Late Middle Ages and Italian Renaissance

Question 1

Which events of the 14th century marked social change towards the end of the Middle Ages

Answer 1

The Hundred Years War
The Black Death
The Peasant’s Revolt

Question 2

What significant events took place in the 15th century

Answer 2

The introduction of the printing press into Europe
Columbus’ voyage to the new world
The fall of Constantinople

Question 3

What factors of the 15th century helped to move literature away from oral tradition

Answer 3

The printing press, mass education and increased reading material

Question 4

Until near the end of the Middle Ages, all serious writing was written in what languages

Answer 4

Kione Greek or Latin

Question 5

What is the term for the common language used between educated Europeans in the Middle Ages

Answer 5

Lingua Franca

Question 6

When was English replaced with French as the vernacular

Answer 6

After the Norman Conquest in 1066

Question 7

When did English reemerge as the vernacular

Answer 7

With the works of Chaucer in the 14th century

Question 8

Which Italian work is an important example of the use of vernaculars in literature

Answer 8

Dante’s Divine Comedy

Question 9

Which English work is an important example of the use of vernaculars in literature

Answer 9

Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

Question 10

Which Scottish work is an important example of the use of vernaculars in literature

Answer 10

Brus by John Barber

Question 11

Which Dutch work is an important example of the use of vernaculars in literature

Answer 11

Speighel Historiael by Jacob Van Maerlant

Question 12

Name one of the earliest texts to be reproduced in moveable type in Europe

Answer 12

The Gutenburg Bible in 1455

Question 13

What was reflected by renaissance literature

Answer 13

the move away from the church as a central authority, produced in Europe after 1300

Question 14

What were common themes of Renaissance literature

Answer 14

the recovery of the classics and humanist philosophy, a focus on humankind rather than Catholic church and god

Question 15

Which literary form grew during the renaissance

Answer 15

The essay

Question 16

Where and when did the renaissance begin

Answer 16

Italy in the 14th century

Question 17

What caused the power of the church to wane

Answer 17

The Protestant reformation

Question 18

What term refers to the study of humanities recovered from classical antiquity

Answer 18

Renaissance humanism

Question 19

What were the most popular forms of study by the 15th cenutry

Answer 19

Grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry and moral philosophy

Question 20

What were morality plays

Answer 20

Allegorical plays put on by the Catholic church in order to teach Christian values and principles

Question 21

What happened in most morality plays

Answer 21

The hero, representing humanity as a whole or social group, found himself in competition between good and evil, and the events of the play guided him to salvation

Question 22

When did morality plays begin to shift towards more secular ideas

Answer 22

End of the medieval period

Question 23

When was Dante Alighieri born

Answer 23

In 1265

Question 24

Who wrote the Divine Comedy

Answer 24

Dante Alighieri

Question 25

Who is thought of as the father of Renaissance humanism

Answer 25

Francesco Petraca (Petrach)

Question 26

Who was Petrach particularly interested in when editing and collecting ancient manuscripts

Answer 26

Cicero

Question 27

What collection of love poems by Petrarch is a collection of love poems about an unattainable woman named Laura

Answer 27

Cansoniere

Question 28

What is the Petrarchan sonnet

Answer 28

A sonnet in two stanzas, one with eight lines and one with six

Question 29

Who is known as the father of English literature

Answer 29

Geoffrey Chaucer

Question 30

Why was Chaucer disfavoured at his time of writing

Answer 30

He wrote in English, while French was the preferred language of the upper classes after the Norman conquest

Question 31

How did Renaissance spread

Answer 31

Italy was the centre of several trade routes, and people would pass through from all over the world. People would come to learn about humanism, medicine, painting and sculpture, and sometimes started universities when they came home again
It was also spread through the printing press and wide availability of books