Lesson 15 Renaissance Movement

Renaissance

In the middle of the 14th century, in Florence and Venice, Italy, industry and commerce had developed to a certain extent, and the sprout of capitalism had appeared in some cities. The forming bourgeoisie was dissatisfied with the control of the Holy See over the spiritual world, and gradually disagreed with the Church's preaching of asceticism and abstinence and the pursuit of entering heaven after death, and demanded the establishment of a philosophy of life centered on man rather than God; advocated the development of man's individuality and the pursuit of enjoying the present life. This trend, known as humanism, became popular and the Renaissance movement emerged.

The Renaissance was a new cultural movement that opposed the "divine supremacy" of the church and promoted humanism, which led to a great emancipation of people's minds and lasted for nearly 300 years. This movement was a revival of ancient Greco-Roman culture, but it was not simply a "revival" of classical culture, which involved both inheritance and innovation.

The Renaissance was a glorious era of giants, a time when giants were needed and produced. Many literary scholars, thinkers and masters of art were representatives of the Renaissance movement.

Dante

Dante was a pioneer of the Renaissance. Born in Florence, Italy, he was forced into exile by partisan struggles and was unable to return home until his death. His long poem "The Divine Comedy" is divided into three parts: "Hell", "Purgatory" and "Heaven". The author describes the various characters in real life by dreaming about the three worlds, and criticizes the greed and corruption of the Church, and throws many bishops, monks and even the Pope into hell, expressing the feelings and ideals of the civil class.

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was born in the town of Vinci on the outskirts of Florence. At the age of 15, he began his training in painting and sculpture, as well as in mechanics and later in anatomy, and by the age of 25 he was already famous. He was a master of art, a scientific master, a literary theorist, a philosopher, a poet, a musician, an engineer and an inventor, and was known as the "Three Masters of the Renaissance" together with Raphael and Michelangelo. It has been said that "Da Vinci's death is a loss for everyone, the Creator is incapable of recreating a man like him."

Da Vinci's masterpieces "The Last Supper" and "Mona Lisa" are extremely famous. The former is taken from the story of the Bible. On the night before the crucifixion, Jesus is having dinner with 12 disciples, during which Jesus suddenly says that one of them has betrayed him. The scene depicts the various reactions of the disciples when Jesus said this: shock, indignation, lamentation, discussion among themselves, or eagerness to confess. Judas's panicked look contrasts sharply with Jesus' calmness.

The Mona Lisa is a portrait. The young woman's gaze is magical and focused, her cheeks soft and slightly red, and her smile seemingly inscrutable.

Shakespeare

In the 15th and 16th centuries, when the Renaissance reached its climax in Italy, it also began to spread to other countries and regions in Western Europe, and a large number of famous literary artists emerged from these countries and regions. Shakespeare is one of the representatives.

Shakespeare came from a merchant family in central England, and as a young man, he loved the theater. He went to London, first in front of the theater to watch the horses for customers, then as a theater handyman, actors, and later became a playwright. He wrote more than 30 plays in his lifetime, and his masterpieces are Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. These works are based on real life, reflecting the style of the times and the essence of society, and expressing the ideal of life of humanists.

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