Brittney Henley 8/14/12 Pd.

Chapter 10 WDQ Reading Questions

10.1: Petrarch: Rules for the Ruler Question- Should the ruling class have had protection from the hungry pleb or is it better for them to have been afraid of the hungry masses? Justification- Point #8 Point of View- Petrarch has a bias in favour of the more wealthy citizens because he was from the educated, wealthy class and he was employed by wealthy families. 10.2: Machiavelli: from the Discourses Question- Should a ruler be held to a higher level of morality than his citizens, even when unpleasant means may be necessary to achieve their goals? Justification- Machiavelli mentions the murders Romulus commits and lets happen in the first paragraph. He talks about how rulers set examples for their citizens. Then he mentions that it only seems wrong until one takes into account Romulus goals. Point of View- Machiavelli was heavily involved in 15th century Italian politics, which was referred to in the opening as cutthroat. He likely did, or aided in doing things that could be considered morally ambiguous. 10.3: Christopher Columbus: The Letters of Columbus to Ferdinand and Isabel Question- What does it say about the European worldview that Columbus was easily able to talk about stealing from and using the very people who welcomed him so readily? Justification- Throughout the whole piece Columbus talks about how kind and welcoming the natives were and how they (the Europeans) could use them and their resources in various ways. If you compare the two cultures you can see how unselfish the natives were compared to the Europeans. Point of View- Columbus was obviously biased in favour of his own culture and kingdom mainly toward his patrons because they were paying for his voyage. 10.4: Bartholomew de Las Casas: Amerindians and the Garden of Eden Question- Did the natives really adopt Christianity as readily as Las Casas claimed? Justification- The writer talks about how zealous the natives were in accepting and practicing Christianity. Why would they do this? They had their own religious beliefs. Point of View- Las Casas account is likely biased because he was actively trying to make the natives more relatable and sympathetic to European audiences. One way he does that is by making them very welcoming of his audiences Religion. 10.5: Cellini: The Artist Question- How important were material luxuries and the fine arts to the higher classes of Italian society?

Justification- Cellini is an extremely talented goldsmith and musician. Throughout the excerpt from his autobiography he is constantly asked to sing or create things for the wealthy. Point of View- The piece that we read is an autobiography so it is likely that his skill, the demand for his work, and the payments he received had been overexaggerated. 10.6: Marriage: A Serious Business Question- Why was a wife, to a Renaissance man, more like a good business investment than companion? Justification- Throughout the piece that narrator is more concerned with the potential brides dowry and competence in running a household as opposed to wheter or not the two had compatible personalities. Point of View- The writer is biased about what makes a woman worth marrying because of the times that he was born in. 10.7: On Wifely Duties Question- Why was giving your wife freedoms (like being allowed to go around town when escorted by your husband) such a progressive idea? Justification- In the piece the author talks about how some men hide their wives from the outside world and dont let them go around town like its something very common. Point of View- The author is writing from the point of view of a higher class man in the 15 th century. He is naturally going to be biased about acceptable roles for women.