Honors BritLit Renaissance Buzz Words and Time Periods

Question 0

Stage Archetype

Answer 0

Overarching pattern that describes life as a play, complete with a stage, audience, actors, plot, etc.
Example: The Renaissance poem On the Life of Man has the overriding stage archetype. Life is like a live performance with Heaven as the judicious sharp spectator.
Example: Shakespeare, All the World’s a Stage, 7 ages of man speech.

Question 1

Journey Archetype

Answer 1

An overarching pattern or theme found in a work of literature, which describes life as a certain expedition from one event to the next. One of the most common archetypes. Example: the journey archetype is found in the medieval poem The Last Journey which represents a spiritual journey through life and how hard is the journey from sleep to active life.

Question 2

Fortune

Answer 2

Humanity looking up to determine what destiny is, limited view of God’s plan, draws connection between man and God, new link on the chain of being. Example: Lady a Fortune in The Mirror of the awhile Nature and the Image of Art, Fortune connected to a God and Ape (Chain of being)

Question 3

Fate

Answer 3

What happens based on what God knows (destiny), new link on the chain of being under God. Example: Martin Luther opposed fate because he believed it was a person’s faith that got them into heaven. A popular belief during that time was that some people were predestined for heaven and some were predestined for hell.

Question 4

Macro/Micro Correspondences

Answer 4

What happens on the large scale in the universe also corresponds to what happens in the small scale (man). Example: Troilus and Cressida, humors (4 characteristics of matter correspond to humors , for example, fire/hot/dry=choleric); soul of man corresponds to the state (says Plato).

Question 5

Analogies

Answer 5

Comparison between 2 things. Example: Troilus and Cressida, If the general is not like the hive that all the bees come back to, no honey is expected.

Question 6

Common sense

Answer 6

Ability of the mind in animals and humans to integrate sense date/images from sense perception, central sense, synthesizes all 5 senses, part if understanding. Example: it is part of the sensitive soul, animals and humans are able to use their 5 senses to experience the world around them in a way that plants cannot.

Question 7

Fancy

Answer 7

Imagination, part of the sensitive soul, the recollection of images. Example: any image that causes an emotional response.

Question 8

Memory

Answer 8

The ability to store images, helps in understanding, part of the sensitive soul, recall previous experience. Example: can be used by both fantasy (creative images of devils, witches, etc…) or can be used by reason.

Question 9

Wit

Answer 9

The active power of the rational soul, power of rational soul to check understanding for error. Example: like a spell check for a paper, “wit is diseased” according to Hamlet. Means that wit is in error and can no longer purge error from understanding; can not check reality.

Question 10

Understanding

Answer 10

Passive power of the rational soul, gets info from the sensitive soul and combines that data. Example: the term paper, shows collection of data, but needs to be purged of error.

Question 11

Will

Answer 11

The rational moving power that acts on knowledge from understanding and wit to make proper choices. Example: Adam and Eve (free will).

Question 12

Image

Answer 12

Part of imagination, recalling a representation of something in the mind, impressions. Example: Reality is made of different images, image can defer an emotional response, just as Macbeth waits to kill Duncan.

Question 13

Imagination (classical)

Answer 13

Recalling an image, can produce various emotional responses, Aristotle. Example: tragedy and catharsis.

Question 14

Indulgences

Answer 14

Pay a donation to soul in purgatory so that God will remit sentence, paying for sins so that punishment in purgatory is not as bad, corruption, focus of Luther (says that Jesus’ death was not enough). Example: money used for the rebuilding if St. Peter’s (corruption)

Question 15

Law of Nature (mathematics)

Answer 15

Certain truths about nature that can be proven with math; these “laws” make nature predictable (less need for fate). Example: Galileo proved that objects always fall at 32 ft/sec due to gravity, first law of nature proven using math

Question 16

95 Thesis

Answer 16

Document written by Martin Luther and nailed to the Wittenberg Church. It criticized practices of the Catholic Church like papal infallibility and indulgences. Example: salvation through faith alone (Luther), good works do not change salvation.

Question 17

Vegetal soul

Answer 17

Plant soul, soul is an element of life, plants have a soul because they are alive. Different from human soul.

Question 18

Sensitive soul

Answer 18

The animal soul with an apprehending power (ability to perceive reality; inward: soul can organize sense data like common sense,fancy, memory. outward: 5 senses contact reality) and a moving power-natural, retentive, voluntary. Example: passion from the voluntary moving power can lead to tragedy like King Lear (desire for power and attention from daughters).

Question 19

Rational soul

Answer 19

Ability to reason, with active power (wit) and passive power (understanding). Example: humans have a rational soul (ability to reason-unique to man.

Question 20

Mimetic

Answer 20

Art imitates life, classical theory (Aristotle). Example: tragedy (according to Aristotle, catharsis), man apes the universe (as shown in the wood cut).

Question 21

Classical Period

Answer 21

55 B.C.. Mimetic theory, chain of being.
History and art: 
art and entertainment. 
1) Theocentric 
2) Humanistic  
3) Naturalistic 
4) Economic 
Good 
Realism
Chain of being
Nominalism
Bad
Pyramid: reason courage passion appetites. Plato's soul. Aristotle: golden mean. Literary criticism.

Question 22

Anglo-Saxon Period

Answer 22

To 1066
No chain
Comitatus Code (the heroic)
Mead hall
Journey archetype 
Descent archetype 
Poetry 1) E Pic Beowulf 2) ring structure 3) alliteration 
MSGF- both Christian and pagan 
What saved the culture?

Question 23

Medieval Period

Answer 23

1066-1485
Chain of being
God, fate, angles, fortune, man(soul = faith. body= reason.)
Good (realism) Bad (Nominalism)
Poetry: Chaucer-Canterbury tales journey archetype
Drama EVERYMAN
Philosophy what is reasonable to believe
Even suffering

Question 24

Renaissance Period

Answer 24

``` 1483-1603 Chain of being/pragmatic theory Diversity of knowledge Science-Galileo Technology-printing press Medicine-haruty Psychology- burton What does science allow us to do? How do we know? Deduction-syllogism (Aristotle) Induction (bacon) reason v. Faith Literature Sidney defense of poetry Shakespeare sonnets plays Church, Luther ```

Question 25

Scholasticism

Answer 25

A formal method of logical inquiry used to classify knowledge, school that was rejected by Bacon, use of deduction and the syllogism Example: Syllogism (no world independent of consciousness exists, an external world is independent of consciousness, therefore an external world does not exist).

Question 26

Universal Syllogism

Answer 26

a method of deductive logic that applies to all people, uses the word all Example: All men are mortal, John is a man, John is mortal

Question 27

Conditional Syllogism

Answer 27

deductive logic that uses the word if, the minor premise is used to affirm the antecedent Example: The Last Journey, If you think deeply about the hard journey of life, you will have no desire to sin; you think deeply about life; you have no desire to sin

Question 28

Induction

Answer 28

a form of reasoning promoted by Bacon that started with the particular and moved to the general (make observation before making a hypothesis), start of the scientific method Example: Bacon performed an experiment of where heat is present/not present (made observations of where heat was present—in fire, sun, man—and where it was absent and in varying degrees; made conclusion based on observations)

Question 29

Things

Answer 29

According to Bacon, we must renounce our prejudices, etc. to become acquainted with things (observation/experimentation in nature) Example: Galileo renounces the traditional belief of the different types of motion as laid out by Aristotle, uses induction, drops objects that fall at the same time

Question 30

Deduction

Answer 30

a form of reasoning that forms a logical argument then finds claims to support it (general to particular), scholasticism, often in error of general is not necessarily true Example: Syllogism

Question 31

Idols of the tribe

Answer 31

false "gods" that prevent true learning, false notions in human understanding that prevent understanding; errors common to the entirety of mankind Example: Procrastination

Question 32

Earth

Answer 32

one of the four elements, matter has 4 characteristics existing in combinations called elements; earth is cold and dry Example: corresponds to microcosm (humor—melancholic)

Question 33

Air

Answer 33

hot/moist | Example: humor—sanguine

Question 34

Fire

Answer 34

hot/dry | Example: humor—choleric

Question 35

Water

Answer 35

cold/moist | Example: humor—phlegmatic

Question 36

Melancholic

Answer 36

humor (characteristics that determine personality), corresponds with Earth, moody, rigid, unsociable, introvert, intelligent, unstable Example: Hamlet: He is introverted and sarcastic and is believed ad by other characters because of the imbalance of him humors

Question 37

Sanguine

Answer 37

sociable, easygoing, extrovert, easily hurt, shy away from challenges Example: Ophelia in Hamlet (possibly?) She is very friendly and loving towards Hamlet, but is distraught after his rejection and death of her father so she kills herself

Question 38

Choleric

Answer 38

fire, hot, dry, unstable, extrovert, touchy, aggressive, angry, good leader, risk taker Example: Lear (when his choleric humor dominates, he becomes mad)

Question 39

Phlegmatic

Answer 39

lazy, passive, controlled, introvert, stable | Example: Ophelia called 'Too much water' by her brother and is very controlled by her father (Hamlet)

Question 40

Imbalance

Answer 40

when one humor dominates the other three, results in disorder and ultimately madness; also an imbalance resulting from injustice/vice in the human body resulting in insanity Example: Lear; injustice, according to Plato is a lack of balance at strife among the 3 parts of the soul

Question 41

wit : understanding :: teacher : pupil

Answer 41

wit checks understanding just as a teacher checks a student's paper (purge it from error) Example: Doc Nighan checking Drafts at Draft conference

Question 42

Chain of Being

Answer 42

The universe is composed of an infinite number of links ranging in hierarchical order form the meagerst which barely escapes non-existence through every possible grade to God. Every one of the links differs from that immediately above and below by the least degree of difference. Example: addition of Fortune and Fate to chain, Edmund mocks chain of being in King Lear, Troilus and Cressida passage describes how it reflects the hierarchy of the universe

Question 43

Bee

Answer 43

animal imagery used in Troilus and Cressida passage to create an analogy; macro/micro correspondence Example: General must be like Queen Bee/Hive so that all the worker bees/soldiers will follow him and create honey

Question 44

Sharp spectator

Answer 44

a description used in the Renaissance poem, On the Life of Man to compare God/Heaven to a critic that watches the life/play of man Example: Heaven the judicious sharp spectator is / that sits and marks still who doth act amiss (In regular English, it's God)

Question 45

Theocentric

Answer 45

God-centered view of history Example: the Medieval Period was a theocentric period, as everything was focused on God and the Bible; the plague was thought to be a punishment from God

Question 46

Homocentric

Answer 46

humanistic view of history Example: the Renaissance was homocentric, "man is the measure of all things," intellectual thought, man matters, exploration, science, medicine, etc.

Question 47

Realism

Answer 47

looking up on the chain of being, toward God (spiritual) | Example: the soul of man, Adam was considered to be higher reason and therefore associated with realism, Martin Luther

Question 48

Nominalism

Answer 48

looking down on the chain of being, materialistic Example: the body of man, Eve was considered to be lower reason and therefore nominalistic; the apprehending power of the sensitive soul allows the man/animal to perceive the world in a nominalistic sense (common sense, fancy, memory)

Question 49

Rationalism

Answer 49

The obtainment of truth is not sensory or inductive but rather deductive and intellectual Example: the Rational school of thought according to Bacon was a school of thought that made conclusions based on generalizations from many different experiences (he didn't like it, it was only memorization)

Question 50

Empiricism

Answer 50

theory that knowledge is derived from sense experience Example: Bacon was an empiricist with his method of induction (basic for the scientific method, which is empirical in nature)

Question 51

Scientific Method

Answer 51

forming a hypothesis after observations and eventually forming a theory (Bacon—induction) Example: Bacon laid the foundation for the scientific method with his method of induction, which he determined was the only way to study nature

Question 52

Observation of nature

Answer 52

as laid out by Bacon, it is necessary to study nature with the senses in order to come to a full understanding of the subtleties it holds Example: Bacon said that man is the interpreter of nature and will only understand nature to the extent of his observations; beginning of scientific method

Question 53

Theology vs. science

Answer 53

the conflict that arose between religion and science during the Renaissance, as many ideas/theories that science proved to be true were conflicting with the literal words of the Bible Example: Galileo discovered Earth moves around the sun, which explains the reason why Mars appears to move "backward." He also said that the earth spins. The Bible says that the Earth does not move and everything orbits around the Earth. This created a conflict between religion and science.

Question 54

Literal

Answer 54

to take things as they are actually written, meaning that everything means exactly what it means on paper Example: After Luther, the Council of Trent determined that the Bible was to be taken as literally true, which caused problems for Galileo

Question 55

Metaphoric

Answer 55

to be taken as abstract or representative of something else, not literal Example: Galileo said the Bible was not a scientific textbook, but how to get to Heaven. It is meant to be taken metaphorically, not literally, which is why his findings about the universe are not in conflict with the Bible

Question 56

Reason

Answer 56

the ability to use mental processes to learn, dialectic (treating first principles as assumptions) Example: reason is at the top of the hierarchy of the soul according to Plato, must be balanced with passions; Part of the rational soul (unique to man—from God), Renaissance

Question 57

Faith

Answer 57

belief without some burden of proof | Example: faith in God, Medieval

Question 58

Adam and Eve Allegory

Answer 58

Adam is higher reason (unfallen in the microcosm, Eden-like, realism), Eve is lower reason (fallen, sin) Example: Madness chain of being (Unfallen creation, higher nature, lower nature, instinctual nature, insanity and madness); Frailty, thy name is woman (Hamlet)

Question 59

MND Imagination

Answer 59

lovers, mad men, poets (active imaginations, ability to produce images and fantasies); suggest insanity Example: Lunatic (imagines devils), Lover (imagines Helen's beauty), Poet (imagines things unknown and writes them down), emotional response can differ (joy vs. fear)

Question 60

Papal Infallibility

Answer 60

The ability of the Pope to speak without error on matters of faith and morals Example: Luther denied the existence of papal infallibility because he believed that faith alone would save you (no need for Pope). This was one of the reasons he was excommunicated

Question 61

Inclined Ramp

Answer 61

Galileo used an inclined ramp to inductively study the effects of gravity Example: a marble creates a parabola shape when it rolls up/down an inclined ramp

Question 62

Geocentric Theory

Answer 62

earth is at the center of the universe | Example: Confirmed by the bible

Question 63

Heliocentric

Answer 63

the sun is at the center | Example: Galileo, Copernicus, in conflict with the Bible

Question 64

Mind

Answer 64

subject of Renaissance psychology, the human brain and how it works with the ability to reason, and make decisions, madness?; intellectual Example: Humors, used in Shakespeare

Question 65

Matter

Answer 65

things that exist on earth, matter has 4 characteristics which exist in combinations called elements in the universe and humors in man; material world (nominalistic) Example: Earth, Air, Fire, Water; Melancholic, choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic

Question 66

Burton

Answer 66

The Anatomy of Melancholy; the four humors, their characteristics, and their relation to the elements

Question 67

Luther

Answer 67

started the Protestant reformation and caused the Council of Trent, 95 Theses; salvation through faith alone, not good deeds; thought scripture should be the sole basis for truth, no need for clergy, can interpret on own; denied Purgatory, indulgences, and papal power

Question 68

Bacon

Answer 68

induction, Novum Organum, scientific method, criticized deduction and scholasticism, idols, need healthy skepticism, knowledge is power, philosophical founder of science

Question 69

Galileo

Answer 69

astronomer and physicist, started the scientific revolution with his gravity discovery (first time law of nature was expressed in mathematical terms), Earth orbits around sun, no motion like Aristotle described (linear vs. circular), at first accepted by Church so that they could standardized feast days with the calendar, then regarded as a heretic for going against the Bible

Question 70

Shakespeare

Answer 70

Renaissance poet and playwright

Question 71

Plato

Answer 71

Greek philosopher, absolutist, forms/ideas, eternal world, imbalance in soul, macro/micro correspondence between state and soul; cave allegory

Question 72

Aristotle

Answer 72

"science," much of physics proved wrong, observation of the world around, classify; all things fell faster if they were larger, different types of motion; golden mean (use for theoretical and practical ways to act to remain balanced

Question 73

Scholastic Philosophers

Answer 73

followed scholasticism, deduction, syllogisms, "schoolmen," often integrated Aristotle's ideas with the Church's