Materialism in Renaissance England as Seen in Utopia and King Lear
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published 26/09/2007
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SummaryThe sixteenth century, which set the stage for the Early Modern Period, was characterized by an influx of humanist ideals to England. The literature from this period takes new stances on issues that were not subjected to such intense scrutiny before. Thomas More’s Utopia envisions a world entirely transformed by radical changes in institutional arrangements. The court system continued to dominate politics in England, a world with which More was intimately familiar. It was an environment of relentless squabbling, deceit, favoritism, and economic exploitation. Outside the courtly surrounding of More’s peerage, William Shakespeare wrote plays and poetry that tackle salient issues of the period.
Table of Contents
- The sixteenth century, which set the stage for the Early Modern Period, was characterized by an influx of humanist ideals to England
- In Utopia, wealth is not eschewed entirely
- The society depicted in Shakespeare's King Lear is at the extreme opposite of ideals.
- In the end, Lear has experienced the utter betrayal of his two daughters and finds himself captured and facing prison with his one faithful daughter.
- As seen, William Shakespeare and Thomas More take two very different approaches to the subject of material wealth.
- Though Shakespeare's King Lear and More's Utopia touch on a number of themes, each author placed within the works notable emphasis on these excesses and the inherent tragedy and absurdity of wealth.
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