Writing for a New Society

1. Writing for a New Society How the Renaissance transformed the written word…

2. Italian Writers: • Reflected Renaissance curiosity and interest in the humanities • Wrote works on philosophy and scholarship • Developed guidebooks for men and women to become successful in the Renaissance world

3. Baldassare Castiglione • Wrote The Book of the Courtier • Describes the manners, skills, learning, and virtues that a member of the court should possess. • Ideal courtier- well educated, well mannered aristocrat who mastered many fields(poetry, music, sports, etc..)

4. Castiglione's Ideal Person Men 1. Athletic 2. Good at games 3. Plays musical instruments 4. Knows literature and history Women • Pretty “outer beauty is the true sign of inner goodness”

5. Niccolò Machiavelli • Wrote a guide for rulers on how to gain and maintain power • Did not discuss ideals, but looked at real rulers in an age of ruthless power politics • Stressed “the end justifies the means” • Urged rulers to use whatever methods were necessary to achieve their goals

6. Machiavelli continued… • Machiavelli saw himself as an enemy of oppression and corruption • Critics attacked his advice, said it was too cynical • Machiavellian- came to refer to the use of deceit in politics • Give an example of a modern leader who follows Machiavelli’s advice.

7. A Revolution in Printing Before the printing press: • A few thousand books throughout Europe • All books were hand written • Books were expensive After the printing press: • By 1500, 20 million books had been printed • Books were cheaper • Books were readily available • More people learned to read

8. Johann Gutenberg • 1455, in Mainz, Germany, printed the first complete edition of the Bible using a printing press with movable type

9. Vernacular • Renaissance writers still wrote in Latin, however, many writers began writing in the vernacular • Vernacular- everyday language of the people • How does the vernacular revolutionize reading and writing?

10. Desideratum Erasmus • Important scholar of his time • Used his knowledge of classical language to produce a Greek edition of the Bible • Helped spread Renaissance humanism • Wanted the Bible translated into the vernacular

11. Sir Thomas More • Pressed for social reform • Wrote Utopia • His book described an ideal society where men and women lived in peace and harmony

12. François Rabelais • Monk, physician, Greek scholar, author • Wrote Garantuaand Pantagruel • About the adventures of 2 gentle giants • On the surface was a funny tale, but it also tackled serious subjects such as religion and education • Rabelais was deeply religious, but had doubts about the organized church

13. William Shakespeare • English poet and playwright • His genius was in expressing universal themes in everyday, realistic settings • He is responsible for the creation of over 1700 new words • Wrote 37 plays that are still performed today

14. academe accused addiction advertising amazement • arouse assassination backing bandit bedroom • beached besmirch birthplace blanket bloodstained • barefaced blushing bet bump buzzer • caked cater champion circumstantial cold-blooded • compromise courtship countless critic dauntless • dawn deafening discontent dishearten drugged • dwindle epileptic equivocal elbow excitement • exposure eyeball fashionable fixture flawed • frugal generous gloomy gossip green-eyed • gust hint hobnob hurried impede • impartial invulnerable jaded label lackluster • laughable lonely lower luggage lustrous • madcap majestic marketable metamorphize mimic • monumental moonbeam mountaineer negotiate noiseless • obscene obsequiously ode olympian outbreak • panders pedant premeditated puking radiance • rant remorseless savagery scuffle secure • skim milk submerge summit swagger torture • tranquil undress unreal varied vaulting • worthless zany gnarled grovel

15. Shakespeare continued… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geev441vbMI