chapter 5 renaissance and reformation精品管理文档.ppt

Part One Introduction The word “Renaissance” means revival, specifically in this period of history, revival of interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture. It lasted from the 14th and mid 17th century. During this time the rulers of Italian city-states began to take an increasing interest in art and learning and in beautifying their cities. People freed themselves from a medieval outlook and emphasized new values of individuality, independent thought, rationalism, and the enjoyment of this life. Part Two Renaissance in Italy After the crusades the Mediterranean Sea opened once more to Christian shipping. The north Italian towns were well placed for trade, between the trading cities of the north of Eruope and the cities of the eastern Mediterranean, and these cities expanded. 2. Humanism The Florentine, Giannozzo Manetti (1396-1459) called the human a “most beautiful and most marvellously shaped work” in his book On the Dignity of Man. This new view of humanity was given the name of humanism. Humanist were generally christian and were thus interested in the relationship of man to God, but they were also interested in pagan, pre-Christian thinking. Humanist writers ---Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) is known as Petrarch. He is recognized as the greatest writer of his time in Italy. He discovered Cicero’s Oration Pro Arochia, a Roman Defense of Peotry, which was a great contribution to western civilization. The great influence in his life was his love for a young married woman, Laura, who died of the plague in her twenties in 1348. It is to her that we owe his sonnets in Italian, which, with Dante’s poetry, are the foundations of modern Italian literature. These beautiful sonnets had a huge influence throughout Europe. Because Petrarch’ sonnets were personal and intimate, they gave a new tone to poetry, pointing to personal joy on earth rather than in heaven. His poems to Laura make a real woman of her, yet carry on the tradition of adoration of woman that begi