The English Renaissance spanned from 1485 to 1625 and was inspired by ancient Greek and Roman arts and scholarship. This period saw major figures like Dante, Petrarch, da Vinci, Luther, and Erasmus. In England, the Tudor dynasty ruled from 1485 to 1603 with monarchs like Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I was one of England's ablest monarchs and presided over a flourishing of English literature and drama including works by Shakespeare, Spenser, Marlowe, and Raleigh. During this time, plays were categorized as either tragedies involving a hero's downfall or comedies with a humorous situation resolved happily.
![The Coming of the Renaissance ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)