Writers of the Renaissance

A New Kind of Literature

“How-to” BooksPoets, artists, & scholars mingled

with politicians“How-to” books were demanded

Niccolo Machiavelli

Italian author“The ends justify the

means.”Believed strict

leadership could unite Italy

Baldassare Castiglione

Italian humanist, diplomat & courtier

Authority on aristocratic manners

The Book of the Courtier

"Men demonstrate their courage far more often in little things than in great."

What did he mean?

Northern HumanistsStressed education & classical learningEmphasized religious themes.Use ancient learning to bring religious

& moral reform.

Francesco Petrarch

One of the first humanists

Wrote poetry – “Sonnets to Laura”

Considered some of the greatest love poems in literature

Francesco Petrarch (continued)

Believed classical writers were committed to virtue in public & private life

Desire for salvation versus fame

Sir Thomas More

An English HumanistPublished “Utopia”Executed by King

Henry VIII

Utopia “Under such a system, there’s bound to

be plenty of everything, and as everything is divided equally among the entire population, there obviously can’t be any poor people or beggars.”

Writers for a New AudienceNew demand for works in the

vernacularDemand for dramatic tales & earthly

comedies

William Shakespeare

English poet & playwright

Wrote comedies, historical plays & tragedies

Hamlet

“To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?”

Words of Wisdom Machiavelli & Castiglione wrote “how-to” guides

for nobles who wanted to rise to power. Now it’s your turn to write a “how-to” guide, but

not for nobleman of the Renaissance… for the Freshman of Appoquinimink High School.

Write 10 guidelines for Freshman Survival at AHS. Remember, we want to help them make it to graduation in 4 short years. So impart some wisdom!

This will be collected!