Plato enlightening the Renaissance

It is only fitting to start our philosophical inquiries at the cornerstone of much Western thought: the Grecian thinker- Plato.  His allegories of the cave and the sun as well as his explications of the world of forms.  What connections can we then make to the Renaissance from these items?  In attempts of locating the secularism, humanism, individualism, and education represented here in Plato's works, let us attempt to see the texts as the original Renaissance thinkers, not in our own context, or even in the original Grecian ideal, but rather from the view point of those near the time of 1350-1600 CE and especially to see how they employed them in their society.  Plato's allegory of the Cave is designed to show his understanding of the theoretical world.  This world is but a lowly shadow of the truth, in that anything we see is not the actual portrayal of reality.  Reality is at a higher level of theoretical being and we had once been in that world but we've been stuck in this cave of reality for so long that our eyes have adjusted only to seeing the dimness and falsity of this life.  Things we think are real humans, real beauty, real justice are but shadows cast on the cave wall of our world and poor comparisons to their actual portrayals in the world of forms.  We must be slowly brought into the light and slowly turn our eyes from the flawed cave to the real world and the light which is the source of all goodness and the light by which all shadows are cast (the sun).  This is a fantastic representation of many of the Renaissance concepts, perhaps even those put forth by Pico!  That kind of humanism and seeing the capability of humanity to actually free themselves from those chains and slowly turn their gaze to the sun and out of the cave is a huge and high conception of humanity (much higher than what I might purport).  It is only through actions of education in virtues that humanity can achieve a freedom from this world of the cave toward the Good of the Sun in Plato's conception, which is perhaps where the Renaissance thinkers would depart from Plato and the Neoplatonist Pico.  Renaissance-rs probably would employ higher levels of secularism, validating the virtues to live a better life here instead of some higher/heavenesque approach.  There is a sort of implication that Plato argues the source of all good is not of this world but that other source is something towards which we should all be inclined.  The myth of the sun speaks intently on the source of light by which the truth casts the shadows from the world of form.  This truth casting item makes it possible for us to see the full the truth is the sun and by that same thought process, we must fix our hearts and illuminate our actions with the full intent on the Truth and the Good.  Without aiming in this direction, we shall never actualize our ambitions  in escaping the cave to the world of forms.  This is the ambition that Plato urges us towards, embodied heavily in Renaissance ideals if not for different ends, that virtue makes us pure enough to achieve right education and thoughts.  Here is a bit that confuses me though.  Plato argues somehow that we were once a part of the world of forms, essentially that human souls have existed/will exist always and the our presence in the world of forms gives us inclinations of the concepts of perfect equality, goodness, etc.  Doesn't this seem like an odd escape from Christian speculation on the soul?  Also does the contemplation on the human soul take place much for Renaissance thinkers or is the phenomenon isolated as something peculiar to Plato?  It seems like any time after this life or before this life is something that Renaissance thinkers would avoid.  Even on top of this, there seems to be the implication that perhaps humanity is getting close to achieving the full world of forms aside while still being on the earth.  I am not certain if I am just over-Christianizing Plato's terminology or not but it seems less like the secularism level is the departure point for most Renaissance thinkers from Plato.