The Italian Renaissance

Introduction

The literature of the Renaissance featured heroism , justice and power influencing modern political , social and philosophical ideals . In contrast to the middle ages where censorship limited to themes and genres for literature , the Renaissance served as platform for public commentary and discussion . However , it should also be noted that though many of the of the period had greater independence than other artists of the time from the Church , many of the enjoyed patronage by state political powers or became part of the political machinery of these institutions . In Bondanella and

Musa 's (1987 ) The Italian Renaissance Reader , the works of some of the most notable of the Renaissance movement provide a glimpse to the evolution of the rationale behind the artistic movement which while adhering to classical traditions , revived intellectual thinking and exchange

Background

Though the Renaissance was a reaction to the medieval conservative views and saw the resurgence of arts , literature and philosophy , there was still significant conservatism in sciences . Thus , though many of the of the period can be considered to be forward-thinking , the prescription of logic and deduction as intellectual disciplines is apparent . One advocate of the methodology is Petrarch who highlighted classical sources and scholarship as the standard of reasoning and study (p . 57 . This tradition or style is apparent in the works of Niccolo Machiavelli 's The Prince , Giovanni Boccaccio 's Decameron and Baldesar Castiglione 's Book of the Courier among other as well (pp . 259 , 60 197

Building from the literature and art revolution of the late 1200 's Italian became the literary language of the period in contrast to previous preference for other European languages . It created not only a nationalistic identity to literature but also served as reinforcement for state , social and political works that Italian writer would be most noted for . Consequently , the development would also support the growth of publishing in the country , particularly Venice , which in turn will further enhance the regard for Italian Renaissance . However despite these changes , religion remained a primary theme in most Italian works . Majority of the works were either reflective of the medieval themes or applications of such themes using humanism

Themes and Ideas

Italian sought to assimilate classical traditions in their work in the belief that these intellectualized and rationalized their work One of the most common themes and ideas in the featured humanism and self-awareness . The former can be illustrated by Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola 's Oration on the Dignity of Man (pp . 180-183 . In this work man is portrayed as an individual whose identity and value is his own and though he is subject to religion , society and the state , remains an individual . As such , he is considered both an actor an object of other actions through the process of living . Self-awareness in turn can be illustrated in the work of Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti (pp . 187-196 , 377-381 . Though they are most renowned for their contribution to visual art , both these...