Ap Euro Dbq Renaissance

When considering the period in history known as the Renaissance, most know it as a period of time beginning in the fourteenth century and ending around the seventeenth. However, the actual existence of the Renaissance as an individual era is questionable. Some consider the Renaissance to be a time period deserving definition from the preceding Middle Ages, while others have contrasting views. The distinct advancements made during the period and deviations in ideology, as described in the documents, exhibit that the Renaissance was indeed a period distinct from the Middle Ages. The main factor differentiating the Middle Ages from the Renaissance was a shift in the human awareness, be it about themselves, the world around them, or about religion. Jacob Burckhardt states that “In the Middle Ages both sides of human consciousness lay dreaming… beneath a common veil. In Italy...man became a spiritual individual, and recognized himself as such.” …show more content…
Thus, the people of the time began identifying themselves as discrete beings. In addition, Petrarch’s words, translated by Draper: “... mortal men should first care for mortal things.”