INTERTEXTUAL DIALOGUES BETWEEN MEDIEVAL ALLEGORY AND RENAISSANCE HUMANISM IN ENGLISH LITERATURE
Keywords:
Medieval allegory, Renaissance humanism, English literature, Piers Plowman, The Faerie Queen, Paradise Lost, religious symbolism, moral choice, human reason, continuity of tradition, faith and rationality, comparative analysis, literary transformationAbstract
This article investigates the interaction between medieval allegorical traditions and Renaissance humanist thought within English literature. By analyzing major texts such as Piers Plowman, The Faerie Queen , and Paradise Lost, it explores how Renaissance authors reshaped the religious and moral symbolism of the Middle Ages through the emerging humanist perspective that emphasized reason, individuality, and moral choice. Using a comparative and interpretive approach, the study reveals that Renaissance writers did not completely reject medieval allegory but rather reinterpreted it to suit new intellectual ideals. The results suggest that English Renaissance literature developed as a creative continuation of medieval forms, reflecting a balance between faith and human rationality.
