AP European History
AP European History
In the last quarter of the fifteenth century, the ideas of the Italian Renaissance spread to Northern Europe. Northern writers interpreted Italian ideas and attitudes towards the classical antiquity in terms of their own traditions. These writers in Holland, England, Germany, and France were more Christian, or at least more pious, than those of Italy. The secular and pagan themes of Greece and Rome received more attention from the Italians. In Northern Europe, the Renaissance had a distinct religious character and stressed biblical and early Christian themes along with the original works of the classical world. These writers tried to create a more perfect world by combining the best elements of the ancient world with Christian culture. Unlike the Italian Humanists, who stressed secularism and individualism, the Northern Humanists focused on broad programs of social reform based on Christian ideals.
Some of the most important writers of the Northern Renaissance include:
Sir Thomas More (1478–1535) of England wrote his Utopia (which means “nowhere”) in 1516 to describe a fictional ideal society somewhere off the main land of the New World. In More’s Utopia, all children received an education in the Greco-Roman classics. There also was social equality since all profits from business and property were held in common. Utopia asserts that man, through his own efforts, can construct a perfect world. More’s ideas were original in that he contradicted the long-standing view that evil existed in society because man was basically corrupt. Instead, More maintained that the acquisition of private property promoted vice and corruption. If a society could reform or change the institution that molded an individual, society could improve. More played a major role in introducing humanism into England. He was decapitated in 1535 by Henry VIII for not supporting Henry’s break with the Catholic Church. In 1935 the Catholic Church made him a saint.
Desiderius Erasmus (c1466–1536) of Holland, known as “The Prince of Humanists,” dominated the intellectual thought of the northern Renaissance. His In Praise of Folly satirized ignorance, superstition, and many Church practices. He criticized the religious abuses of the Church and called for men to lead lives exemplifying simple Christian piety. He also published a Greek edition of the New Testament.
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) of England is often considered the greatest poet and playwright of all time. Shakespeare’s best known plays include the histories, Henry IV and Henry V, and the tragedies, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Julius Caesar and Macbeth. Shakespeare helped set the standards for the English language.
François Rabelais (1483–1553) of France, a friar and classicist, wrote the romances Gargantua and Pantagruel. With tongue-in-cheek humor, he portrayed a comic world of giants whose adventures satirized education, politics, and philosophy.
Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) of France introduced the essay as a literary form to Europe. He expressed skepticism towards accepted beliefs and urged people to reject superstition and intolerance.
Geoffrey Chaucer (c1342–1400) of England wrote the Canterbury Tales, a collection of witty short stories. This is one of the early classics of English literature.