Classics as Embodiment of Ideas in English Literature

Abstract

Literature has always been an embodiment of the collective consciousness of an age. Geographical boundaries help scholars categorize the literature coming from different regions, but the sources and forces inspiring literature are not limited by these boundaries. In ancient times, no national boundaries existed in Europe. Once, the landscape of English literature was a blend of various tribes, dialects, languages, cultures, and histories. It remained in the process of formation, until the time of Chaucer - after which the entire English literature gets divided into different ages. Every age has its own masterpiece, which embodies the ideas represented by that particular age. English literature has constantly revisited and revived classical learning, with an eye on the future. The literary process has never worked in isolation; it is interconnected with a certain age's history, culture, and sociopolitical realities. This paper is focused on the Elizabethan age.