A REALM OFH I STORY — TH E REBI RTH OFH UM AN I TY

RENAISSANCE
Presentation by Group 3
Pre-1400:
The Black
Death and
the Rise of
Florence
1440-1450:
The
Invention of
the Printing
Press
 Late14 th

Century and
th
15 Century:
Renaissance
Humanism
AUTHORS AND POETS

RENAISSANCE
 William Shakespeare
(bapt. 26 April 1564 –23 April1616)

was an English poet, playwright and actor,

widely regarded as the greatest writer in the
English language and the world's greatest
dramatist. He is often called England's
national poet and the "Bard of Avon".
Romeo
and
Juliet
 Thestory is set in Verona is a story
about a long feud between the
Montague and Capulet families. This
feud causes tragic results for the
main characters in the play, Romeo
and Juliet. Theevents contrast hatred
and revenge with love and a secret
marriage, forcing the young star-
crossed lovers to grow up quickly and
die tragically indespair.
 Giovanni
Boccaccio

(16 June 1313–21December1375)

was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of

Petrarch, and an important Renaissance
humanist. Hewrote his imaginative literature
mostly in the Italian vernacular, as well as other
works in Latin, and is particularly noted for his
realistic dialogue which differed fromthat of his
contemporaries.
 The
Decameron
is acollection of 100 tales plus other
writings. This study guide focuses on
21 of the most frequently studied
tales for the purpose of close
summary and analysis. All of the
tales, however, are included and
described.
 Margueritte
of
Navarre

(11 April 1492 –21 December 1 5 4 9)

was the princess of France, Queen of
Navarre, and Duchess of Alençon. She
supported reform movements within the
church in France despite of her loyalty to
Rome. She wrote an enormous body of
works especially poetry, considered as one
of the best educated women of the
Renaissance and certainly one of its finest
writers.
 The
Hept ameron
Her last work and was left incomplete at her
death, it is a collection of 72 short stories
that was inspired by The Decameron of
Giovanni Boccaccio. It is quite controversial
because her most target are the corrupt
priests and monks. The difference of theThe
Heptameron was that the use of sex is
frequently violent and less playful.
 Michel de
Montaigne

(1533 –1592 )

Michel de Montaigne was a French

writer, well-known for his essays or the
Essais. He established the essay as a
literary genre. He was also called the
Father of Modern Skepticism.
 Essais
Essais, or The Essays, were published in
1580. It is a mix of de Montaigne’s
intellectual ideas and humorous
anecdotes. His essays discussed the flaws
of humans, using his own life experiences
as testimonies. It was widely read,
discussed, and criticized by scholars and
people alike.
 Niccolò di
Bernardo dei
Machiavelli

(1496 –1527 )

-Italian diplomat, politician, historian, philosopher, humanist, writer, playwright, and

poet -Machiavelli worked as a diplomat for Florence during a turbulent era of the
popes waging wars to the city-states of Italy.

Machiavelli during his diplomatic mission in Rome (1502-1503) witnessed the

viscious ways of Pope Alexander VI and his son, Cesare Borgia, in their schemes to
acquire a large part of Central Italy. He noticed that from the swift phase of political
leaders' rise and downfall, there are certain traits that boost strength and influence. He
tackled this in his famous work "The Prince."
 The
Prince
Il Prince
 THEPRINCE
(IL PRINCE)
- -Machiavelli's experience in Rome during the rule of Pope Alexander VI
and Cesare Borgia, the Spanish Court, and the reign of Louis XII of France
influenced him in writing "The Prince."
-He wrote "The Prince" during his voluntary exile on his farm in 1512 after the
Medici took over Florence.
- It serves as a guide for rulers on how to acquire and maintain power.
-In this book, Machiavelli rejected the idea that rulers must act based on
Christian moral principles. (Acommon concept during the Middle Ages)
- He mentioned that a prince acts on behalf of the state, and for the sake of
the state, must be willing to let his consciencesleep.