The Impact of the Renaissance on European Culture and Society

RENAISSANCE

The Renaissance was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic rebirth following the Middle Ages. Generally described as taking place from the 14th century to the 17th century, the Renaissance promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature and art.

The Renaissance is credited with bridging the gap between the Middle Ages and modern-day civilization.

This rebirth refers to a renewal of learning, especially in terms of new beliefs and ways of doing things differently from the Middle Ages. Characteristics of the Renaissance include a renewed interest in classical antiquity; a rise in humanist philosophy (a belief in self, human worth, and individual dignity); and radical changes in ideas about religion, politics, and science.

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence was felt in art, architecture, philosophy, literature, music, science and technology, politics, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry.

People lost the faith in the church and began to put more focus on human beings

Renaissance began as a revival of interest in the literature and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. It s emphasis was on the richness of earthly life and on human achievements.

Result of the Renaissance spirit was a brilliant period of creativity in the arts.

Fall of Constantinople (1381) caused revival of learning throughout Europe

Late in the Middle Ages European rulers gained new authority, while the absolute authority of the church began to be questioned. At the same time, a long period of wars epidemics and economic upheaval in Europe came to an end.

A new spirit of optimism, confidence, and creativity emerged. In the 14thcentury, these developments led to the start of a remarkable period that is known as the Renaissance.

New inventions were made during Renaissance for example printing press was invented printing press allowed for the spread of knowledge and ideas throughout Europe

Clock The idea of quantification developed the universe came to be conceived in more quantifiable terms {measurable terms } allowed for more precise measurements changed the focus of daily life which had been guided by the rhythms of the church

Columbus discovered America during Renaissance

Copernicus he attempted to prove that the sun rather than the earth is at the centre of planetary system

In other developments we find the advancements in the field of chemistry and medicine at the same time we find Isaac Newton invented calculus

Now look at the social condition during the period there was a lot of corruption in the church churches were very dominant there was a blind submission to Pope s command

Now look at the class heirarchy Pope kings queens and knights Peasants

Political and religious conditions The end of mediaeval period in Europe was marked by changes in attitudes towards politics religion and learning. These changes became more widespread and sweeping during the 14thand 15th centuries bringing about the cultural movement called Renaissance and the religious movement known as the reformation

Martin Luther who was associated with the Protestant reformation was very critical of church corruption and abuses. He sought reform in the church

The Protestant Reformation The people began to call for a reform of the Catholic Church. In Germany this friction split the church and a new group was created called the Protestants. The Protestant reformation was a movement that seemed to reject mediaeval form of Christianity.

The series of events that led to the split of the church and the creation of this new group became known as the Protestant Reformation. The church is not a social ladder where some people are more important than others

All the jobs in the Church are equally important. The jobs were called vocations. The Lutherans called their leaders ministers instead of priests.

Humanism man was the centre of attention

Now look at the comparison between mediaeval thought and humanism church and king most important; individual is important Man is sinful man is good with dignity and value

hierarchy of peoples worth; dignity and worth of all people life s pleasures must be avoided to please God ; people can enjoy life and still be good Christians Accept to the human condition ; encouraged human achievement Accept church doctrine without question; each individual finds the truth for himself

In Renaissance artists embraced some of the ideals of Greece and Rome in their art .they wanted their subjects to be realistic and focused on humanity and emotion new techniques also emerged

Painting done on wet plaster became popular because it gave depth to the paintings sculpture emphasized realism and the human form architecture reached new heights of design

Literature in Renaissance literature is the expression of human life emotions and feelings through the medium of language it is defined as the imaginative reconstruction of human life

Drama it is a literary composition involving conflict, actions ,crisis and atmosphere it is designed to be acted by players on stage before an audience Important plays written during this period are Ralph Roister Doister by Nicholas Udall it is a comedy

Gorboduc by Thomas Sackville tragedy Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, As you like it, Macbeth are the famous plays by William Shakespeare The silent woman, The Alchemist are the comedies by Ben Johnson Dr Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (tragedy)

Here are some examples of how these characteristics are illustrated in Hamlet: Classic antiquity: Hamlet has lots of references to classical Greek and Roman stories, characters, and historical events. For example, you can find a murderous king (Pyrrhus), and a queen in mourning over her murdered husband (Hecuba), which mirror the main plot points of the play. Humanist philosophy: In Act II, Scene 2, Line 311, Hamlet asks: "What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties..." In this speech, you can see a clear assertion of humanist ideas about the uniqueness and extraordinary abilities of the human mind. Religion: In Hamlet's most famous soliloquy, which begins, "To be or not to be...", he alludes to an unknown afterlife, "The undiscovered country...," which is a stark departure from Medieval religious ideas rooted in a strict belief that people either go to heaven or hell when they die.

Politics: There were big political changes taking place during the time that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. This is reflected in the play by Hamlet's questioning of Claudius's right to ascend to the throne in his father's place. It was a new idea to question anything having to do with the "natural" hierarchical structures that maintained political power. Science: This point is illustrated by Shakespeare's use of the play-within- the play in Hamlet. Here, Prince Hamlet's play, The Mousetrap, is presented to the court supposedly as entertainment, but Hamlet's intent is to gather obvious evidence of Claudius's guilt for the murder of his father. Says Hamlet: "...the play's the thing Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."

Poetry it is a composition that evokes emotion and imagination by the use of vivid, intense language, usually arranged in a pattern of words or lines with regularly repeated accent or stress. Edmund Spenser wrote fairy Queen, Shepherds Calendar, Amoretti and Epithalamion the Divine comedy was written by Dante

Prose Praise of folly by the Erasmus. Utopia by Sir Thomas More

Conclusion Renaissance means the revival of learning and it denotes in its broadest sense the gradual enlightenment of the human mind after the darkness of the Middle Ages. Religion was dominant in this Era so most of the literary works were mainly depicting religious themes.

References WEB SOURCES