which is the most important value put forth by Renaissance?
Answers
The Renaissance had a profound influence on the course of the development of modern American society, culture, and, since it is a natural extension of both, artistic expression. The Renaissance influence in America brought about a new focus on humanism and as a result, a subsequent turning away from the dominant ideals put forth by the church. Although religion was still of the greatest influence throughout the period of the Renaissance, the dawning recognition of human potential and scientific inquiry shaped the course of Western history and does still influence contemporary American culture today. Principles of realism, particularly as they appeared in terms of art and literature have remained vital in all aspects of American society and figures such as Boccaccio, da Vinci, Machiavelli, and others live on and influence the way we view our world today.
Before the Renaissance, writers generally tended to focus on issues of a religious nature. Countless texts instructed readers about how to live a pious life and discussed Christian heroes. The Renaissance brought about influence to new writers who sought to break with this tradition and present a more realistic version of life. Several authors from the Renaissance period had a significant effect on contemporary American society, especially in terms of either literary style and meaning as well as political thought. By introducing a new realism, they allowed the common person to enjoy tales and this tradition has continued in today’s society.
One such figure, Giovanni Boccaccio, author of “The Decameron” among other important works, made contributions to what we now understand as realism in terms of literary characterization and setting. Boccaccio deviated from the Renaissance norms of creating lofty characters who dealt with larger than life issues and instead sought to create characters who were witty, down to earth, and appealing to the average person. His masterpiece, The Decameron is a collection of 100 tales that center around a group of guests gathered at a house during the Black Plague. They all relate stories to one another to pass the time and each of the stories deals with issues the Renaissance reader would be familiar with. Boccaccio founded this new way of writing about settings and characters and this form of realism is recognizable in today’s world of both literary and commercial fiction.