Humanities Study Guide

Humanities Study Guide

classical period. Michelangelo was also a renowned sculptor. He is known for combining and manipulating classical values with biblical subjects. For example, Michelangelo’s David embraces the balance of classical sculpture but exceeds its traditional rules of measure and moderation. Music For the musical world, the new age was not in Italy, but in Northern Europe. French and Flemish composers Guillaume Dufay and Heinrich Issac combined polyphonic music with the Italian language and values. They composed liturgical music as well as music that reflected humanistic ideas. These musicians developed the madrigal style, or a song set in four parts, each performed by one singer. The lyrics for these pieces were commonly from poems of Petrarch. The madrigal was considered highly expressive and was popular with performers, publishers, and audiences alike. It was the definition of the Italian musical style in the Renaissance and was later adopted in other parts of the world as well. Philosophy The idea of humanism , which encouraged a balance between self-interest and civic good, was prominent. Machiavelli was a diplomat and a political historian who was famous for his work The Prince. The Prince was a document that set out rules for how Italians could best govern themselves and resist tyranny. The book attempted to bring a secular viewpoint to Renaissance politics, which were notoriously corrupt and cynical. In his writing, Machiavelli presented a highly realistic view of politics and encouraged rulers to take and preserve power ruthlessly. He saw freedom from foreign enemies as a top priority of Italian politics.

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