Humanism Humanism- A system of thought that rejects religious beliefs and centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth ©2012, TESCCC World History, Unit: 05 Lesson: 01

Instructions Everything you see from this point on pertains to your index cards. What is in GREEN will go on the front and what is in BLUE will go on the back. Each person will be their own index card

Desiderius Erasmus was from the Netherlands Desiderius Erasmus was from the Netherlands. His most famous work was In Praise of Folly. He used his book to expose the inappropriate behavior of people including the clergy. He translated the Bible to Latin from Greek manuscripts showing many errors in the Bible that was being used at that time. Portrait of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam with Renaissance Pilaster. By Hans Holbein the Younger ©2012, TESCCC

Sir Thomas More was English Sir Thomas More was English. He wrote Utopia in which he criticized the society of his day by describing an ideal, imaginary community. More was Lord Chancellor in the court of King Henry VIII. When the king divorced his wife and remarried, More refused to give his approval to the marriage. The King accused More of treason, and he was killed. At his execution More said "The King's good servant, but God's First." The Right Honorable Sir Thomas More. By Hans Holbein the Younger ©2012, TESCCC

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His most famous work, Don Quixote, is considered to have been the first modern European novel. The novel follows the adventures of Don Quixote, a foolish but idealistic knight, and his faithful servant, Sancho Panza. ©2012, TESCCC

Petrarch was an Italian scholar and poet Petrarch was an Italian scholar and poet. He is often called the "Father of Humanism". He traveled widely in Europe and collected Latin manuscripts. He was important in the recovery of works by writers of ancient Rome and Greece. His most famous work was a collection of poems that he wrote in Italian to a woman named Laura. ©2012, TESCCC

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright. He wrote comedies, tragedies and historical plays. More than 1,700 words appeared for the first time in the English language in Shakespeare's works. ©2012, TESCCC

Giovanni Boccaccio wrote the Decameron, a collection of stories told by a group of people living in the countryside during the Black Death. The stories were a departure from Medieval literature which was centered on the teachings of the Church. The stories in the Decameron were centered on the varied experiences of real people. ©2012, TESCCC

Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat. He wrote The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat. He wrote The Prince. It was a handbook for rulers on how to gain and hold power. It was Machiavelli who argued that the end justifies the means. Portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli by Santi di Tito ©2012, TESCCC

The Humanists Who were they? What impact did they have on the Renaissance? Is their work relevant today? ©2012, TESCCC World History, Unit: 05 Lesson: 01