Renaissance Discussion

During the Renaissance, people of all cultural groups started to use their unique skills as a way of understanding new forms of politics, social reforms, and thinking. This new attitude started to form a new wave of optimism; one believed that man was capable of accomplishing great things.This new way of thinking began the "Age of Rebirth", during the Middle Ages illiteracy was widespread and religious figures owned most of the books which were inside the walls of monasteries. In contrast to the Middle Ages, the Renaissance changed man's view of man through the decline of religious authority, perspective in art, advancements in the study of human anatomy, and new understandings of astronomy.

Before the Renaissance, the Catholic Church was an important part of a system that relied on loyalty between different classes ( the feudal system). Society during the Renaissance shifted and became based on money instead of loyalty. The church had a hard time adapting to this new way of thinking and their political influence weakened, which is evident in the English plays "Everyman" and "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare. "What a piece of work is a man!" Shakespeare writes. The church instead of providing spiritual leadership they are more interested in collecting income (Doc. B).

The Renaissance is well known for its achievements in art, literature, and music. The artists of this time began to break away from medieval traditions in painting and sculpture. Until the Renaissance, most art was used for the decoration of churches. However, during the Renaissance, artists became more independent and better regarded; some began signing their works, which was rarely done in the Middle Ages. The use of mathematics and geometry to achieve perspective and proportion was common. These distinctions are visible between the Madonna Enthroned Between Two Angels by Duccio di Buoninsegna and the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci (Doc.