Comparing Works During The Renaissance Period And The Reformation

While the Renaissance period and the Reformation had overlapping timelines both movements were quite distinct. The Renaissance was a period of cultural rebirth within the arts and the Reformation was a time of social, political, and religious change. Two works that spawned from this period were Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, which spawned during the Renaissance, and the King James Bible, which was a result of the reformation. The key difference between two is that one was made for the sake of religion and the other was not; The two are similar in the way that they both draw from the past and impact modern English. First, a difference between the King James Bible and Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, is that one was made for religious purposes and one was not. In the Reformation came the idea that people should read the bible themselves rather than trusting in the word of church officials. While before the bible was only available in Latin, there were now many translations for people to interpret. With so many interpretations came turmoil over who was right. The King James Bible was made to unite England under one
During the Renaissance, the artwork was inspired by ancient Roman and Greek culture. The play is an obvious reflection of this since it takes place in ancient Rome and is based on true events of the period. The King James Bible, however, is a translation of the 4th century Latin version of the bible. Besides their historical roots, both pieces had an impact on English. From the play Julius Caesar, we received the term “stabbed in the back”, an expression used to describe betrayal. This stems from Brutus’s betrayal of Caesar. While “treat others as you would like to be treated” is a term paraphrased from the kings James bible “whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” (Mathew