TRENT UNIVERSITY
HISTORY 4500Y-WEB S12 2016
Renaissance Lives, 1350-1600
Summer 2016
Prof. Ivana Elbl
Office:
Lady Eaton College, S114
Academic Administrative Assistant:
Phone:
705-748-1011, ext. 7833 (Office);
Preferred: 705- 876-1358 (Home Office)
[email protected]
Office:
Phone:
E-mail:
E-Mail:
Francisca Eckstein
LEC, S 101.3
748-1011, ext. 7706
[email protected]
Office Hours: By appointment
Work with the Instructor: Students will be expected to work closely with the instructor.
Consultations will largely take place by e-mail or by phone (in office hours or at times prearranged by email). In-person office appointments are possible but only by special
arrangement.
Course Goals and Outcome:
The course examines the lives of individuals and families, both famous and ordinary, striving
to make their way in the turbulence of the Renaissance period, shaped both by remarkable
human achievements and creativity and by never-ending turmoil caused by climate change,
epidemics, economic problems, wars, social conflicts, and religious crises.
It hopes to contribute to the students' intellectual development and to develop their ability to
link individual lives with complex historical issues both in time and space, and put them in the
requisite context. Aimed at nurturing both history-specific abilities and transferable general
skills, the course requirements foster and hone students’ capacity to design and conduct a
research paper, enhance their critical thinking, ability at historiographical analysis, application
of theory, and the facility to communicate concisely and effectively both verbally and in writing,
both in formal and informal (discussion-style) formats.
ORGANIZATION
Course format:
On-line weekly units (each weekly unit is an equivalent of two units of a Fall-Winter Session)
and written assignments.
Blackboard Learn: HIST 4500Y is based on the use of Blackboard Learn. Students are
expected to submit assignments through Blackboard Learn. Comments and marks will also
be provided through Blackboard Learn.
Course Components:
The course consists of four components: seminar readings; responses to seminar
questions; on-line discussions of seminar responses; research papers.
Seminar readings (see the “Seminar Schedule”): Students are required to complete
all readings.
Responses to seminar questions: Students will submit weekly written responses
(250-500 words) to one to the seminar questions (based on the readings), from ten out
of the 12 units.
On-line discussions of seminar responses posted on Blackboard Learn:
Substantive participation in at least ten seminar unit discussions is required.
Research Paper (min. 4,000 words plus bibliography). (See the requirements below)
EVALUATION:
Responses to Seminar Questions:
On-line Discussion Participation:
Shared Humanity Journal:
Research Paper:
Proposal:
Research Paper:
30%
10%
20%
10%
30%
The mid-term mark (before the withdrawal date of June 23) will constitute 30% of the final grade: Responses to
Seminar Questions, Units 1-5 (15%); Discussions of seminar responses, Unit 1-5 (5%); Research Paper
Proposal (10%).
DEADLINES:
Weekly:
Weekly:
May 21:
June 10:
July 8:
July 22:
July 29:
Responses to Seminar Questions
On-line discussions of seminar responses
Research Question Selection
Research Paper Proposal
Research Paper, First Draft (Optional)
Research Paper, Final Draft
Shared Humanity Journal
All assignments should be submitted in digital form through Blackboard Learn. The
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acceptable formats are MS Word (.doc, .docx), Open Office (.odt) Wordperfect (wpd), or
Adobe Acrobat (.pdf).
Being late for a good reason is not a capital sin. Extensions up to a week are possible without
documentation. Documentation is necessary for most extensions longer than a week. If
extension has not been granted, the late penalty will be 5% per day.
READINGS:
Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell
Publishers, 2007) (e-book, available through TOPCAT; also available in hard-copy through Amazon.ca
or other on-line booksellers).
Robert C. Davis and Beth Lindsmith, Renaissance People. Lives that Shaped the Modern Age (Los
Angeles; The Paul Getty Museum, 2011). Available through the Bookstore.
All other readings are available on-line, through TOPCAT, either as e-books or, in case of articles,
though the periodicals in which they they were published (search on journal titles, eg. American
Historical Review).
REQUIREMENTS
RESPONSES TO SEMINAR QUESTIONS
Each weekly unit requires the student to complete the reading answer, in writing, one of the seminar questions
posted for that unit. The responses should be posted by Sunday mid-night to be made available, anonymously,
for discussion to the rest of the class. Thus, students read and write responses one week and discuss the posted
responses the following week.
Each response should be at least 250 but not more than 500 words long. Additional research is not required.
The responses must follow an essay format (introduction-discussion-conclusion) and provide a clear answer to
the question).
A minimum of three questions will be provided for each unit. Each student will choose one.
Each student may miss two units without penalty, writing on 10 units out of the 12 constituting the course.
ON-LINE DISCUSSION PARTICIPATION
Students will participate in discussing the responses to weekly seminar questions, using the “Discussion Board”
feature on Blackboard Learn. The evaluation will take into consideration both the frequency and quality of the
contributions. Substantive participation in at least ten seminar unit discussions is required.
RESEARCH PAPER
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Research Question Selection: Submit a list of your three top choices from the list
posted on Blackboard Learn or propose your own research question, by May 21.
will then review your submissions and assign you a research question, by May 24. You
have to write on the assigned question, unless I agree to change it.
Proposal:
The proposal requirements are based on the assumption that c. 25% of the research
requirements have been completed::
a) Hypothesis (Preliminary Argument) on the assigned research question and a
justification/explanation of the argument.
b) Outline of the structure of the paper, as dictated by the hypothesis.
c) Comments and questions regarding the Requirements in the context of your specific
project, highlighting any problems or issues.
d) Full research bibliography
Due: June 10
Research Essay Requirements:
a) Length: The paper must be 4,000 words long (in addition to bibliography). The
bibliography is not included in the word count.
b) Approach and Structure: The paper must be analytical (as opposed to
descriptive), organized clearly into an introduction, discussion, and conclusion. It must
be written in full sentences and contain proper transitions.
c) Introduction: The paper must contain a clear introduction stating the
hypothesis/argument about the research question and end with a clearly stated
thesis/answer to the research question.
e) Research support: at least 20 directly relevant scholarly works (books,
chapters in collected volumes, articles in scholarly journals), in addition to readings and
primary sources accompanying the assigned research question. Each work listed in the
bibliography must appear in the notes at least once, to document its use.
e) Writing and Presentation: The paper should be well written (style, grammar,
spelling) and well presented.
f) Historiography: The paper must contain a critique of the representative
secondary literature (historiography).
g) Primary Sources: The paper should include work with primary sources, unless
otherwise agreed.
h) Evidence and Interpretation: The argument must be rigorously supported by
evidence and avoid speculation, overstatement, over-generalization, and failure to
interpret the evidence presented.
I) Documentation: The paper must be properly supported by documentation, including
footnotes and a complete bibliography. The documentation must comply with the
Chicago Manual of Style, Footnotes and Bibliography Format.
See http://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/documentation/chicago.php.
Research Paper, First Draft (Optional):
The draft must constitute a full research essay, both in content and form. It will receive
a mark as if it were the final version, to be later substituted by the final version mark (or
the higher of the two, in the unlikely case that the final version is marked lower than the
first one).
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You are not required to submit the first draft and may proceed directly to the final
version. There is no need to inform me of you choice – if the first draft is not submitted
by the deadline, I will assume you not submitting it. Due: Jul. 8.
Research Paper, Final Version: The final version should address the
Requirements listed above. If it was preceded by a first draft, it should address the
suggestions and criticism raised in my comments. If you do not to submit the final draft
but have submitted the first draft the mark on the first draft will stand for both.
Due: Jul. 22.
“SHARED HUMANITY” JOURNAL
The Journal should include weekly entries of c. 250 words, tracking the student's reactions to
the lives and episodes covered in the readings, with regard to behaviours, emotions, values,
and attitudes that s/he can identify with or has difficulty with, that provoke either admiration or
negativity, with a careful explanation of the reasons for the reactions. At the end of each
term, the Journal should sum up the most important points as to what of relevance has be
learned from the lives studied in the Units covered. – We share humanity with the people
of the past – please treat them with respect and strive to understand them.
Due: Jul. 29
SEMINAR SCHEDULE
Note: Each weekly unit is an equivalent of two units of a Fall-Winter Session.
Response to Seminar Questions: Choose only one question per unit. Each response
should be at least 250 but not more than 500 words long. Additional research is not
required. The responses must follow an essay format (introduction-discussion-conclusion)
and provide a clear answer to the question). Each student may miss two units without
penalty.
Unit 1 (Week of May 9):
Individuals and Historical Representation: The Changing Image of Mary Queen of Scots
Reading: Lewis, Jayne Elizabeth. Mary Queen of Scots: Romance and Nation (London and
New York: Routledge, 1998), Part I (13-98), 100-102, Part IV and V (169-229). 148 pp.
(Note: Prepare information on your research interests/research question)
Answer one of these questions:
1. Queen Mary's history evoked strong reactions ever since her own time. Why?
2. What factors shaped the representations of Queen Mary in the periods covered by
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Lewis's book?
3. Which past representation elements, if combined, would yield the most accurate
portrait of Queen Mary's life and historical role?
Unit 2 (Week of May 16):
One Person at a Time: The Advantages and Challenges of an Individual-based
Approach to History
Readings:
Eric Ives, “Will the Real Henry VIII Please Stand Up? History Today 56 (2006): 29-36.
Suzannah Lipscomb, “Who Was Henry and When Did It All Go Wrong?” History Today 59 4
(2009): 14-20.
Natalie Zemon Davis, The Return of Martin Guerre (read on-line [google “return Martin Guerre
full text”]; or watch the movie [for example] on U-Tube).
Rober Finlay, “The Refashioning of Martin Guerre,” American Historical Review 93 3 (1988):
552-572.
David Nasaw, “Introduction,” AHR Roundtable. Historians and Biography.” American Historical
Review 114 3 (2009): 573-8.
Lois W. Banner, “Biography as History,” American Historical Review 114 3 (2009): 579-86.
Natalie Zemon Davis, “ 'On the Lame',” American Historical Review 93 3 (1988): 572-604.
Answer one of these questions:
1. Biographies continue to attract considerable interest, especially from general
readership. Why?
2. Individual-based approaches to history offer considerable advantages for representing
the past but also present great challenges. Why?
3.
Biographies have been viewed askance by modern historians. Why? Is “new
biography” the solution to this problem?
Unit 3 (Week of May 24):
The Renaissance and the Renaissance Individual: When, Where, Why?
Readings:
Guido Ruggiero, “Introduction,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of
the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 1-10.
Gene Brucker, “The Italian Renaissance,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the
Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2002, 2007 [e-book
HIST 4500Y SU 2016
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edition]), 23-38.
Peter Burke, “The Historical Geography of the Renaissance,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2002, 2007 [e-book edition]), 88-104.
John Jeffries Martin, “The Myth of Renaissance Individualism,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 208-224.
Joanne Ferraro, “Family and Clan in the Renaissance World,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 173-87.
Elissa B. Weaver, “Gender,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the
Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 188-208.
James R. Farr, “Honour, Law, and Custom in Renaissance Europe, in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 124-138.
Robert Muchembled, “Manners, Courts, and Civility,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to
the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book
edition)), 156-172.
Joanne Ferraro, “Family and Clan in the Renaissance World,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 173-87.
Matthew Vester, “Social Hierarchies: The Upper Classes,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 227-242.
James S. Amelang, “Social Hierarchies: The Lower Classes,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 243-258. 15 p.
Mary Lindeman, “Plague, Disease, and Hunger,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the
Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 427-443.
Answer one of these questions:
1. Renaissance individuals were constrained by a number of factors. What were the most
important ones, and why?
2. How did class and gender shape individuals in the course of their lives?
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3. What role did family and social background play in shaping the fortunes of individuals at
different points in their lives?
Unit 4 (Week of May 30):
“Might is Right?”: ”Managing the Fractious and Violent World of the Renaissance
Readings:
Thomas F. Arnold, “Violence and Warfare in the Renaissance World,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed.,
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell
Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 460-474.
Gregory Hanlon, “Violence and Its Control in the Late Renaissance: An Italian Model,” in
Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA:
Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 299-315.
John M. Najemny, “Political Ideas,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to
the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book
edition)), 384-402.
Edward Muir, “Governments and Bureaucracies,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion
to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book
edition)), 107-123.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Francesco Sforza, 1476-1529. The Self-Made Duke,” in
Renaissance People, 60-62.
.
Davis and Lindsmith , “Federico da Montefeltro, 1422-1482. The Artful Duke, “ in
Renaissance People, 77-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Cesare Borgia, 1475-1507.To Be Imitated by All Those Who Have
Risen to Rule,” in Renaissance People, 171-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Catena, died 1581. Rustler, Robber, Bandit Chief”, in
Renaissance People, 309-11.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Nicòlo Machiavelli, 1469-1527. The First Political Scientist,” in
Renaissance People, 155-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “King João II 1455-1495. 'The Perfect Prince',” in Renaissance
People, 131-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Emperor Charles V, 1550-1558. The Emperor of the Western
World,” in Renaissance People, 245-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Catherine de' Medici, 1519-1589. The Machiavellian Queen,” in
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Renaissance People, 269-72.
Nicòlo Machiavelli, The Prince, trans. and ed. by Peter Bondanella (Oxford: Oxford U.
Press, 2005), 50-87.
Answer one of these questions:
1. The Renaissance period in Italy was marked by conflict and violence but also by
search for ideal government and strong authority. Discuss Machiavelli's The Prince and
Machiavellian behaviours, as opposed to alternative ideals of the period.
2. Discuss the importance of family loyalties in the ubiquitous local and regional violence
so prevalent in Renaissance Italy.
3. Why were Renaissance states so difficult to govern? Use the mini-biographies in this
unit to highlight your arguments.
Unit 5 (Week of June 6):
At the Heart of the Renaissance: Men and Women of Culture
Reading:
Ingrid D. Rowland, “High Culture,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds
of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 316332.
R. Po-chia Hsia, “Religious Cultures,” Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds
of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 333348.
Loren Partridge, “Art,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the
Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 349-365.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Lorenzo de' Medici, 1449-1492. 'The Magnificent',” in
Renaissance People, 111-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Isabella d'Este, 1474-1539. 'The First Lady of the Renaissance',”
in Renaissance People, 168-70.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Nicolas of Cusa, 1401-1464. God and Man in a (Nearly) Infinite
Universe,” in Renaissance People, 57-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Lorenzo Valla, c. 1406-1457. Contentious for Pleasure and for
Profit,” in Renaissance People, 69-71.
Davis and Lindsmith, ”Leon Battista Alberti, 1404-1472. The Original Renaissance Man,“
in Renaissance People, 63-5.
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Davis and Lindsmith, “Pope Pius II, 1405-1464. Humanist, Poet and Pope,” in
Renaissance People, 66-8.
Answer one of these questions:
1. Was the Renaissance just for the elites?
2. What characterized a person of culture in the Renaissance period?
3.
Compare the career/life paths and personal interests of the persons studied in this unit.
Unit 6 (Week of June 13):
Artists, Patrons, Markets – and Creativity
Readings:
Visual Artists in Southern Europe:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Fillipo Brunelleschi, 1377-1446. Realizing the Impossible
Cathedral,” in Renaissance People, 28-31.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Donatello, 1386/87-1444. Passion in Stone and Bronze,” in
Renaissance People, 35-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Masaccio, 1401-1428, Putting Painting in Perspective,” in
Renaissance People, 45-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Lucca della Robia, 139/1400-1481. Art Reborn in Another Form,”
in Renaissance People, 54-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519. 'This Man Will Never Do
Anything,” in Renaissance People, 125-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1475-1564. Miracles in Paint and
Stone,” in Renaissance People, 175-78.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Gentile Bellini, 1429-?-1507. Portraits of Faces and Façades,” in
Renaissance People, 83-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Raphael, 1481-1520. Master of the High Renaissance,” in
Renaissance People, 182-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Titian, c. 1485-1576. Dynamic Colour in Venice,” in
Renaissance People, 207-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Benvenuto Cellini. 1500-1571. Great Scuptor, Better
Autobiographer,” in Renaissance People, 248-250.
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Davis and Lindsmith, “Andrea Palladio, 1508-1580. Perfection in Stone and Brick,” in
Renaissance People, 254-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1527?-1593. Heads of State, Heads of
Cabbage ,” in Renaissance People, 294-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Sofonisba Anguissola, c. 1532-1625. The Feminine Eye,” in
Renaissance People, 298-300.
Visual Artists in Northern Europe:
Davis and Lindsmith, “Jan Van Eyck, c. 1395-1441. Capturing the World in Detail,” in
Renaissance People, 41-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Albrecht Dürer.1471-1528. The Renaissance Comes to Italy,” in
Renaissance People, 160-64.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Bernard van Orley, c. 1488-1541. Weaver of Painting,” in
Renaissance People, 213-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Lucas Granach the Elder, 1472-1553. The Reformation's
Illustrator,” in Renaissance People, 195-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Hans Holbein the Younger, 1497/8-1543. The Mirror of Princes,” in
Renaissance People, 236-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Pieter Bruegel the Elder, c. 1525-1569. The Peasant Painter,”
in Renaissance People, 285-7.
Composers, Musicians, Performing Artists
Davis and Lindsmith, “Josquin des Prez, c. 1450-1521. Restless Choirmaster, Star
Composer,” in Renaissance People, 120-1.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Tommaso Inghirami, 1470/1471-1525. Hero of the Vatican,
Heroine of the Stage,” in Renaissance People, 158-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Dick Tarlton, died 1588. The Queen's Comedian,” in Renaissance
People, 289-90.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrino, 1525/26-1594. Saviour of Sacred
Music,” in Renaissance People, 291-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Arcangelo Tuccaro. c. 1535-1602. Acrobat to the Aristocracy,” in
Renaissance People, 304-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Isabella Andreini, 1562-1604. Born to the Stage,” in Renaissance
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People, 321-3.
Answer one of these questions:
1. Compare the careers and accomplishments of visual artists in Southern and Northern
Europe?
2. What sets apart famous artists of the Renaissance from those lesser known (other than
fame)?
3. Why are performing artists and creators of perfoming class less celebrated that visual
artists?
4. Which one artists from the three categories above do you find most
interesting/appealing from the point of view of shared humanity, and why?
Unit 7 (Week of June 20):
Exploring, Researching, Writing, and Publishing in the Renaissance
Readings:
James Grantham Turner, “Literature,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the
Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)),
366-383.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Manuel Chrysoloras, c. 1350-1415. A Greek Bearing Gifts” in
Renaissance People, 16-18.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Leonardo Bruni, c. 1369-1444. 'The Light of His Age',” in
Renaissance People, 22-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Flavio Biondo, 1392-1463. Re-Imagining the Glory that Was
Rome,” in Renaissance People, 52-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Antonio de Nebrija, c. 1441-1522. The Inventor of Spanish,” in
Renaissance People, 106-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Michel de Montaigne. 1533-1592. The Literary Art of
Introspection,” in Renaissance People, 301-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Christine of Pizan, c. 1364-c.1430. Defender of Women,” in
Renaissance People, 19-21.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Isotta Nogarola, 1418-1466. Young Humanist Turned Holy
Woman,” in Renaissance People, 75-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Louise Labé, 1520/24-1566. The Jousting Poetess,” in Renaissance
People, 273-4.
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Davis and Lindsmith, “Laura Battiferra Ammannati, 1523-1589,” in Renaissance People,
282-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “William Caxton, died 1492. English Books for English Readers,” in
Renaissance People, 94-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Aldus Manutius, 1450?-1515. Printer and Purveyor of Pocket
Books,” in Renaissance People, 122-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Felix Fabri, c. 1441-1502. Pious Pilgrim, Wisecracking Wanderer,”
in Renaissance People,103-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Christopher Columbus, 1451-1506. 'Admiral of the Ocean Sea',”
in Renaissance People, 140-2.
Davis and Lindsmith, “John Cabot, c. 1451-1498. Sailor from Venice, Explorer from
England,” in Renaissance People, 143-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Luca Pacioli, 1445/6-1517. Dazzled by Divine Numbers,” in
Renaissance People, 114-6.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Nicolas Copernicus, 1473-1543. Revolutionary of the Celestial
Spheres,” in Renaissance People,165-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Nicolaus Kratzer, 1486/87-after 1550. Royal Watchmaker and
Astrologer,” in Renaissance People, 210-2.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Nicollò Tartaglia, 1499/1500-1557. Stuttering Savant,” in
Renaissance People, 236-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Andreas Vesalius, 1514-1564. Physician to the Emperor,
Dissector of the Dead,” in Renaissance People, 263-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Tycho Brahe, 1546-1601. The Lord of the Star Castle,” in
Renaissance People, 315-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Giordano Bruno, 1548-1600. A Burnt Offering to Science,” in
Renaissance People, 318-20.
Answer one of these questions:
1. Compare the lives and accomplishments of the women writers studies in this unit.
2. Chrysoloras, Bruni, Nebrija, and Biondo all greatly contributed to the Renaissance
literature and study of literature. What were their key accomplishment and to what
degree they were shaped by the developments that they marked the course of their
lives?
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3. Publishers played a major role in the dissemination of Renaissance literature. Why and
how?
4. Travel, especially overseas travel, could be very dangerous. Why did the explorers
and travellers covered in this section choose to travel, and with what results?
5.
Mathematics and metaphysics, astronomy and astrology were closely related in the
Renaissance science and medicine. Which of the following figures meet your notion of
a “scientist” and why: Pacioli, Copernicus, Katzer, Tartaglia, Vesalius, Brahe, or Bruno?
Unit 8 (Week of June 27):
Elite Women of the Renaissance: For Themselves and for Their Families
John M. Najemy, A History of Florence, 1200-1575 (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing,
2008), 219-37.
Stanley Chojnacki, Women and Men in Renaissance Venice: Twelve Essays on
Patrician Society (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000), Part II (115185).
Davis and Lindsmith, “Alessandra Strozzi,1407-1471. A Mother's Dreams and Marital
Schemes,” in Renaissance People, 72-74.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Lucrezia Tornabuoni, 1418—1466. Side-Stepping Social
Strictures,” in Renaissance People, 80-82.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Vittoria Colonna, 1490-1547.The Divine Rhymer,” in Renaissance
People, 219-221.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Queen Marguerite of Navarre, 1492-1549. Royal Writer, Auxiliary
Queen,” in Renaissance People, 222-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Eleanor of Toledo, 1522-1562. Duchess and Party Planner,” in
Renaissance People, 275-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Gracia Mendes Nasi, 1510-1569. La Señora of the Sephardim,” in
Renaissance People, 260-2.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Veronica Franco, 1546-1591. Courtesan and Wordsmith,” in
Renaissance People, 312-4.
Answer one of these questions:
1. What role did elite women's personalities/personal inclinations at different life stages
play in their ability to shape their lives.
2. Why did elite women on the margins of society often exercise as much influence as
their mainstream peers?
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3. Queen Marguerite of Navarre, Victoria Colonna, and Veronica Franco were all literary
figures, but of different social and political status. Compare their lives, troubles, and
achievements.
Unit 9 ((Week of July 4):
The Remarkable Felice della Rovere: Pope's Daughter, Diplomat, and an Orsini
Matriarch
Reading: Murphy, Caroline, The Pope's Daughter: The Extraordinary Life of Felice della
Rovere (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 89-310.
Answer one of these questions:
1. How did young Felice cope with the restrictions her status and external conventions
place upon her?
2. What were the sources of personal power at the disposal of adult Felice della Rovere?
3. Define the key stages of Felice's adult life and the key influences that shaped it.
4. What characterized Felice as a source and recipient of emotional support in the course
of her adult life?
5.
Why did Murphy characterize Felice's life as “extraordinary”?
Unit 10 (Week of July 11):
An Astrologer and a Poetess in Elizabethan England
Readings: Kassell, Lauren. Medicine and magic in Elizabethan London: Simon Forman Astrologer, Alchemist, and Physician (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2007), 1-170 (Skip or skim
Part II if pressed for time and not answering Question #3).
Woods, Susanne, Lanyer: a Renaissance Woman Poet (New York: Oxford Univ. Press,
1999), 1-41.
Answer one of these questions:
1. Both Forman and Lanyer departed from the conventions of their society. In what way
and with what consequences?
2. What were the reasons for Forman's professional success, given the controversies
surrounding him?
3. What do Forman's casebooks reveal about his practice and his relationship with his
patients, including Lanyer?
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4. What were Lanyer's ambitions and anxieties and how was she regarded in her
lifetime?
Unit 11 (Week of July 18):
Religion in the Renaissance: Saints, Reformers, and Counter-Reformers
Scott H. Hendrix, Martin Luther: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford and New York:
Oxford University Press, 2010).
Davis and Lindsmith, “St. Bernardino of Siena, 1380-1444. The People's Preacher,” in
Renaissance People, 32-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Jan Hus, c. 1370-1415. Bohemia's Proto-Protestant Priest,” in
Renaissance People, 25-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Desiderius Erasmus, 1466/7-1536. The Temperate Revolutionary,”
in Renaissance People, 152-4.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Thomas More, 1478-1535. Defending the 'Good Catholyke
Realme,” in Renaissance People, 198-200.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Willian Tyndale, c. 1494-1536. Scripture Translator and Bible
Smuggler,” in Renaissance People, 228-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Martin Luther, 1483-1546. A New Church,” in Renaissance
People, 201-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Jean Calvin, 1509-1564. Predestined by God,” in Renaissance
People, 257-9.
Davis and Lindsmith, “St. Francis Xavier, 1506-1552. Apostle and Missionary to the East
Indies,” in Renaissance People, 251-3.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Edmund Campion, 1540-1581. 'One of the Diamonds of England”
in Renaissance People, 306-8.
Davis and Lindsmith, St. Teresa of Ávila, 1515-1582. God's Ecstatic Disciple,” in
Renaissance People, 266-8.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Francisco Jimenéz de Cisneros, 1436-1517” in Renaissance
People, 100-2.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Paul IV, 1476-1559. The Most Hated of Popes,” in Renaissance
People, 243-4.
Answer one of these questions:
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1. Why was non-conformity so dangerous to religious reformers on both the Reformation
and Catholic Reformation?
2. Can proponents of Protestant and Catholic Reformation be regarded as Renaissance
figures, and why?
3. From the point of shared humanity, which of the historical figures discussed in this unit
do you find the most and least understandable, and why?
Unit 12 (Week of July 25):
Fear of the Unknown, the Promise of Salvation, and the End of the Renaissance
Readings:
Guido Ruggiero, “Witchcraft and Magic,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the
Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2007
(e-book edition)), 475-490.
Ian Frederick Moulton, “The Illicit Worlds of the Renaissance,” in Guido Ruggiero, ed., A
Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers,
2007 (e-book edition)), 491-505.
Linda Woodridge, “Renaissance Bogeymen: The Necessary Monsters of the Age,” in
Guido Ruggiero, ed., A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance (Malden, MA:
Blackwell Publishers, 2007 (e-book edition)), 444-459.
Stillman Drake, Gallileo: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford and New York: Oxford University
Press, 2001).
Davis and Lindsmith, “Pietro Aretino, 1492-1556. The Scourge of Kings” in Renaissance
People, 225-7.
Davis and Lindsmith, “François Rabelais, c. 1494-1553. Gargantuan Talent,” in
Renaissance People, 230-2.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Antonio Rinaldeschi, died 1501. Gambler and Blasphemer,” in
Renaissance People, 134-5.
Davis and Lindsmith, “Heinrich Kramer, c. 1430-1505. The Inquisition's Witch-Hunter,” in
Renaissance People, 97-9.
Answer one of these questions:
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1. Why was magic and other forms of illicit knowledge deemed so dangerous that it had
to be suppressed at the cost of terrible persecution of those accused of it?
2. Galileo is associated with the end of the Renaissance. Why?
3. What were the Renaissance attitudes toward magic and its practitioners, real or
imagined, and what determined them?
4.
What was the notion of the “illicit” during the Renaissance? Compare it with your ideas
on the matter, from a shared-humanity point of view.
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