Renaissance Literature

Warm-up question If you are a ruler of a civilization, is it better to be a feared ruler or a loved ruler? Why do you think this?

Niccolo Machiavelli Italian who wrote The Prince - basically an advice column explaining what was the best way to rule over people Was the person who asked the question – “is it better to be feared or loved?” You will be taking a look at his life and some of his famous ideas

Machiavelli If a teacher were Machiavellian, how would you expect them to act?

“From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved more than feared, or feared more than loved. The reply is, that one ought to be both feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be wanting. For it may be said of men in general that they are ungrateful, voluble (changeable), dissemblers (liars), anxious to avoid danger, and covetous of gain; as long as you benefit them, they are entirely yours; they offer you their blood, their goods, their life, and their children, as I have before said, when the necessity is remote; but when it approaches, they revolt. And the prince who has relied solely on their words, with making preparations, is ruined.” -Machiavelli

Before the Renaissance… Prior to Renaissance, what was the focus of most literature in Europe? Religion – almost all books about Christianity With humanism, how do you expect that to change? Focus of literature becomes entertainment and self-expression Advice, love, poetry, storytelling all become popular

Dante Italian writer who started many themes of Renaissance writing Wrote in native language, not Latin Why is this a big deal? If you are writing in Latin, who is your audience? Writing in native language is key to Renaissance writing What needs to increase if authors writing in their native language hope to be successful?

William Shakespeare English writer – 1564-1616 Wrote for entertainment Works about everyday situations that people could relate to You know his famous works: Hamlet, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice

Questions If writers are starting to write for people besides the Catholic Church, what things need to grow in Western Europe? Literacy – people need to become more educated, or nobody sees what you are writing Amount of books available – most books at the time were still written by hand