1. The Renaissance

2. Beginning of the Renaissance
Italian Cities
Urban society- easy for people to congregate
Major trading centers that attracted wide variety of people and cultures
Secular culture
Moved away from life in the church
Focused more on the individual and the tangible
Renaissance means “Rebirth”
People lost their faith in the church and began to look towards the classical heritage of Rome and Greece
New ideas on politics, economy, art, and literature

3. Literature - Humanism 3 Main ideas:
Self-improvement through reason and ingenuity
Study of Classical culture
Life-long and well-rounded education
Secular Movement
Emphasis on history, philosophy and literature (known as “humanities”)
Human nature as flawed, imperfect
Renaissance Man vs. Renaissance Woman
Man: skilled rider, wrestler, swordsman, charismatic
Both: well versed in singing, dancing, drawing, play an instrument, read poetry and novels
Women: knowledgeable of the above but meant to be the inspiration not the creator

4. Literature
Petrarch
Wrote in both Italian (native) and Latin (traditional)
Father of Humanist Movement in Italy
Emphasis on poetry and self-expression in work
Dante
Wrote in the vernacular (native language)
Inferno- Dante’s journey through the 9 circles of hell, religious undertones emphasizing the rejection of sin
Wrote a lot about Virgil- Ancient Roman poet
Boccaccio
Emphasis on realism and the individual in the vernacular
Decameron- collection of realistic stories that emphasize human interaction in both comedic and tragic settings

5. Political Ideas Niccolò Machiavelli The Prince
Machiavelli observed city-state rulers of his day and produced guidelines for the acquisition and maintenance of power by absolute rule.
“Is it better to be feared or loved?” He felt that a ruler should be willing to do anything to maintain control, he thought its better to be feared.

6. Renaissance Art Elements of Painting and Sculpture
Emphasis on individuals & interaction between people
Classicism: inspiration from Greece & Rome
Perspective (dimension)
Realism and emotion
Light and shadows
Famous Artists
Donatello
Michelangelo
Leonardo Da Vinci (bottom)
Raphael (top)

7. Art Activity
Directions: In your notes write down whether or not you belief that the following pieces of art is Renaissance or not.

13. Northern Renaissance Printing Press
Invented by Johann Gutenberg in 1440 Transition from religious texts to popular books
Able to rapidly mass produce texts- How do you think this affected the spread of the Renaissance?
Erasmus- Holland
The Praise of Folly- satire of traditional medieval society
Criticized the Church and the ceremony, believed it wasn’t in line with the original roots of Christianity
Sir Thomas More- England
Utopia- satire mocking the wealth and materialism of society
Utopia means “no place”
As a member of Henry VIII’s court he witnessed a lot of corruption and vanity

15. Elizabethan Age William Shakespeare Most famous playwright of all time
Macbeth, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, etc.
Character studies- exposing flaws and human nature through drama
Elizabeth I known as the “Virgin Queen”
Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn (2nd wife of 6)
Considered Golden Age of England
Ended religious persecution and allowed for Anglicanism and Christianity to co-exist in England
Defeated the powerful Spanish Armada securing England’s military dominance in Europe
Ruled for 44 years which brought stability and peace