SOCIAL SCIENCE 2

Renaissance | MODULE 4 Lesson 4.3

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Describe the socio-political contexts that influenced the emergence of Renaissance

Suggested Time: 1 min | Actual Time Spent: ____min(s)

Crossword Puzzle on Writers of the Renaissance (Non-Graded)

Across Down
3. English author of Utopia who was executed by 1. English writer who penned The Faerie Queen
Henry VIII
7. French author of Gargantua 2. English author of Volpone
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 8. Famous English playwright whose works 4. Italian author of the Divine Comedy
include Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet
10. French Poet who wrote Le Petit Testament 5. Spanish author of Don Quixote
11. Portuguese author of The Lusiad 6. Italian writer of The Prince
12. French writer who pioneered the essay. 9. Italian author of The Decameron

Suggested Time: 3 min | Actual Time Spent: ____min(s)

The Renaissance
The Renaissance was a time of REBIRTH in creativity in Europe in the 1300s. It brought
changes in many areas - political (government), social (people), economic (business, trade,
money), and cultural (traditions in art, literature, etc.). The most impactful however, were the
changes in the way people viewed themselves and the world. During this time, there was a
renewed interest in classical learning, especially the culture of ancient Rome. Although it was
considered as a time of rebirth after the disorder and disunity of the Middle Ages, some elements
of the said period remained. After all, the Middle Ages had preserved much of the classical
heritage. Latin had survived as the language of the Church and of educated people. Mathematics
of Euclid, the astronomy of Ptolemy, and the works of Aristotle were well preserved as well and
carried on into the Renaissance.
Renaissance did produce new attitudes toward culture and learning. Unlike medieval
scholars, who debated the nature of life after death, Renaissance thinkers were eager to explore
the richness and variety of human experience in the here and now. At the same time, there was
a new emphasis on individual achievement. Indeed, the Renaissance ideal was the person with
talent in many fields.
The Renaissance supported a spirit of adventure and a wide-ranging curiosity that led
people to explore new worlds. Renaissance writers and artists, eager to experiment with new
forms, were also products of that adventurous spirit.

Distinctive Features
1. It began with the rediscovery of Greco-Roman Civilization which had been neglected
during the Middle Ages.
2. It emphasized reason, a questioning attitude, experimentation, and free inquiry. This is
contrasted with the medieval concern with faith, authority, and tradition.
3. It glorified the individual and approved worldly pleasures, viewing life as worthwhile for
its own sake, not chiefly as a preparation for the life to come (salvation).
4. It focused on secular society rather than the medieval preoccupation with the Church
and religious affairs.
5. It featured great achievements in literature, art, and science.

Italian Beginnings
The Renaissance began in Italy in the mid-1300s, then spread north to the rest of Europe.
It reached its height in the 1500’s. It began in Italy because at that time, it was the center of ancient
Roman history. Architectural remains, antique statues, coins and inscriptions were all visible
reminders to Italians of the “glory that was Rome.” Italy also differed from the rest of Europe, as
its cities had survived the Middle Ages. In the north, cities like Florence, Milan, Venice, and Genoa
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grew into prosperous centers of trade and manufacturing. Rome, in central Italy, and Naples in
the south, also contributed to the Renaissance cultural revival. Finally, a wealthy and powerful
merchant class in these city-states further promoted the cultural rebirth. These merchants exerted
both political and economic leadership, and their attitudes and interests helped in shaping the
Italian Renaissance. They stressed education and individual achievement. They also spent
lavishly to support the art.

Florence and the Medicis

The Renaissance started in Florence, Italy and spread to other city-states in Italy. Part of
the reason it began in Italy was because of the history of Rome and the Roman Empire. Another
reason it began in Italy was because Italy had become very wealthy, and the wealthy were willing
to spend their money supporting artists and geniuses. The city of Florence, perhaps more than
any other city, came to symbolize the Italian Renaissance. Florence was home to many gifted
poets, artists, architects, scholars, and scientists in a short space of time.
The Medici are most famous for their patronage of the arts. Patronage is where a wealthy
person or family sponsors artists. They would pay artists commissions for major works of art. The
Medici patronage had a huge impact on the Renaissance, allowing artists to focus on their work
without having to worry about money. A significant amount of the art and architecture that was
produced in Florence at the beginning of the Renaissance was due to the Medici. Early on they
supported the painter Masaccio and helped pay the architect Brunelleschi to rebuild the Basilica
of San Lorenzo. Other famous artists that the Medici supported include Michelangelo, Raphael,
Donatello, and Leonardo da Vinci.

Humanism
At the heart of the Renaissance was an intellectual movement known as humanism.
Humanism focused on worldly subjects rather than on religious issues that had occupied medieval
thinkers. Renaissance art reflected humanist concerns. Like artists of the Middle Ages,
Renaissance artists portrayed religious figures such as Mary, Jesus, and the saints. However,
they often set these figures against Greek or Roman backgrounds. Painters also produced
portraits of well-known figures of the day, reflecting the humanist interest in individual
achievement.
Renaissance artists learned the rules of perspective. By making distant objects smaller
than those close to the viewer, artists could paint scenes that appeared three-dimensional. They
also used shading to make objects look round and real. Renaissance artists studied human
anatomy and drew from live models. This made it possible for them to portray the human body
more accurately than medieval artists had done.

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Retrieved from https://www.wscschools.org/cms/lib/NY02205793/Centricity/Domain/1104/April%206%20Renaissance.pdf

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Literature
The Renaissance can be said to have begun with the rediscovery and translation of many
ancient Roman and Greek texts. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, which had earlier been known only
through brief Latin summaries, could now be read in full, as could other ancient literature. This
led to the revival of certain features of classical style, which were imitated by humanist authors
and poets. The Popes shared this love for classical literature and established the Vatican Library
in 1447. The humanist scholars, who were skilled in languages, were often employed as
secretaries to the Popes, princes and noblemen of the period. Initially, their letters were composed
in Latin, but by the end of the 14th century, vernacular languages were beginning to take over.
Many humanists were also known for their poetry.

1. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527)

a. An Italian born in Florence, served the Florentine Republic as a secretary and diplomat.
b. When the Medici family was restored to power in Florence, Machiavelli was dismissed
from office and permitted to retire to his country home where he devoted himself to writing.
c. The Prince: major work on ethics and government describing how rulers maintain power
by methods that ignore right or wrong and accept the philosophy that “the end justifies the
means".
d. The word Machiavellian has come to mean "cunning and unscrupulous “a prototype for
a totalitarian dictator, right or left wing.
2. François Rabelais (1494-1553)
a. A Frenchman who wrote the romance Gargantua and Pantagruel.
b. A humorist who portrayed a comic world of giants whose adventures satirized
education, politics, and philosophy.
3. Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592)
a. A Frenchman who wrote a series of essays.
b. He expressed skepticism toward accepted beliefs, condemning superstition and
intolerance and urging people to live nobly.
4. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616)
A Spaniard who ridiculed feudal society, especially knighthood and chivalry, in relating the
adventures of the mad knight of La Mancha, Don Quixote.
5. William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
a. His plays employed a dramatic technique to probe historical events and human
character.
b. Best Known Plays: Henry IV and Henry V, Twelfth Night and Midsummer Night's Dream
Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Macbeth.
6. John Milton (1608-1674)
a. Englishman: Paradise Lost retold the Biblical story of Creation and the Garden of Eden
in this epic poem.
b. Areopagitica: in which Milton advocated freedom of the press.
7. Moliere (1622-1673)
a. Dominated French literature as its leading comic dramatist.
b. Best known plays: The Misanthrope and the Imaginary Invalid

Science
During the Mediaeval period, arguments based on Aristotle’s writings were still considered
to be more important than actual observation of nature. The Renaissance, however, was an age
of discovery. It opened people’s minds to new ways of thinking, and thus helped to create the
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modern scientific mentality. One of the key discoveries of the Middle Ages was the fact that the
Earth was in constant motion around the Sun. This idea, first proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus
and later by Galileo, led to what is known as the ‘Copernican Revolution.’ After this discovery,
humans were no longer able to consider themselves the center of the Universe. This led to a
dramatic change in the European worldview.
Such discoveries in astronomy, as well as important medical studies such as Vesalius’
detailed description of the human body and William Harvey’s discovery of the circulation of blood,
led Renaissance thinkers to reject all blind dependence on Aristotle’s teachings. Aristotle had held
that blood was formed in the liver. But more significantly, the new scientific method of observation
and experimentation challenged Aristotelian views. Towards the end of the Renaissance period,
most European scholars were aware that if they wanted to progress, merely turning to the ancients
was not enough; they needed to surpass the classical authors in their knowledge, and this
knowledge could be attained through the scientific method. Thus, the Scientific Renaissance
paved the way for the next age, the Age of Enlightenment.

The Printing Press

The great works of the Renaissance reached a large audience. The way this was possible
is through the development of printing in Europe. The printing revolution brought many changes.
Books printed with movable type on rag paper were cheaper and easier to produce than hand-
copied works. As books became more readily available, more people learned to read and write.
They also gained access to a broad range of knowledge as presses churned out books on topics
from medicine and law to astrology, mining, and geography.
The Legacy of the Renaissance
The Renaissance was a period of tremendous artistic and social transformation. It
signaled a departure from medieval values based on the Church. The gradual growth of
democratic ideals was aided by the Renaissance belief in the dignity of the person. Furthermore,
the movable-type printing press had a huge influence.

Changes in the Arts

• Art drew on techniques and styles of classical Greece and Rome.
• Paintings and sculptures portrayed individuals and nature in more realistic and lifelike
ways.
• Artists created works that were secular as well as those that were religious.
• Writers began to use vernacular languages to express their ideas.
• The arts praised individual achievement.

Changes in Society
• Printing changed society by making more information available and inexpensive
enough for society at large.
• A greater availability of books prompted an increased desire for learning and a rise in
literacy throughout Europe.
• Published accounts of new discoveries, maps, and charts led to further discoveries in
a variety of fields.
• Published legal proceedings made the laws clear so that people were more likely to
understand their rights.
• Christian humanists’ attempts to reform society changed views about how life should
be lived.
• People began to question political structures and religious practices.
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 Suggested Time: 15 mins | Actual Time Spent: ____min(s)

INDICATORS 5 4 3 2
ORGANIZATION Ideas are Most of the Some ideas Ideas are not
presented in a ideas are in a are not presented in
logical order logical order presented in proper order.
with effective with adequate proper order.
transitions transitions
between major between most
points. major points.
CONTENT Content is Content is Limited Minimal
substantial, sufficiently content with content
specific, and developed with inadequate
illustrative adequate elaboration or
demonstrating elaboration or explanation.
strong explanation
development of
ideas

GRADED Activity (HPS 10 points)

1. Describe the role played by the Italian city-states in the rise of the Renaissance?
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Suggested Time: 10 mins | Actual Time Spent: ____min(s)

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 ‘Renaissance’ means ‘rebirth’. This period (from the 14th to the 16th centuries) saw the rebirth
of classical patterns in art, architecture and literature in Europe. The Renaissance began in
Italy with the revival of interest in Greek learning and Greek philosophy. All this was funded by
rich banking families and several Popes who were patrons of art and architecture. The
Renaissance became an age of humanism, dominated by humanists such as Erasmus. All this
undermined the mediaeval schools of thought and led to independent thinking. An interest
arose in observing nature directly, rather than merely quoting from the ancient authorities. The
most important invention of this period was that of the art of printing. Printing led to the spread
of learning across Europe and prepared the way for the Enlightenment.
Suggested Time: 1 min | Actual Time Spent: ____min(s)

References:
Beck, R., Black, L., Krieger, L. Naylor, P. & Shabaka, D. (2012) World History: Patterns of
Interactions. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

*Layout and Design of Learning Guide Credit: Nneka B. Evangelista, SS 5 Teacher, PSHS-
CALABARZON Campus

Perry, M., & Houghton Mifflin Company. (1992). History of the World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Co.

Renaissance note. Retrieved form

https://www.schoollearningresources.com/PDF/_Renaissancenotes.pdf last accessed February
12, 2021.

Spielvogel, Jackson J. (2005) Glencoe World History: Modern Times. New York, N.Y.
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2005.
The Renaissance Notes. Retrieved from:
https://www.wscschools.org/cms/lib/NY02205793/Centricity/Domain/1104/April%206%20Renais
sance.pdf last accessed February 12, 2021

Prepared by: Joseph Philip A. Addauan Jr. Reviewed by: Zandra B. Lid-ayan
Position: Special Science Teacher (SST) II Position: Special Science Teacher II
Campus: PSHS-Cagayan Valley Campus: PSHS-Ilocos Region Campus

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Answer Key to the Ignite Part - Across: 3. More, 7. Rabelais, 8. Shakespeare, 10. Villon, 11.
Camoens, 12. Montaigne. Down: 1. Spenser, 2. Jonson, 4. Dante, 5. Cervantes, 6. Machiavelli,
9. Boccaccio.

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