Transcript The Renaissance - Fulton County Schools

The Renaissance
An intellectual
Revolution
The Ancient World comes
into the Present
Definitions
• Renaissance = rebirth
• What was reborn?
• The interest in the culture of the
classical world: the ancient
Greeks & Romans
• Began in Italy ca. 1350
• Flourished in Florence, Italy in the
1400’s
• This interest in copying the
classical world led to an
intellectual movement called the
Humanism – interest in human
ability to understand the world
and make it a better place
• This movement affected literature,
art, architecture, education &
society
Why did the Renaissance begin
in Italy?
• Ruins of the ancient world were still
starkly visible
• Trade revived there 1st
• “new” ideas came into Italy 1st
• small city states competed with one
another for trade & prestige:
• Florence, Genoa, Venice, Milan, Rome
• Important patrons of the arts
Renaissance Italy
Renaissance Florence
Modern Florence
• Wealthy bankers & nobles became
supporters of the Renaissance
ideas
• The Papacy became a big
supporter of the Renaissance
• The church and the wealthy bankers
& nobles became great patrons of
the arts
• Florence: Medici family controlled –
supported literature and art
• Lorenzo de Medici (the Magnificent)
revived the “Platonic Academy” to study
classical works - humanists
• Pico della Mirandola –
wrote a work called the
Oration on the
Dignity of Man
• Indicated that what
separated man from
other beings was his
freedom to
choose/create who he
would become
• Like God, man was a
creator
New Attitudes….
• Old Medieval:
• Heaven/afterlife
• survival
• Community/
conformity
• Only clergy
educated
•
•
•
•
New – Humanism
Earth/present life
Personal success
Individuality/
creativity
• Wealthy nobles &
commoners seek
education
• Look to church
• Look to classical
authorities for
writers for answers
answers
• Don’t question
• Question things
• Belief in God leads • Belief in God – but
to humility
God wants people to
better their lives
• Humans basically • Humans have the
sinful – paradise is ability to create a
in heaven
heaven on earth
Italian Renaissance Writers
Petrarch: 14th century
Father of Humanism – collector
and translator of ancient
manuscripts
Promoted the study of classical
Latin and Greek
Wrote in the vernacular –
particularly Song Book:
collection of poems about Laura
• Boccaccio
• Friend of Petrarch
• Humanist
• Wrote the Decameron in
Italian
• Collection of tales –
people hiding in country
villa from the Black
Death – exchange
stories [eg: cook/crane]
• Castiglione
• Wrote The Book of the
Courtier
• Advises nobles on
proper etiquette &
knowledge
• Well rounded person
• Appearance important
• Appear to be competent
in all literature, art, etc.
Many “how to”
books written at
this time – eg: 1st
cook books!
• Machiavelli
• Wrote The Prince
• Advises rulers on how
to govern
• Primary goal –
keeping power
• The end justifies the
means – use any
means necessary to
achieve your goal….
• The Italian Renaissance was
disrupted by wars between the
Italian city states and attacks by
France and the Holy Roman Empire
• Eventually Renaissance Ideas
spread outside of Italy:
Outside of Italy it is called the
Northern Renaissance
Northern Renaissance
• Factors that aided the spread….
• Wars – French invaders interested
• Trade – copies of manuscripts taken
outside of Italy
• People studied in Italian Universities
• Strong Monarchies interested
• ***** PRINTING PRESS:
• John Gutenberg moveable type press in
Germany
New Monarchies
• France: Valois dynasty comes to power
as a result of the Hundred Years War
(continually at war with the Hapsburgs)
• HRE & Spain: Hapsburg family comes to
rule both (Charles V himself ruled both for a
while)
• Tudor dynasty comes to power in
England as a result of the Wars of Roses
(a civil war after the 100yrs war)
How was the Northern
Renaissance different?
• Christian Humanism – applying the
ideas of human dignity spiritual practice
• Northern writers wanted more humane laws
and church
• Writing was more original & important than art
• Northern writers were concerned with the unfair
structure of society
• The Protestant Reformation affects Northern
Renaissance
Northern Renaissance Writers
• Montaigne – developed the
personal essay form of
writing – short prose piece
expressing the personal view
of the writer (French)
• Rabelais – wrote
Gargantua & Pantagruel –
satires life of the nobles &
clergy (French)
Erasmus
• In Praise of Folly
• Critical of corrupt
and non-spiritual
clergy
• Christian humanist
• Friend of Thomas
More
• Thomas More – wrote
Utopia (gk. for no place)
• About a “perfect society” on an
imaginary island
• People live in a communistic
society with freedom of religion
• Meant to call attention to the
inequities in English society
More was chancellor for King Henry 8th until
Henry made himself head of the English
church – More was executed for objecting
• William Shakespeare
–English
•
•
•
•
playwright
Wrote tragedies,
comedies & histories
Rich characters
depth of human emotion
& dilemma of trying to do
good in a confusing world
Fatal tragic character flaw
– a quality (often good)
that the person has to
excess
• Examples of works:
• Tragedies: Romeo & Juliet;
Hamlet; Macbeth; Othello; Julius
Caesar; King Lear
• Comedies: As you like it;
Tempest; Midsummer Night’s
Dream
• Histories: Henry V; Richard III
• Sonnets
Globe Theatre
• Cervantes
• Spanish author of Don
Quixote
• Romance of an idealistic old
man who wishes to be a
brave knight doing heroic
deeds
• Fights windmills (giants) and
puppets (the Moors)
• Practical squire: Sancho
Panza
• Reflects the difficulty of
reaching high ideals
And all of these ideas
spread more rapidly
because of…
The printing Press