The Renaissance was a time for human achievement, art, and literature. The effects of the Renaissance can still be seen today, and it changed man greatly forever, hence Renaissance meaning rebirth. Prior to the Renaissance, however, the Middle Ages occurred. The Middle Ages were a time of war and conquest after the fall of Rome, lasting from about 500 to 1300. Throughout Europe, a system referred to as Feudalism was in effect, and the Roman Catholic Church was the dominating power. Serfs worked for nobles on their land, and were said to be bound to the land. Feudalism was highly reliant on the social pyramid and the system of working for superiors, but this all eventually changed. The Renaissance was a time after the Middle Ages for man to …show more content…
During the Middle Ages while the Roman Catholic Church was in control, literature was focused around religion, as seen in a line from Everyman, stating “For ye shall hear, how our Heaven-King calleth Everyman to a general reckoning…” (Document B) This line is referring to God and the judgement of whether a person was to go to heaven or hell. Another piece of literature by William Shakespeare praises man in several ways, writing that man is “admirable… like an angel… in apprehension how like a god!” (Document B) The first excerpt was stating how man thought of sin as a good thing at first, but regrets it later during God’s judgement. The first excerpt was written during the Renaissance, but promoted Middle Ages thinking. The second excerpt was written later on in the Renaissance, and it was complimenting mankind. William Shakespeare compared man to god and angels, highlighting the finest traits. The Renaissance had an overall huge impact on people’s perspectives of themselves, through art, astronomy, and literature. People changed from being afraid to sin and listening to only the church, believing humans were good for nothing and sinful, to humanist achievers who embraced philosophy and promotion of individuals. People were no longer ashamed of showing their bodies for art, or worrying about it being a sin. People no longer blindly followed along behind the church. Man was