Literary Achievements of the Renaissance

1
Literary Achievements of the Renaissance
2
Literary Impact

• The Renaissance is known for creativity in a
  number of different artistic endeavors.
  Literature was no exception. The historical
  impact of writers like Dante Alighieri, Miguel de
  Cervantes, and William Shakespeare was HUGE.

• Dante was an Italian writer famous for his epic
  poem The Divine Comedy. It tells the story of an
  imaginary journey through Heaven and Hell.

3

• Cervantes was a Spanish writer famous for his
  novel Don Quixote. It tells the story of a
  mildly insane man who believes he is a knight who
  must right every wrong. Many consider this novel
  to be the greatest ever published.

4
William Shakespeare

• William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon
  England in 1564. He is known as the worlds
  greatest playwright and one of its finest poets.
  He was a major figure in the English Renaissance.
  Known for famous plays like Romeo and Juliet,
  Hamlet, Taming of the Shrew, and Macbeth.

5

• Shakespeare wrote many sonnets (154) and plays
  (37), both tragedies (sad) and comedies (funny).
  His plays are considered the greatest in the
  English language. Many of his plays are still
  performed today, all over the world.

6
Romeo and Juliet

• In Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet two teenagers
  whose familys hate each other, fall in love at
  first sight. In the famous balcony scene (that
  takes place on a balcony ?) Juliet speaks of how
  Romeo is more than just his family name that
  his looks, his personality, and everything that
  makes him special has nothing to do with his
  name, but with who he is inside.

7
Balcony scene Romeo and Juliet

• JULIET O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou
  Romeo?Deny thy father and refuse thy nameOr,
  if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,And I'll
  no longer be a Capulet.ROMEO Aside Shall I
  hear more, or shall I speak at this?JULIET 'Tis
  but thy name that is my enemyThou art thyself,
  though not a Montague.What's Montague? it is not
  hand, nor foot,Nor arm, nor face, nor any other
  partBelonging to a man. O, be some other name!

• What's in a name? that which we call a roseBy
  any other name would smell as sweetSo Romeo
  would, were he not Romeo call'd,Retain that dear
  perfection which he owesWithout that title.
  Romeo, doff thy name,And for that name which is
  no part of theeTake all myself.
• ROMEO I take thee at thy wordCall me but love,
  and I'll be new baptizedHenceforth I never will
  be Romeo.

8

• Now lets see some professionals do this.

9

• Shakespeare also wrote many sonnets (14 line
  poems, usually about love). Here are two of his
  most famous sonnets.

10
Sonnet 18

• Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day? Thou
  art more lovely and more temperate Rough winds
  do shake the darling buds of May, And Summer's
  lease hath all too short a date Sometime too
  hot the eye of heaven shines, And oft' is his
  gold complexion dimm'd And every fair from
  fair sometime declines, By chance or nature's
  changing course untrimm'd But thy eternal
  Summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of
  that fair thou owest Nor shall Death brag thou
  wanderest in his shade, When in eternal lines to
  time thou growest So long as men can breathe,
  or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this
  gives life to thee.

11
Sonnet 130

• 1. My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun2.
  Coral is far more red, than her lips red3. If
  snow be white, why then her breasts are dun4.
  If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her
  head.5. I have seen roses damasked, red and
  white,6. But no such roses see I in her
  cheeks7. And in some perfumes is there more
  delight8. Than in the breath that from my
  mistress reeks.9. I love to hear her speak, yet
  well I know10. That music hath a far more
  pleasing sound11. I grant I never saw a goddess
  go, 12. My mistress, when she walks, treads on
  the ground13. And yet by heaven, I think my
  love as rare,14. As any she belied with false
  compare.

12

• Tonight for homework you will write a poem about
  yourself. Use descriptive language and the I
  Am paper to guide you. You may choose to
  idealize yourself (like sonnet 18), or describe
  yourself realistically (like sonnet 130).