1. Write an essay on the origins, spread, and consequences of the Black Death of the 14th century. How did the disease spread? Why was it so devasta@ng? How did people respond to the plague? What were the long-­‐term social and economic consequences of the Black Death?
The black death was devastating in several different aspects. Not only did it cause a pessimistic attitude towards life by killing thousands of people and leaving many families crippled if not wiped out, but the life for the higher class diminished as well. This is because of the shortage of laborers. The plague’s effect on the psychology of people living in 14th century Europe was overall morbid and almost desensitized to death and violence. This becomes evident in the art. This was the end of serfdom and the obligations by the landlord and peasants disappeared. Now the lord leases the land to the peasants instead of owing him labor. This leads to a landlord tenant relationship.

2. Compare and Contrast Medieval Art with Renaissance art? How were the two different? Although art from both Medieval and Renaissance @mes focused on religion in their subject material, Medieval art focused on the aKerlife for meaning while renaissance art found value in worldly things. Medieval art portrayed the sinfulness of man while renaisscance art was more humanis@c, much like other features brought about in that period.

3. Analyze the debate over the Renaissance as an historical period. What were the origins of the term? Was it an outgrowth of medieval society or the beginning of the modern world? Defend your answer.
Renaissance
literally means “rebirth.” This term was coined because it was a cultural rebirth of the ancient world aKer 1000 years of darkness which was called the dark or middle ages where not much wri@ng or new ideas were being made. Some@me in the late 1500’s is where change can be seen between the medieval age and the renaissance. During this @me there is a relapse of discoveries first made in the classical period. Greece was not well known in the dark ages, and up un@l the renaissance no work of plato was well known. Plato and his work come back into circula@on and master scholars began to learn greek and la@n to translate ancient texts. The renaissance is a birthing of a new world because they used what they learned from classical an@quity and used it as it applied to the common world. They start focussing on human figures instead of all pain@ngs glorifying god like in the middle ages. Renaissance culture is more materialis@c and secular as opposed to the god-­‐centered middle ages.

4. Why was humanism the essen@al element in the development of the Renaissance in Italy? Discuss the origins of the humanist movement, its leading proponents, and its goals, and its larger significance to the History of Western culture.
Humanism
is an intellectual idea that