The Renaissance

1. The Beginning

In the 1300s, a new age began in Western Europe. Europeans called it the Renaissance, which means “rebirth.” After years of war and plague, the Renaissance began in Italy. Then, it spread through the rest of Europe. Lasting until the 1600s, it was a time of creativity, invention, and education. The new ideas of the Renaissance had an effect on art, literature, and politics. 

Multiple Choice

What does Renaissance mean?

• Rebirth

• Death

• War

• Creativity

Multiple Select

(Select ALL that apply): The new ideas of the Renaissance had an effect on what?

• Politics

• Art

• Literature

• Economics

Multiple Choice

The Renaissance was a time of what?

• Creativity

• Invention

• Education

• All of the above

During the Renaissance, people took a new interest in ancient Rome and Greece. Scholars paid attention to classical culture and worldly subjects instead of religious issues. These scholars, called humanists, studied subjects taught in ancient Greek and Roman schools. They learned about grammar, poetry, literature, drama, philosophy, and history. 

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The Renaissance

Multiple Choice

What did humanists study?

• Poetry & Literature

• Drama & Grammar

• History & Philosophy

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

True or False: Scholars paid MORE attention to religious issues than classical culture and worldly subjects.

• True

• False

Individual ability became important. People looked up to those who were well-rounded and could do well in many areas. For example, the famous painter Leonardo da Vinci was also a sculptor, architect, inventor, and mathematician. He is best known for his paintings of the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. But he also made sketched for inventions like submarines and flying machines and studied the human body. In addition to da Vinci, the Renaissance produced famous painters and sculptors like Michelangelo and Raphael. 

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Renaissance Artists

Multiple Choice

During the Renaissance, people looked up to who?

• To Renaissance poets who wrote about life.

• To the builders of the Renaissance Period who built the city.

• To those who were well-rounded and could do well in many areas.

• To those who were good at art and were famous.

Multiple Choice

Who made sketches of inventions such as submarines and flying machines?

• Leonardo da Vinci

• Michelangelo

• Raphael

• Geoffrey Chaucer

Famous works of literature were written during the Renaissance. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales, and the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes wrote Don Quixote. One of the most important writers of the Renaissance was William Shakespeare, the English poet and playwright. He wrote 37 plays between 1590 and 1613, including Othello, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet. 

​Literature

Multiple Choice

True or False: Geoffrey Chaucer painted the Mona Lisa during the Renaissance.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Who was one of the most important writers of the Renaissance?

• Michelangelo

• Shakespeare

• Da Vinci 

• Gutenberg

In politics, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote one of the most influential works on political power, The Prince.

Unlike the political writers before him, Machiavelli talked about reality instead of the ideal.

Machiavelli's ideas influenced political leaders for many years.

Renaissance Politics

Multiple Choice

Who wrote about reality in politics instead of the ideal?

• Michelangelo

• Niccolo Machiavelli

• Shakespeare

• Geoffrey Chaucer