During the Renaissance, new revolutionary ideas began to develop. These ideas were known as humanism.Humanism is the idea that the interests, values, and dignity of an individual are a priority. The development of these humanistic philosophies was the first time in history that the unlimited potential of a person was appreciated.Renaissance Humanism between the 14th and 17th centuries impacted European art, literature, and society.
Many events led up to the development of humanism. The signing of the Magna Carta in England in 1215 helped blaze the trail for humanism. By decreasing the amount of power the king had, the Magna Carta helped increase the power more common people had over their own lives (“Magna Carta”). Furthermore, Joan of Arc …show more content…
Humanism allowed authors to write about individuals and their reactions to hardships. In The Decameron, published between 1348 and 1353, the author, Giovanni Boccaccio, writes,“Because of all these things… diverse fears and imaginings were born… Others were of the opinion that they should live moderately and guard against all excess… Others, who disagreed with this, affirmed that drinking beer, enjoying oneself, and going around singing and ruckus-raising…” (“Giovanni Boccaccio.”), (Boccaccio). Before ideas of humanism developed, authors would write about horrific events such as a plague in a very different way. Often, they would write about how God was angry with humans and brought misfortune to them because of this. However, the development of humanistic ideas allowed authors to write about the experiences individuals were going through and their reactions to terrible events such as the Black Plague. Moreover, humanism allowed playwrights to have a balance between religion and reality in their plays. In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, published in 1603, the main character Hamlet says, “...the dread of something after death/ The undiscovered country from whose bourn/ No traveller returns” (Shakespeare 3.1.80-81). Before the humanistic ideas spread, authors would only write about death as a time after life in which one could either go to heaven or hell, based on their actions on Earth. However, new humanistic ideas brought a balance between religion and thought. This balance allowed playwrights such as William Shakespeare to weave other ideas about death into their writings. Humanism influenced many different aspects of the Renaissance, including art and literature; it also influenced Renaissance
Many events led up to the development of humanism. The signing of the Magna Carta in England in 1215 helped blaze the trail for humanism. By decreasing the amount of power the king had, the Magna Carta helped increase the power more common people had over their own lives (“Magna Carta”). Furthermore, Joan of Arc …show more content…
Humanism allowed authors to write about individuals and their reactions to hardships. In The Decameron, published between 1348 and 1353, the author, Giovanni Boccaccio, writes,“Because of all these things… diverse fears and imaginings were born… Others were of the opinion that they should live moderately and guard against all excess… Others, who disagreed with this, affirmed that drinking beer, enjoying oneself, and going around singing and ruckus-raising…” (“Giovanni Boccaccio.”), (Boccaccio). Before ideas of humanism developed, authors would write about horrific events such as a plague in a very different way. Often, they would write about how God was angry with humans and brought misfortune to them because of this. However, the development of humanistic ideas allowed authors to write about the experiences individuals were going through and their reactions to terrible events such as the Black Plague. Moreover, humanism allowed playwrights to have a balance between religion and reality in their plays. In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, published in 1603, the main character Hamlet says, “...the dread of something after death/ The undiscovered country from whose bourn/ No traveller returns” (Shakespeare 3.1.80-81). Before the humanistic ideas spread, authors would only write about death as a time after life in which one could either go to heaven or hell, based on their actions on Earth. However, new humanistic ideas brought a balance between religion and thought. This balance allowed playwrights such as William Shakespeare to weave other ideas about death into their writings. Humanism influenced many different aspects of the Renaissance, including art and literature; it also influenced Renaissance