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English Prose in RenaissanceThe prose of Renaissance age, though inferior to the

contemporary poetry and drama, bears all the hallmarks of

literary peak. The great writers of the era have all the

highlights of Italian Renaissance like the novelty of thought,height of imagination, search for new truths, and the revival of

Greek ideals.

With the introduction of movable printing machine brought

to England by William Caxton, the volume of prose print

increased manifold. This genre always considered inferior from

literary perspective was infact the same when viewed as a whole,

because the bulk of prose in the sixteenth century was in the

form of pamphlets, propaganda by Protestants and Catholics for

their support during Reformation. However, there are a few

literary genius who left their marks qualitatively on the

contemporary literature.

Sir Thomas More:

what has nature ever created more gentle, more sweet, and more

happy than the genius of Thomas more, wrote Erasmus on his

first visit to England.

An epitome of an ideal renaissance figure, Sir Thomas More

was the strongest of English voices on the political, social,

and human fronts. Voicing against the king Henry VII attempt toincrease the tax revenue, Thomas More exactly knew his boundary

line which he never stepped over. Never calling Kings name

directly More entered politics, but lost his poise only once

which proved fatal as King Henry VIII imprisoned Mores father

during his conflict against the Kings Reformative adventure.

His Utopia though written in Latin,is a typical Italian

inspiration inspired by the great Platos philosophy. Its a

philosophical romance, a fanciful account of an ideal republic.

His Edward V is the first example of good English according to

Hallam.

Sir Walter Raleigh: A soldier, navigator, courtier, author

wrote A History of the Worldduring Prison. Other works are A

Nymphs Reply, A Lie, On Sidney.

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John Lyly: A courtier, a soldier, a poet, a knight the brilliant

John Lylys Euphues; Anatomy ofWit is a prose romance with

poetic expression and subtlety of thought. Lyly pioneered a new

genre of Euphuism in English literature. Its subject was the

adventures of a young man (Euphues) well-endowed by nature but

not disciplined by education. Apparently, the hero is an

Athenian and Naples is the town of temptation, but beneath the

disguise Euphues is an Oxford undergraduate corrupted by

Italianate society of London. Lyly cared little of the criticism

launched against him, and stuck to his style as in 1580 he came

up with Euphues and his England.

Sir Philip Sidney: Another remarkable man with an all-round

genius was Sir Philip Sidney whose famous attempt in prose was

his An Apologie for Poetriewhich defended poetry and poets in

the same way as Aristotle did in his times.

Religious Prose:

As mentioned earlier, the bulk of prose written in the age

of Renaissance was religious in nature, sometimes serving the

people with translations of the Bible, and at another merely

abusing the teachings of opponents faith for propaganda. The

pamphlets printed during the conflicts of Catholics and

Protestants were in millions which developed a taste for the

printed things though but did no practical good to the literary

spirit of the age. However, the remarkable attempts in this

respect are:

- The translation of the Bible in English byWilliam Tyndal

- Thomas CranmersThe Book of Common Prayers

Sir Francis Bacon: Bacons Essays titled as Novum

Organumthough in Latin, are considered the greatest attempt in

prose literature of that age because of two reasons: first, it

is the maiden introduction of French literary genre of Essaywhich became increasingly popular in the ages to follow;

secondly, the philosophy presented in them reflects the true

Renaissance freedom of thought infused by the Italian

Renaissance philosopher, Machiavelli.