The Renaissance
Chapter 17 S1
Classical and Worldly Values
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Scholars became more influenced by classical ideas
Instead of trying to make classical texts agree with Christian teachings humanists studied them
to understand ancient Greek values
Humanists popularized the study of subjects common to classical education, history, literature,
and philosophy
The basic spirit of Renaissance society was secular or worldly rather than spiritual with even the
church leaders became more worldly
The Renaissance Man
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Renaissance writers introduced the idea that all educated people were expected to create art.
A man who excelled in many fields was praised as a “universal man” which later became known
as a “Renaissance man”
Leonardo DaVinci is the definition of a Renaissance Man
The characteristics of a Renaissance man include that a young man should be charming, witty,
and well educated in the classics. He should dance, sing, play music, and write poetry. In
addition, he should be a skilled rider, wrestler, and swordsman.
An ideal young man should have both masculine and feminine qualities
The Renaissance Woman
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Upper-class women should know the classics and be charming too.
They were expected to inspire art but rarely to create it.
Upper-class Renaissance women were better educated and had little influence in politics.
This period was a male dominated world
Renaissance Writers Change Literature
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Dante wrote in the vernacular, his native language, instead of Latin
Renaissance writers wrote either for self-expression or to portray the individuality of their
subjects
Writers of the Renaissance began trends that modern writers still follow
Petrarch and Boccaccio
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Francesco Petrarch was called the father of Renaissance humanism
He was also a great poet who wrote in both Latin and Italian
Boccaccio wrote the Decameron, a series of realistic, sometimes off-color stories
The Decameron presents both tragic and comic views of life. IN its stories, the author uses
cutting humor to illustrate the human condition
Machiavelli Advises Rulers
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Machiavelli wrote The Prince which examines how a ruler can gain power and keep it in spite of
his enemies.
He began with the idea that most people are selfish, fickle, and corrupt
Machiavelli was not concerned with what was morally right but with what was politically
effective. This is what makes it unique since it is opposite of the church’s opinion
Machiavelli argued that in the real world of power and politics a prince must sometimes mislead
the people.
He believed that as a ruler it was better to be feared than to be liked
Vittoria Colonna
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The women writers who gained fame during the Renaissance usually wrote about personal
subjects, not politics