1. The Humanists Who were they? What impact did they have on the Renaissance? World History, Unit: 05 Lesson: 01 ©2012, TESCCC

2. Portrait of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam with Renaissance Pilaster. By Hans Holbein the Younger 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. ©2012, TESCCC

3. Erasmus once wrote: “I disagree very much with those who are unwilling that Holy Scripture, translated into the vernacular, be read by the uneducated... as if the strength of the Christian religion consisted in the ignorance of it.” “I disagree very much with (people) who are unwilling that (Bible), translated into the (spoken language such as English or French or Italian instead of Latin which was known only to the nobility and clergy), be read by the (common people)... as if (being a member of the church) consisted in (not understanding it) of it.” ©2012, TESCCC

4. So what did he really mean?? There are people who do not want the Bible to be written in a languages that can be understood by all, which would allow more people to read the Bible. These people must think that being a Christian means that believers should not understand the base of their religion. ©2012, TESCCC

5. Erasmus also wrote: ©2012, TESCCC

6. 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

7. Cervantes wrote: ©2012, TESCCC

8. The Right Honorable Sir Thomas More. By Hans Holbein the Younger 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." ©2012, TESCCC

9. More wrote: ©2012, TESCCC

10. 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

11. Boccaccio wrote: ©2012, TESCCC

12. 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

13. Shakespeare wrote: ©2012, TESCCC

14. Make a list of three key ideas you learned about the humanists today. ©2012, TESCCC

15. Is the work of the humanists still relevant today? Explain your answer. ©2012, TESCCC