The Renaissance Questions of the Day

1. The RenaissanceQuestions of the Day Daniel W. Blackmon AP European History Coral Gables Sr. High

2. Identifications • Dante • Petrarch • Alexander VI • Ludovico Sforza • Leon Batista Alberti

3. Identifications: Quick Answers • Dante: Author of The Divine Comedy (The Inferno, The Purgatorio, The Paradiso) • Cornerstone of Italian vernacular, makes Tuscan the basis for modern Italian

4. Identifications: Quick Answers • Petrarch: • considered the “father of humanism” • Diligently sought out classical manuscripts • His “Sonnets to Laura” are addressed in the vernacular to an idealized woman

5. Identifications: Quick Answers • Alexander VI: • The Borgia pope, father of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia • Renowned for his profligacy, search for money, and attempts to expand papal territory

6. Identifications: Quick Answers • Ludovico Sforza: • Despotic ruler of Milan, condottieri, • His invitation to the Charles VII of France in 1494 led to the French invasion and triggered a struggle between Spain and France to control Italy

7. Identifications: Quick Answers • Leon Batista Alberti (1404-1474) • Leading Humanist, • “Men can do all things if they will.” • publishes a treatise on perspective, Della Pitture, making the ability to realistically portray reality on canvas is now available to anyone

8. Leon Battista Alberti“On the Family” (1435-44) • Marriage, therefore, was instituted by nature, our most excellent and divine teacher of all things with the provision that there should be one constant life’s companion for a man, and one only.

9. Leon Battista Alberti“On the Family” (1435-44) • With her he should dwell under one roof, her he should not forget or leave all alone, but to her return, bearing things with him and ordering matters so that his family might have all that was necessary sufficient.

10. Leon Battista Alberti“On the Family” (1435-44) • The wife was to preserve in the house the things he brought to her. To satisfy nature, then, a man need only choose a woman with whom he can dwell in tranquillity under one roof all his life.

11. Leon Battista Alberti“On the Family” (1435-44) • The man who has decided to marry must be still more cautious. I recommend that he examine and anticipate in every way, and consider for many days, what sort of person it is he is to live with for all his years as husband and companion.

12. Leon Battista Alberti“On the Family” (1435-44) • Let him be minded to marry for two purposes: first to perpetuate himself in his children, and second to have a steady and constant companion all his life. A woman is needed, therefore, who is likely to bear children and who is desirable as a perpetual mate.

13. Giorgio Vasari“The Life of Leonardo da Vinci” (1550) • The greatest gifts are often seen, in the course of nature, rained by celestial influences on human creatures; and sometimes, in supernatural fashion, beauty, grace, and talent are united beyond measure in one single person, in a manner that to whatever such [a] one turns his attention, his every action is so divine,

14. Giorgio Vasari“The Life of Leonardo da Vinci” (1550) • that, surpassing all other men, it makes itself clearly known as a thing bestowed by God (as it is), and not acquired by human art. This was seen by all mankind in Leonardo da Vinci, in whom, besides a beauty of body never sufficiently extolled, there was an infinite grace in all his actions;

15. Giorgio Vasari“The Life of Leonardo da Vinci” (1550) • and so great was his genius, and such its growth, that to whatever difficulties he turned his mind, he solved them with ease.

16. Multiple Choice During the Renaissance, humanism contributed LEAST to which of the following? A. Popularization of medieval legends B. Renewed interest in original Greek and Roman manuscripts C. Development of modern national languages D. Promotion of liberal arts education E. Refinements in social manners and personal habits.

17. Multiple Choice Which of the following best describes the political and economic environment of much of fifteenth-century Italy? A. A few large states dominated by a wealthy landed nobility B. A strong unified Italian monarchy hy that patronized the arts

18. Multiple Choice C. Many independent city-states with prosperous merchant oligarchies D. Control of most of Italy by the pope, who encouraged mercantile development E. Support of the arts in Italy by the kings of France and the Holy Roman emperors, who were competing for influence.

19. Multiple Choice Renaissance humanism drew its main inspiration from A. Religious asceticism B. Classical languages and literature C. The curricula of medieval universities D. Political reforms of the Holy Roman Empire E. The ideas of Dante’s Inferno

20. Multiple Choice All of the following statements about the Renaissance are true EXCEPT A. The preeminence of medieval Scholasticism was challenged B. The papacy became increasingly ascetic, promoting mystical contact with God C. People looked increasingly back to the classical period for ideas and models

21. Multiple Choice D. Wealthy merchant princes patronized the arts E. There was interest in broadening the range of education.

22. Multiple Choice In The Prince, Machiavelli asserted that A. Historical examples are useless for understanding political behavior B. The intelligent prince should keep his state neutral lin the event of war C. People are not trustworthy and cannot be relied upon in time of need

23. Multiple Choice D. The prince should be guided by the ethical principles of Christianity E. Luck is of no consequence in the success or failure of princes.

24. Multiple Choice During the Renaissance, humanism contributed LEAST to which of the following? • Popularization of medieval legends • Renewed interest in original Greek and Roman manuscripts C. Development of modern national languages

25. Multiple Choice D. Promotion of liberal arts education E. Refinements in social manners and personal habits.

26. Niccolò Macchiavelli “The Prince” (1513) • On Cruelty and Clemency: Whether It Is Better to Be Loved or Feared • The question arises: is it better to be loved than feared, or vice versa? I don’t doubt that every prince would like to be both; but since it is hard to accommodate these qualities, if you have to make a choice, to be feared is much safer than to be loved.

27. Niccolò Macchiavelli “The Prince” (1513) • For it is a good general rule about men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, liars and deceivers, fearful of danger and greedy for gain. While you serve their welfare, they are all yours, but when the danger is close at hand, they turn against you. People are less concerned with offending a man who makes himself loved than one who makes himself feared:

28. Niccolò Macchiavelli “The Prince” (1513) • the reason is that love is a link of obligation which men, because they are rotten, will break any time they think doing so serves their advantage; but fear involves dread of punishment, from which they can never escape.

29. Niccolò Macchiavelli “The Prince” (1513) • The Way Princes Should Keep Their Word • How praiseworthy it is for a prince to keep his word and live with integrity rather than by craftiness, everyone understands; yet we see from recent experience that those princes have accomplished most who paid little heed to keeping their promises,

30. Niccolò Macchiavelli “The Prince” (1513) • but who knew how craftily to manipulate the minds of men. In the end, they won out over those who tried to act honestly. . . . .

31. Niccolò Macchiavelli “The Prince” (1513) Since a prince must know how to use the character of beasts, he should pick for imitation the fox and the lion. As the lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves, you have to be a fox in order to be wary of traps, and a lion to overawe the wolves.

32. Niccolò Macchiavelli “The Prince” (1513) Those who try to live by the lion alone are badly mistaken. Thus a prudent prince cannot and should not keep his word when to do so would go against his interest, or when the reasons that made him pledge it no longer apply.

33. Niccolò Macchiavelli “The Prince” (1513) Doubtless if all men were good, this rule would be bad; but since they are a sad lot, and keep no faith with you, you in your turn are under no obligation to keep it with them.

34. Question of the Day # 1 Discuss how Renaissance ideas are expressed in the Italian art of the period, referring to specific works and artists.

35. Begin by identifying the key words in the question • “Discuss” • “Renaissance ideas” • “Italian Art” • “Specific works and artists”

36. Begin to Plan Your Answer • List the Specific Factual Information that may be helpful to your answer. • Once you have done a list, decide on a thesis • Then begin to select those specific factual details to support your thesis. • Write your essay.

37. Planning Your Answer • Ideas • Secularism • Humanism • Individualism • “Man is the Measure of All Things” • Art mirrors reality

38. SFI: Secularism • Lorenzo Valla • Donation of Constantine • On Pleasure • Petrarch • Sonnets to Laura • Boccaccio • The Decameron

39. SFI: Secularism • Tasso • Ariosto

40. SFI: Humanism • Leonardo Bruni • Pico della Mirandola • On the Dignity of Man • Pietro Vergerio • On the Morals that Befit a Free Man

41. SFI: Humanism • Baldassare Castiglione • The Courtier • Niccolb Machiavelli • The Prince

42. SFI: Individualism • Leon Batista Alberti • “Men can do all things if they will.” • Benvenuto Cellini • Autobiography

43. SFI: Artists; How do these fit in? • Giotto 1266-1337 • Ghiberti 1378-1455 • Brunelleschi 1377-1446 • Donatello1386-1466

44. SFI: Artists; How do these fit in? • Masaccio 1401-1428 • Alberti 1404-1474 • Piero della Francesca 1420-1492 • Botticelli 1444-1510

45. SFI: Artists; How do these fit in? • Leonardo 1452-1519 • Michelangelo 1475-1564 • Raphael 1483-1520

46. SFI: Artists; How do these fit in? • Cellini (1500-1574) • Sofonisiba Anguissola 1530-1625

47. Identifications • Castiglione • The Prince • Pico della Mirandola • Benvenuto Cellini • Brunelleschi

48. Multiple Choice Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier (1528) was intended as A. A collection of entertaining travel stories B. A guide to the military affairs of the Italian peninsula C. A collection of meditations and spiritual reflections D. A guide to refined behavior and etiquette E. An allegory of true love.

49. Multiple Choice Which of the following statements about Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) is true? A. He was a staunch advocate of violent revolution. B. He was the greatest scientist of his age. C. He was the leading atheist of his century. D. He was the best known skeptic of his time. E. He was the leading military strategist of the era.

50. Multiple Choice Which of the following best describes the Christian humanism of Erasmus? A. A complete break with Roman Catholic theology. B. A defense of individual interpretation of the Bible. C. The application of Renaissance scholarship to questions of ecclesiastical and moral reform.