“The Renaissance” 16th and early 17th Century

1485-1660

A period of

REBIRTH

The Gradual Change• As in the past, the Medieval period did not come to an abrupt end, however, as

time passed changes in people’s values, beliefs and behavior gradually occurred.

• This inspired a “rebirth” of the classic teachings everyone once knew and studied.

• The Classics: Old writings/teachings from the Ancient Greeks/Romans etc..

A Renewed Interest in Learning

• The Classics inspired a renewed interest in learning and exploring; for the first time people were thinking “outside of the box”.

• Creativity, exploration and experiment were now an option.

The Foundation of the Renaissance

• It all began w/ the Italian Renaissance

• 14th Century in Italy.

• B/C of three notable men: • Michelangelo• Da Vinci• Galileo

• and the use of their FREE WILL

Michelangelo and Free Will• He, along with his colleagues, practiced

the idea of free will.

• Michelangelo was the 1st to “go the extreme" when he was commissioned to paint scenes from the Bible on the ceiling of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.

– Why was this an “extreme measure”?– How is his Free Will demonstrated?

• These men were very optimistic and willing to think and do what others were scared of trying.

HumanismAn intellectual movement

• The movement known as Humanism offered people a way/reason to use their free will in order to strengthen one’s religious views.

• Humanists used the teachings of the classics and the Bible to answer questions such as:– What is a human being?– What is a good life?– How does one lead a good life?

Renaissance Humanists

• Two dominate Humanists were Erasmus and Thomas More.

• The two spread their teaching of the classics and of the church by writing poems, pamphlets and essays ; posting them in and around England.

• More will become widely known for his treatise on human society with his publication of Utopia.

Renaissance Writing and Literature

• The printing of books with moveable type and press began during the Renaissance.

• Johann Gutenberg invented the first printing press. He is also responsible for the first printed book…__________

Renaissance Writing and Literature• During the Renaissance

period, writing was done in the _______________ or language of the people.– Not French!

Renaissance Writing and Literature• During the Renaissance

period people became interested in their own language, of what it was and what it could be. (English rather than French)

• Grammar, vocabulary and style became intriguing and fun.

The First Grammars and Dictionaries

• The 1st English dictionary appeared at the beginning of the 17th Century.

– A Table Alphabeticall of Hard Usuall English Wordes.

The First Grammars and Dictionaries

• The earliest dictionaries made NO effort to list all the words in the English language.

• Words listed were those considered “hard”—often borrowed words that ordinary people may not understand. (Educated, higher class people often knew what these words meant.)

The First Grammars and Dictionaries

• The 1st dictionaries gave only a familiar synonym for each hard word.

• It wasn’t until the late 18th century that scholars increased:• the number of words• definitions of each word• its origin• its history• its part of speech• quotations illustrating its use • and its pronunciation

Sentence Style during the Renaissance

• Style: is how an author uses words, phrases, and sentences to form his or her ideas. Style is also thought of as the qualities and characteristics that distinguish one writer’s work from the work of others.

Sentence Style during the Renaissance

• There were two different styles or ways of writing during the Renaissance period.

• Ornate vs. Plain• Ornate writing was

embellished with a lot of borrowed words. Very fancy, detailed way of getting a point or story across.

Sentence Style during the Renaissance

• Plain writing was simple, clear, straightforward and to the point.

Renaissance Prose and Poetry

Prose• Most Renaissance books

were written in prose form with plots that dealt with:

• church related material• travel • exploration and discovery.

Renaissance Prose and Poetry

• The principal achievement of English Prose was the

King James Bible.

Renaissance Drama

• Drama: a literary art form that recreates human life and emotions.

Renaissance Drama

• The 1st humanistic influence on drama came through the genre known as comedy.

• The three genres that the Renaissance writers capitalized on were:– Comedy– Tragedy– Romantic

Renaissance Drama

• Plays were taken out of the churches and moved to outside theaters.

• Churches began to lose patrons so in 1642 English Parliament shut down all outside theaters throughout London, banning plays from being performed.

Renaissance Drama

• Queen Elizabeth I is responsible for bringing the theaters back in England and played an influential role in Renaissance poetry, drama, and fiction.