Renaissance Questions

Question 1

Give 3 general reasons why the location of city-states in Italy were so successful.

Answer 1

Of all Europe, Italy was closest to the port cities of

northern Africa and the eastern Mediterranean Sea where spices and other luxury goods were available for trade.

Question 2

Explain why the Italian City-States became so powerful and important to the rest of Europe.

Answer 2

City states were so powerful due to their leadership and their social organization.

Question 3

Why was Italy seen as Europe’s Gateway to the East? How did increased trade lead to the emergence of powerful city-states in Italy?

Answer 3

Italy was the middleman between the rest of the world and Europe, because were transported from there to the rest of Europe. Trade increased the economy and wealth of the city-states.

Question 4

What are the four reasons for economic success in the Italian City-States? Explain them.

Answer 4

Aspects of their geography, climate, leadership, and

social organization help to account for their success.

Question 5

Who was the Medici family? How were they so successful?

Answer 5

The Medici family was a powerful banking family which had an influence in Florence. They were successful because of their skills of banking and their economical success.

Question 6

What ideas from classical times (Greek and Roman times) helped shape the Renaissance humanist worldview?

Answer 6

The humanists looked at the architecture of ancient Rome and Greece, and bought them into their era. For example, people constructed a church, but wanted it to have a dome, like Roman and Greece architecture. For this, they placed an ad in the newspaper, and in the end, a Renaissance architect came and built the dome.

Question 7

How can thinkers and philosophers bring about change in society?

Answer 7

They propagated their ideas through teaching others (most of the humanists were dedicated teachers who ran their own schools). By teaching, their ideas reached everyone in society, and a change occurred in society based on their ideology

Question 8

What does the art of this time tell us about the Renaissance society?

Answer 8

You can see that the art today, is mostly colorful and has many details. The contemporary artists use many advanced techniques as well. All of this was introduced during the Renaissance period, because before that, the art was empty of all the above mentioned elements.

Question 9

In what ways can shifts in ideas affect a society’s worldview?

Answer 9

When people’s minds grow, their way of viewing the world changes as well. For example, people used to think that if they were a good Christian, then they will be rewarded in the afterlife. However, when people’s minds began to grow and people began to question the belief of afterlife, some people thought of the world as the only place they have to live. As a result, some people stopped believing in God, because they couldn’t find a proof that He will reward them in the afterlife.

Question 10

Why was the term Renaissance used for this time? What does it mean?

Answer 10

The term Renaissance means rebirth in FRENCH. It was used in this time period, because a new wave of thinking took over the whole European continent, and it gave birth to new ideas.

Question 11

What specific areas of the Greek and Roman civilizations did Renaissance humanists look at?

Answer 11

They looked at the educational areas of the Greek and Roman civilizations. They looked at the history, and the mind and body as well.

Question 12

What three intercultural contacts lead to the Humanist Worldview?

Answer 12

The three contacts were with the Greek, Roman and Islamic civilizations.

Question 13

What are the four main beliefs of the humanist about the individual?

Answer 13

Human beings can use the power of reason, that is, thinking to find truth for themselves.
It is important for a person to have an open, curious and questioning mind.
People can achieve great things through learning.
Individuals should be skilled in many different areas. They should develop not only their minds, but also their bodies and spirits.

Question 14

What do civic humanists believe is important?

Answer 14

Civic humanists thought that being a responsible citizen through educating yourself about history and political issues and working through making society better was important.

Question 15

What does the phrase “educating the whole child” mean?

Answer 15

It means that educators should train not only a child’s brain, but also their body and soul.

Question 16

What were some new studies that were added during the Renaissance?

Answer 16

The studies introduced during the Renaissance were largely connected to humanities such as poetry, moral philosophy, rhetoric and grammar.

Question 17

Why do you think these studies were added?

Answer 17

These subjects were probably introduced, so that people when they grow up can try to determine their own way of living rather than what their forefathers did. In order to persuade someone of their ideas, they studied rhetoric and grammar. Poetry was studied, because it can also be used to express one’s self.

Question 18

How was religion at this time different from the Middle Ages?

Answer 18

Religion in the Middle Ages could be understood through books in Latin during the Middle Ages, and the people who could understand Latin were the priests and monks. During the Renaissance, writers translated those Latin books into the common language, so every person could read them, and understand what God wants from them.

Question 19

How is Renaissance art different from Medieval Art?

Answer 19

In Medieval Art, a person can see the lack of detail, and there is usually no color in the background either. In Renaissance Art, there is an abundance of very precise details, and there are many more lively colors as well. Since they were afraid of the church, Medieval artists put a lot of clothing on the people in their paintings. In the Renaissance period, they brought back nudity and dynamic poses in their art, which was introduced by Greek civilization

Question 20

Explain how the eight worldview elements changed in the Middle Ages times to Renaissance times.

Answer 20

Worldview
Middle Ages
Renaissance
Values
They valued the church because it gave them a good after-life
They valued protection because they wanted to be safe
They valued feudalism because they were getting their food due to that

Peasants still woke and slept with the sun.
Some people did not go to church as regularly.
Did not have that much leisure time.

Society
Knights were above the peasants because they defended the country
Peasants would be lower than everyone.
The pope was above the king because he told him what God wanted

They might have thought of each other as equals, because they fought together in the Crusades.
There were not that many peasants, because some died and many revolted
Knights still gave protection in exchange for land and a place to live

Economy
The taxes would be given to the king
Peasants would take products to the market to get money
Guild controlled the price of goods and the standard of quality

Things become expensive after the Black Death
There were not as many peasants to do the work
Merchants emerge after the Silk Road advent.

Knowledge
The church could control who to teach
Girls couldn’t get an education
Peasants were not taught anything otherwise they would know real teachings of Bible

They were introduced to new inventions such as the printing presses in Japan.
Europeans were introduced to exotic spices due to the Crusades
They became aware of other religions such as Buddhism.

Geography
Peasants couldn’t leave the manors
Lords had more power if they had more manors
King gifted manor to the lords

People learned more lands existed outside of Europe.
Peasants’ life was extended to outside of the manor
There was no immediate increase in the sizes of European empires

Time
Peasants work schedule is up with the sun and down with the sun.
They had so much work that they did not have any time for leisurely activities.
Your whole time was spent working except for going to church

Peasants still woke and slept with the sun.
Some people did not go to church as regularly.
Did not have that much leisure time.
Belief
Donating to the church would guarantee you heaven
The pope always knows what God wants
A drought or crop failure would mean that God is angry with you

They believed that the Pope was a normal person.
Working for your living is very important.
Some people became atheists.

Question 21

Many changes in science occurred during the renaissance.  Explain how these 4 sciences changed in the renaissance.  Do not just list words but explain how the science changed.  At least 2 examples per science.
Astronomy
Medicine 
anatomy 
mathematics

Answer 21

People discovered that the Earth wads a planet that moves around the Sun. Planets travel in an orbit, not perfect circles.