Middle Ages Vs Renaissance

The Renaissance era and the Middle Ages are two periods in time that are extremely vital to European history. Contrary to popular belief, these periods are remarkably unalike in comparison. The Middle Ages, sometimes known as the medieval period, was a time in European history that began in the fifth century and lasted until the fifteenth century. The Renaissance era was a period that expanded from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century. This era originated in Italy at the end of the Middle Ages and eventually expanded across Europe. The era is known to many as a time of modern findings and the renewal of humanism. During this time, cultural progression was occurring throughout Europe. The Renaissance era was experiencing the reconstruction …show more content…
The invention of the printing press and other technology during the Renaissance era set the era apart from the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, parchment was the only thing available and the invention of the press advanced the literature of the Renaissance era. The printing press motivated writers to begin writing in the vernacular language of the Renaissance era. Another important characteristic of the Renaissance era was the emergence of artist like Michelangelo that were creating astonishing works of art. Unlike the Middle Ages, artists during the Renaissance era were creating pieces that emphasized physical features and religion while the art of Middle Ages focused on gothic traits. At the time of the Middle Ages, religion was playing a crucial role in the lives of the people. On the other hand, religion was not as important during the Renaissance …show more content…
Machiavelli was a Renaissance historian, writer, philosopher, politician, and much more. Machiavelli wrote a book named The Prince that analyzed how to gain and maintain political power. Within the book Machiavelli stressed characteristics of a successful prince. Machiavelli stressed that any Renaissance prince must possess a specific set of characteristics in order to be an effective prince. The characteristics a successful prince must possess are as follows: possessing the populations support, being loved or feared but not despised, being intelligent, successfully display morality, and using one’s own arms if needed. Machiavelli concluded that a prince without these characteristics had no chance at being a successful sovereign. A prince must hold the support of the people. Without the population backing the prince’s decisions, nothing can happen. Without the people being behind their leader, the job as a prince is impossible to hold. If the people do not believe in their leader, they will not follow and join the cause of their prince. Machiavelli concluded it was better for a prince to be feared rather than loved due to the fact that anyone who feared their prince was less likely to rebel. Although, Machiavelli did stress that if you are to be feared, then make sure your people do not hate you. A prince who is hated by their people is at a high risk of being assassinated. Princes must be