9. The early modern age. Humanism and the Renaissance
185
43.
Read the two texts and answer the questions.
a) What do the authors of
The Prince
and
The Praise of Folly
have in common?
b) Who is each work directed at?
c) What advice does Machiavelli give the governors?
d) What does Erasmus criticise?
e) Which features of humanist philosophy can be found in
the ideas expressed in each text?
f) Do you think the ideas in these works are useful to
understand modern life? Explain your answer.
44.
Write a short essay describing the changes that took
place in Europe at the beginning of the Early Modern
Age and their importance for the history of humanity.
Conclude by saying which aspect of this period you think
is the most important and explain why.
41.
Choose one of the artists featured in this unit and prepare
a presentation of their most important works. Identify
which features of the Renaissance style they contain.
42.
Answer the following questions about the buildings
below:
❚
What do these works symbolise?
❚
What were they used for?
❚
Which Renaissance features can you identify in them?
9
The prince must learn from history and the accomplishments
of celebrated men, [...] observe how they conducted
themselves in war and analyse how they became victorious or
were defeated, in order to achieve victory and avoid defeat.
[…]. My aim is to write things that will serve those who read
them and I believe it is best to try for the effective truth of
things, not be ideal […]. because all things considered, there
will be qualities that appear to be virtues, but will result in
ruin if we apply them and others that appear to be vices and
will result in security and wellbeing if we apply them.
Niccolo
M
ACHIAVELLI
The Prince
(Adapted and translated)
Top:
Villa La Rotonda
by Palladio. Bottom:
Tempietto di San
Pietro
by Bramante
But because the Christian church was founded, strengthened
and enriched with blood, everything is resolved with the
blade of a sword […] Although war is so cruel, which serves
the interests of beasts better than men; it is so foolish that
poets depict it as inspired by the Furies; so terrible that it
causes the collapse of public customs; so unjust that the
most evil criminals are best at it, and so ungodly that it bears
no relation to Christ’s teachings, the Popes ignore all this to
engage in it. […] This is why we see decrepit old people,
full of youthful enthusiasm […] thinking it is permissible to
wield the murderous knife and sink it into the guts of their
brothers without prejudice to perfect charity, which according
to Christ’s orders, every Christian should offer his neighbour.
E
RASMUS
OF
R
OTTERDAM
The Praise of Folly
(Translated and adapted)
