Download Renaissance Period - Mohawk Elementary School

“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.
Humanism
An 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.