Download Guide Reading Chapter 13 Western Society

Guide Reading Chapter 13 Western Society
Mckay Readings: (8th edition), pp. 412-447
Dates to Know: Henry VII becomes first Tudor king of England (1485); Erasmus, Praise of Folly
(1509); Machiavelli, The Prince (1513); Castiglione, Book of the Courtier (1528); Printing Press
Invented (around 1450)
Part Two: Guided Reading
1. Northern Italian Cities ―led the way‖ in the commercial revival of the 11th century…how?
What were the major cities and what did they trade?
2. Northern Italian cities were communes; what does that mean? What was social structure
like in that environment?
3. Where did the first artistic and literary manifestations of the Renaissance appear? Why
there?
4. What was the ―new force called the popolo? What replaced their rule?
5. Five major powers dominated the Italian peninsula—what were they?
6. How did the Italian city-states react to threats to the balance of power on the Italian
peninsula?
7. When Florence and Naples entered into an agreement to acquire Milan’s territories, Milan
called on France for support. What did this mean for Italy?
8. Who was Francesco Petrarch and what did he believe about history?
9. The book discusses Individualism, but does not define it until page 420. What is
individualism?
10. Moving back to page 419, what was the medieval attitude about the individual? What was
the Renaissance attitude about the individual?
11. Read the quote by Benvenuto Cellini—also on page 419--how does it tie in with the
Renaissance concept of individualism?
12. In defining humanism, the book takes its time as well. What is a humanist? (pg. 420, end
of 1st paragraph, 2nd column)
13. How did the way medieval writers studied the classics of Rome differ from the way that
Renaissance humanists approached the classics?
14. What is secularism?
15. How did medieval thought differ from Renaissance thought as far as life on earth went?
16. What was The Decameron? How is it different than medieval literature in its attitudes?
17. How did the church react to this new ―secular spirit?‖
18. How did Pope Julius II contribute to the art of the Renaissance?
19. According to the painter Perugino, why was it that Florence had achieved such perfection
in the arts?
20. What were the characteristics of the ―High Renaissance‖ art period? Who were the main
artists?
21. In early Renaissance Italy, art manifested corporate power…‖ – give some examples of
how people sponsored art for their own gain (pg. 422, under ―art and power‖)
22. ―As the fifteenth century advanced, the subject matter of art became steadily more
secular.‖ Why? How was the content and style of the Renaissance different than the
Middle Ages?
23. How did the social status of the artist improve? Compare Ghiberti’s salary with the head
of the city government and with a master like Michelangelo.
24. Michelangelo was called ―divine‖ in his era—how did the Renaissance change the concept
of the artist as genius?
25. The quote by Peter Paul Vergerio expresses his attitudes on education. What is important
to him in that regard?
26. Baldassare Castiglione’s The Courtier (1528) gives a blueprint for what a good upper class
man should be like. What qualities should he possess?
27. How did Machiavelli’s view of politics differ from that of Medieval political theorists?
28. Movable type came into being around 1455 and brought ―radical changes‖ immediately.
What kind of changes does McKay describe?
29. Look the map on page 431—where are most 15th century printing centers located? What
country is located there today?
30. What press was the largest in Europe, producing one-eighth of all books?
31. McKay spends too much time talking about clocks. The important part starts on the
bottom of page 431—what does it say about ―measuring the world?‖
32. What does the book say about upper class women and the Renaissance? Did it increase or
decrease their status? How?
33. According to Leon Battista Alberti, what should a wife’s role be?
34. What roles did Blacks play in Renaissance society? (bottom of 436 and second paragraph
on 438).
35. McKay finishes this section with an interesting discussion of the black/white color
distinction in European society. How did Europeans view ―black‖ and ―white‖ and why?
36. New topic! How was the Northern Renaissance different from the Italian one? What
―fundamentally distinguished‖ them from the Italians?
37. Thomas More was very important but the way the book talks about him is quite
confusing. Focus for now on his Utopia (1516)—what was it and why was it important?
38. Desiderius Erasmus is mucho importante as well. What were the two major themes that
run through his scholarly work?
39. Strong monarchs (kings) become an important part of this time in history. Who were the
―new monarchs‖ and what did they believe?
40. Don’t get too stressed out about the section on France. There’s lots of people to know,
but for now let’s focus on Louis XI. What did he see as the ―perpetual problems of
France?‖ How did he answer these problems?
41. Lots of kings in England too. Don’t worry about anyone before Henry VII too much for
now. How did Henry VII use diplomacy to reduce the power of the nobles? In your answer,
don’t forget to talk about nobles that acted out against the crown (pg. 442).
42. McKay explains the reconquista by referring back to pages 293-294. Guess what McKay?
Our book starts with page 378, genius! The important thing is that you understand how
Ferdinand and Isabella can be described as ―new monarchs.‖ Explain how…
43. Why did Anti-Semitic (anti-Jewish) feelings show up in Spain?
44. Some Jews converted to Christianity (Conversos, or New Christians) and were rewarded
with the Spanish Inquisition. What was the Inquisition?
45. Why did the Spanish come to view Jews as a race that cannot be converted?