Aim:Aim:Summarize Summarize

Influential Literary Influential Literary Works and Works and

Techniques of Key Techniques of Key Renaissance WritersRenaissance Writers

Renaissance Writers Change Renaissance Writers Change LiteratureLiterature

Renaissance writers Renaissance writers produced works that produced works that reflected their timereflected their time

Used techniques that writers Used techniques that writers rely on todayrely on today

Dante- Dante- Wrote in the Wrote in the vernacularvernacular, his , his native language (Italian)native language (Italian)

Renaissance writers wrote Renaissance writers wrote either for self-expression or either for self-expression or to portray individuality of to portray individuality of their subjectstheir subjects

Petrarch & BoccaccioPetrarch & Boccaccio Francesco Petrarch- one Francesco Petrarch- one of the early and most of the early and most influential humanistsinfluential humanists

Considered the father of Considered the father of Renaissance HumanismRenaissance Humanism Wrote in both Italian and Wrote in both Italian and LatinLatin Wrote sonnets (14 line Wrote sonnets (14 line poems)poems)

Giovanni Boccaccio- Giovanni Boccaccio- Italian writerItalian writer

Best known for the Best known for the DecameronDecameron Series of realistic off-color Series of realistic off-color storiesstories

Machiavelli Advises RulersMachiavelli Advises Rulers Wrote Wrote The PrinceThe Prince (1513) (1513)

Examines the imperfect Examines the imperfect conduct of human beingsconduct of human beings

Focuses on how a rule can gain Focuses on how a rule can gain power and keep it in spite of his power and keep it in spite of his enemiesenemies

He began with the idea that He began with the idea that most people are selfish, fickle, most people are selfish, fickle, & corrupt& corrupt

Not concerned with what was Not concerned with what was morally right but what was politically morally right but what was politically effecteffect

Argued that in the real world Argued that in the real world of power and politics, a prince of power and politics, a prince must sometimes mislead must sometimes mislead people and lie to their people and lie to their opponentsopponents

Must also gain the trust of othersMust also gain the trust of others