Introductory
Renaissance is a period of the revival of knowledge, the rebirth of power and discovery of new lands that were unknown to human civilization. It is not easy to pinpoint an exact date for the beginning and end of this prestigious era but a careful study of literary Geography reveals that it started in the 14th century and ended in the sixteenth century. The period of the Renaissance served as a transition period from the dark ages to the age of science and technology. But it was surely an age of discovery, religious reformation and notorious for the accumulation of wealth and power.
Christopher Marlowe and Shakespeare were both the top-notch playwrights of the Elizabethan era. In fact, they were born in the same year, in 1565. Marlowe was fortunate enough to coin his name as the one among the University Wits (a group of university graduates) but it was Shakespeare, who took away the throne of the best dramatist of Elizabethan era from Marlowe. The literary genius of both the contemporaries was marked with the same exhibition of the colour of Renaissance as their poetic or prosaic counter-parts like Edmund Spenser or Francis Bacon.
The Jew of Malta
The political tussle between Europe and the Ottoman Empire was a chief issue among the people of Renaissance. Numerous wars were fought for securing the sovereignty of Europe. The Jew of Malta by Marlowe is a correct historical account of Spanish and Ottoman influence to claim the island of Malta. The show and the lust of power is vividly woven into the heart of the play. Barabas, a Jew, whose wealth amounts more than the wealth of the whole Malta combined, uses Machiavellian principles to settle his scores with the ones who harm him and his gold, and to harvest more power through the use of his "brave policies". The actions of all characters in this play except Abigail broadcast a negative image of Renaissance.
Othello
Othello by Shakespeare is another but a dark tragic work to showcase the Ottoman Europe tug-of-war. Despite the historical allusion to Renaissance, Othello signifies the religious transition to humanism, a movement in which man was considered as the centre of his actions and accomplishments instead of God. Some critics even argue that the atmosphere of Othello is secular. We can easily trace out the humanistic elements in the arch villainy of Iago. Almost all of his subtle knavery is back-upped by his persuasive tongue and his sheer trust of him in both his enemies and his "friends". In some way or the other, Iago was a subtle follower of the teachings of Machiavelli. Iago asserts his self-interest as thus,
I follow him [Othello] to serve my turn upon him.
In this respect, Iago's villainish character parallels Barabas. Such reflection of self-interest is purely of Renaissance.
The Tempest
The Tempest of Shakespeare is distinctively marked with geological discovery of new places or more specifically, islands. It is historically evident that the epoch of the Renaissance was an age of discovery and colonization. To put these measurements in the story of The Tempest, we discover the same stuff. Prospero and his newly born daughter are banished from Milan and they are cast to the sea. After facing the tempest stout, Prospero discovers a strange island but he colonized it through his supernatural powers. He thought Caliban, an inhabitant of that island, language and used the beast to serve for his own purposes. The same goes for Arial and other spirits. Such a phenomenon directly shows how a place is colonized. First, the colonizers will make its inhabitants learn something as a reward or will aid them financially and then they will use these inhabitants to make products for them or even a purchaser. Caliban's curse also alludes to the cries of the oppressed for freedom. In the case of The Tempest, freedom is granted but in actual life, liberty is granted with a huge trade-off or a land dispute. Thus, the discovery of new lands and colonizing them was a true "spirit" of the Renaissance.
Conclusion
Manifestly, both Shakespeare and Marlowe were greatly influenced by the epoch of Renaissance and its impact is directly visible in their writings with a stout exhibition of Elizabethan morality.
There are no sources as this answer is purely written by me after a careful study of these plays and lectures of Sir Hassan Akbar, Sir Saffi and Sir Mohsin on Renaissance.
