1. The Renaissance Period

2. Renaissance: meaning
a renewal of life, vigor, interest, etc.; rebirth; revival
Michelangelo’s David has become one of the most recognized works of Renaissance sculpture, a symbol of strength and youthful beauty

3. The Renaissance Period
Cultural bridge between middle ages and modern history
Began in Italy, and spread through the rest of Europe by the 16th century
Its influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry
The Renaissance could be viewed as an attempt by intellectuals to study and improve worldly issues through the revival of ideas from antiquity and through new reasoning and thought.
Florence: the birthplace of the Renaissance
Spread through Europe

4. Renaissance: origins
Black Plague (Europe ) – Italy was hit badly by the plague, and it has been speculated that the resulting familiarity with death caused thinkers to dwell more on their lives – it also led to new wealth
Population in Europe went from 4.2 million to 2.8 million
as a result of this mass decimation, the working class became more valued and the commoners came to enjoy more freedom.
Survivors of the Plague found that food was cheaper, and many of them inherited property from their dead relatives.
Desire to retrieve and study Latin and Greek literary, historical, and oratorical texts (development of printing press made this easier to obtain works)
Social and political structures in Italy – switch from Feudalism to a society based on merchants and commerce (perhaps a result of the Plague)
Black Plague: Pieter Bruegel's The Triumph of Death (c. 1562)
Merchants of the Renaissance

5. Renaissance: Characteristics
Humanism
Art
Science
Music
Religion

6. Renaissance: Humanism
Humanist education: poetry, grammar, history, moral philosophy and rhetoric
The movement to recover, interpret, and assimilate language, literature, learning and the values of ancient Greece and Rome
This literature was thought to provide moral instruction and an intensive understanding of human behavior.
Above all, humanists pushed for the genius of man – the unique and extraordinary ability of the human mind.
Humanists believed that it is important to transcend to the afterlife with a perfect mind and body, which could be attained with education
Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man (c. 1490) demonstrates Renaissance thinkers. Leonardo tried to draw the perfectly proportioned man.

7. Donatello, David (1440s?) Museo Nazionale del Bargello
Renaissance: Art
development of highly realistic perspective
Painters studied light, shadow, and human anatomy
Oil paint and canvas
depict themes of everyday life
Some artists you might know:
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello
Michelangelo, (c. 1511) The Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel ceiling
Donatello, David (1440s?) Museo Nazionale del Bargello

8. Renaissance: Science
The rediscovery of ancient texts and the invention of printing democratized learning and allowed for faster preparation of ideas
The willingness to question previously held truths and search for new answers resulted in a period of major scientific advancements.
Discovery of the scientific method
Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God, by Matejko. Nicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance mathematician and astronomer

9. Renaissance: Music
The development of printing made distribution of music possible
Music for entertainment

10. Renaissance: Religion
Desire to reform churches
Martin Luther published the 95 Theses, which criticized the church and exposed its corruption - this led to reformation
"Thesentür" (the "Door of the Theses") memorial at All Saints' Church (Schlosskirche) in Wittenberg
Martin Luther nailing the theses to the door

11. Renaissance: the spread
Italy

12. Renaissance: spread to England
The 15th century marked the beginning of the English Renaissance
In Britain: 15th, 16th, 17th century
Renaissance style and ideas, however, were slow to penetrate England, and the Elizabethan Era in the second half of the 16th century is usually regarded as the height of the English Renaissance.
Spread to England

13. English Renaissance William Shakespeare
Literature  Increased, English Renaissance Theatre became popular
William Shakespeare
Christopher Marlowe
Music  new creativity including a change to flowery, light compositions
William Byrd
Art  Iconoclastic
William Byrd

14. Elizabethan Era 1558–1603 Elizabeth I of England
Marked by the reign of Queen Elizabeth I
Historians often depict it as the “Golden Age” in English history as it represented the highest point of the English Renaissance and saw the flowering of poetry, music and literature.
The era is most famous for theatre, as William Shakespeare and many others composed plays that broke free of England's past style of theatre.
The Elizabethan Age may be viewed so highly because of the failings that the country experienced before and after her reign.
A time of peace and prosperity
Elizabeth I of England

15. Renaissance: class readings
Sonnets, by William Shakespeare:
Sonnets originated in Italy by a man named Giacomo Da Lentini
By the thirteenth century it signified a poem of fourteen lines that follows a strict rhyme scheme and specific structure.
Sonnets came to England, and William Shakespeare took off with the idea, becoming the most well-known writer of sonnets and known for his creation of The Shakespearean Sonnet (more on this later)
A Play, by William Shakespeare:
You have already read Romeo & Juliet
This year you will read either Merchant of Venice (Comedy) or Julius Caesar (Tragedy)