Chapter 7, Section 2 New Ideas and Literature

Renaissance Humanism Humanism-placed importance on the individual and human society. Humanists emphasized a balance between faith and reason Based largely on the values of the Ancient Greeks and Romans

Ancient Works Become Popular Europe was reintroduced to Roman and Greek works of literature after the crusades, because Arab scholars were familiar with Greek and Roman writings Francesco Petrarch, known simply as Petrarch, was a poet and scholar who studied Roman writers like Cicero

Petrarch http://www.123rf.com/photo_8520500_francesco-petrarca-aka-petrarch-1304-1374-on-engraving-from-the-1800s-italian-scholar-poet-and-one-o.html

Cont. Petrarch encouraged Europeans to create libraries to house Latin manuscripts (books) Italian artist studied proportions of Ancient statues to learn why they looked so perfect

Humanism and Society Humanist scholars studied everything from plants and animals, to human anatomy, medicine, and astronomy Artists like Brunelleschi used Math to construct a dome in Florence Leonardo da Vinci- a great artist, scientist, inventor, and engineer. He filled notebook after notebook with his ideas

Cont. Leonardo da Vinci drew sketches of a glider, and helicopter, and a parachute, before the airplane existed Humanism also led to a better cartography, or the understanding of map making which helped to guide explorers (think New World)

Da Vinci Parachute Da Vinci Helicopter http://www.useyourwords.co.nz/ Da Vinci Helicopter http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01492/MM_CASETEST4291/Inventors.htm

Changes in Literature Most educated people wrote in Latin Petrarch preferred to write in Latin, however he did write love poems in the vernacular Dante Alighieri was a poet from Florence. He wrote The Divine Comedy, which was a tale of a character’s journey from hell to heaven

Cont. Geoffrey Chaucer also used the vernacular, and wrote his famous book The Canterbury Tales in English

The Printing Press Johannes Gutenberg- In the early 1450’s, developed a printing press made it possible to print books more quickly Gutenberg’s Bible, was the first European book produced on the new press Approximately 40,000 books were published by 1500

William Shakespeare The rule of Elizabeth I is known as the Elizabethan era During this era, William Shakespeare emerged He was an actor, poet, and playwright He is best known for his plays such as: Romeo and Juliet Hamlet MacBeth

Cont. Shakespeare was so popular, that he changed the way the printing press was used Many of his works were published during his life

Cervantes Cervantes was a playwright and novelist from Spain He is best known for Don Quixote de la Mancha It was extremely popular throughout Europe