Name ________________________________________
Period: ___________
Renaissance Man
Learning Goal: To understand the attributes necessary to be a proper Renaissance man.
Directions:
Baldassare Castiglione wrote The Courtier a book describing life in the royal court. A Whole generation of young
courtiers diligently followed his advice.
Read the handout and outline at least 10 attributes of a proper Renaissance man.
Renaissance Man
Qualities:
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How does a Renaissance man differ from a man of the 21st Century?
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Name:
Period:
A Modern Renaissance Man
Due Friday November 16th
Learning Goal: To understand the attributes necessary to be a proper Renaissance man.
“A man can do all things if he but wills them.” – Leon Battista Alberti
The ideal European “Renaissance Man” excelled in a variety of areas. He was well educated, charming, witty, able to
dance, write poetry, sing, play music, wrestle, ride horses, and be able to fight as a swordsman. Leonardo Da Vinci
is generally regarded as the ultimate “Renaissance Man”. Da Vinci’s traits, characteristics, and diversity of
accomplishment certainly make him stand out as an important historical figure and cultural icon.
Part I:
Question:
What characteristics, values and ideals in our contemporary society would be valued today that might be used to
determine whether someone would be considered a modern “Renaissance Man or Woman”? Name five things.
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Part II:
Task: Think of a person you know, famous or not, that would be considered a Renaissance man or woman.
Requirements1. Print out the picture OR draw a picture of your chosen candidate. Staple it to this sheet.
2. On a separate sheet of paper, write one paragraph describing the personality traits of your person
3. Then, write one paragraph to connect their traits to the 16th century description of an ideal “Renaissance
Man/Women”. How do they display these traits? Give specific examples from The Courtier on how they
personify the ideal qualities.