Thomas Mores Utopia and its impact on English society...

The Middle Ages were followed by the Renaissance, a time in which art and literature flourished. Thomas More, the first English humanist of the Renaissance, was born in London during this period. Mores style is simple because of its colloquial language but a deeper look into his irony hints at deep dissatisfaction with the current thought and desire for change. Utopia (which in Greek means nowhere) is the name of Mores fictional island of perfected society. Thomas Mores Utopia was the first literary work in which the ideas of Communism appeared and was highly esteemed by all the humanists of Europe in Mores time. More uses the main character, Hythlodaeus, as a fictional front to express his own feelings he may have feared to†¦show more content†¦All Utopians also received a full education, which contradicts the overwhelming percentage of uneducated, illiterate people that existed throughout Europe in the 16th century. In Utopia there are strict marriage rules and the men and women are not allowed to marry until certain mature ages: men 18; women 22. Most importantly, however, Hythlodaeus points out that divorce is not allowed unless in cases of adultery or extreme abuse. When King Henry VIII was ruling England, Sir Thomas More was the Kings Lord Chancellor. At this time the King was fighting with the Pope to get a divorce from his wife. More, a devout catholic, did not approve of the divorce and voiced his opinion discreetly in Utopias disregard for divorce and more openly later in his life. This eventually, led to his demise when King Henry VIII imprisoned More in the Tower of London and, finally, had him beheaded. Hythlodaeus goes on to talk about the self defense and the non-imperial nature of Utopian society. Utopians abhor war and attempt to avoid fighting except to protect themselves, their neighbors, or to free oppressed people. This is partly due to the fact that there is communal land in Utopia. Utopians, as completely self sufficient people, have no need to take over neighboring countries. At this time in history, countries not only in Europe, but all over the world were in constant conflict to expand their empires. MoreShow MoreRelatedEssay Utopia4252 Words   |  18 PagesUtopia In the year 1515, a book in Latin text was published which became the most significant and controversial text ever written in the field of political science. Entitled, ‘DE OPTIMO REIPUBLICATE STATU DEQUE NOVA INSULA UTOPIA, clarissimi disertissimique viri THOMAE MORI inclutae civitatis Londinensis civis et Vicecomitis’, translated into English would read, ‘ON THE BEST STATE OF A COMMONWEALTH AND ON THE NEW ISLAND OF UTOPIA, by the Most Distinguished and Eloquent Author THOMAS MORERead MoreGrowth In The Prince And Jack Londons The Call Of The Wild985 Words   |  4 PagesNY times article Do natural disasters stimulate economic growth?, Niccolo Machiavellis book, The Prince, and Jack London’s The Call of the Wild, provide strong affirmation that hardship leads to development. Adversity in Renaissance age Italy led two well educated men, Thomas More and Nicholo Machiavelli, to banter the need for religious, political, and social change in the 1500’ s. Shown in Drake Bennetts article, 21st Century humankind grapples with fierce environmental and natural disasters,Read More Bubonic Plague Essay2940 Words   |  12 Pagesbetween 1348 and 1349. In London alone, one out of two people died during the visitation. The bottom line is that every English man, woman, and child at the time encountered plague in some way, and all feared it. After 1352, the plague became endemic in England , flaring up routinely and then yearly from 1485 to 1670. Within those two centuries, the plague regularly contributed to dramatic increases in English mortality. English plague tracts and tales came into existence and grew in number: LanglandRead MoreAp European History Outline Chapter 10 Essay example5639 Words   |  23 PagesMr. Dunbar AP European History Chapter 10 Outline: Renaissance and Discovery Section One: The Renaissance in Italy * Section Overview * Jacob Burckhardt, a Swiss historian, described the Renaissance as the â€Å"prototype of the modern world† in his book Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy (1860) * In Italy blossomed new secular and scientific views * People became to approach the world empirically and draw rational conclusions based on observation Read MoreBubonic Plague2987 Words   |  12 Pagesbetween 1348 and 1349. In London alone, one out of two people died during the visitation. The bottom line is that every English man, woman, and child at the time encountered plague in some way, and all feared it. After 1352, the plague became endemic in England , flaring up routinely and then yearly from 1485 to 1670. Within those two centuries, the plague regularly contributed to dramatic increases in English mortality. English plague tracts and tales came into existence and grew in number: