Renaissance

Why are historical periods NOT exact and generally unknown to the people who live during them?

• They are too complex to be understood by most people.
• They are named later by historians to describe general trends rather than precise beginnings and endings.
• They come and go with such suddenness that people usually cannot distinguish what historical period they live in.
• They are completely artificial constructs and have no basis in documented reality.

Which of the following statements BEST characterizes the intellectual environment of the Renaissance?

• Most people could not read, in part because they could not gain access to books.
• Most Europeans were highly sensitive to the achievements of people from other cultures, particularly people of the Middle East.
• As people became interested in the writings of ancient Greece and Rome, they became more inquisitive and creative.
• Through their superior knowledge, scholars established power over the masses of people.

The intellectual movement of the Renaissance Period known as humanism

• joined the wisdom of the classics with that of the Bible, emphasizing ideals of wisdom and virtue.
• taught that people should use knowledge to accumulate wealth and achieve fame.
• accepted the teachings of the classics but rejected those of the Bible.
• could not tolerate contradictory texts and thus could not refer to many ancient books.

Why did the invention of the printing press with movable type have a great impact?

• Printed documents were more beautiful than handwritten ones.
• The wide availability of reading material allowed ideas to spread quickly.
• Books became more expensive and therefore were more valued.
• The ability to print with movable type gave Germany an edge over other countries. 

How did Martin Luther contribute to the beginning of the Reformation?

• By renewing people's devotion to studying and following the words of the pope. 
• By teaching that other religions were as valid as Christianity. 
• By developing a personal form of Christianity not based on papal decrees. 
• By ridiculing ancient habits and traditions, such as superstition. 

In the mid-1500s, many people in England were dissatisfied with the Church of England because they - 

• felt that the church was insufficiently reformed, merely a copy of Catholicism 
• felt that the pope was too remote, and they wanted him to have more of a presence in England
• were beginning to reject the idea of leading a religious life
• disagreed with the idea that religion was a private matter between individual and God

King Henry VIII of England was considered a "Renaissance Man" because he - 

• went to extremes to ensure that he had a male heir
• ended foreign invasions of England by creating the royal navy
• was arrogant, ruthless, and an unfaithful husband
• was literary, musical, athletic, and scholarly

A fourteen line poem that traditionally conforms to strict patterns of rhythm and rhyme is known as - 

• couplet
• sestet
• sonnet
• octave

A speech that an actor delivers to the audience when no one else is onstage is called a(n) -

• dialogue
• soliloquy
• aside
• monologue

Tone can best be described as the writer's 

• choice of words
• philosophical beliefs
• attitude toward the reader, a subject, or a character
• central idea about human experience