renaissance Dramas: Themes, Style and Character Examination

Renaissance was one of the main periods of the growth in English literature, arts, economy, language development and others. Renaissance gave birth to individualism and worldliness, freed the minds of people. This topic is of great interest for scholars to analyze and find out new features. As it is stated in the article Renaissance period in English literature provoked drama and poetry, some pieces of them must be analyzed thoroughly

English Renaissance Drama: Status of Women in “The Duchess of Malfi”

Renaissance dramas mostly illustrate gender relations and women’s complex roles of empowerment. Writers of that time examined the social issues of this day through dramas that usually featured a strong female character at the centre of the play, societal issues such as the stereotypical role of the female, elements of class-consciousness, and the role of faith in a patriarchal society. Analysis of literature in this type gives the researchers much pressure to reveal real situations of that period. The main topic of this article is to analyze John Webster’s “ The Duchess of Malfi”.

Political Christianity in Renaissance Drama

Examining the following selected Renaissance dramas: Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta (1585), Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (1596), Massinger’s The Renegado (1624), Daborne’s A Christian Turn'd Turk (1612), and Goffe’s The Raging Turk (1656), this research investigates Renaissance dramatists' portrayal of biased Christian standpoints that govern the relation with the non-Christian to uncover whether that dramatization represents the playwrights' participation in validating those attitudes or their critique of politicizing the Christian faith, in both ways underscoring the existence of an ideological 'political faith' issue. It turns out that the period's plays may reveal that such stereotypes are only recruited to further and validate financial gain, political dominance and racial discrimination; that is, political Christianity. However, the playwrights' attitudes remain subject to their unrevealed intentions, and it is, therefore, left to the reader/audience to take sides. Tactically, the dramatists emerge ahead of the Christian and secular politicians of their time as they assume the safe side of impartiality.