Literature reflects social realities. No work of art can be studied or understood fully without learning its social, political, cultural and intellectual backgrounds. It is in this context that an elaborate discussion on Renaissance literature attains significance. The Renaissance was a period when each and every facet of society was undergoing tremendous changes, and these changes were echoed in literature as well. The Renaissance movement began in Italy during the 14th century and in the following decades, the spirit of the Renaissance crossed the Italian boundaries and spread all across Europe. During the Elizabethan era, English literature was largely influenced by the maelstrom of Renaissance – indeed, it is not an exaggeration to say that writers such as William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, Sir Philip Sidney, Thomas More and Christopher Marlowe are the real products of the Renaissance. The works of this period were marked by aspects such as the revival of classicism, humanism and patriotism. The Renaissance was a single major event which had a significant impact on the literary style of works in England. Even though the spirit of the movement has reached the English soil since the 15th century, it was only during the Elizabethan period that the writings have begun to be labelled as Renaissance literature. Specific examples can be traced back from several works to illustrate the degree of influence that Renaissance thoughts had at that period of time. To start with a