These new thoughts greatly differed from the ones of the Middle Ages and the pattern of human thought was reformed. ... He would need a taste in art and literature, but he would also be a skilled fighter and a man of strength. ... The Middle Ages was a time of toil and hardship, it was a constant uphill battle and life was one of servitude. ... Whatever someone did, they did in the name of the Lord and not for their own good, but for the love of God and the blessing of the Church. ... This parallels the contrasting attitudes between life in the Middle Ages and life in the Renaissance. ...

• Word Count: 598
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

1.The Italian Renaissance followed on the heels of the Middle Ages, and was spawned by the birth of the philosophy of humanism, which emphasized the importance of individual achievement in a wide range of fields. ... Under the influence of the humanists, literature and the arts climbed to new levels of importance. 2. ... However, this much is clear about the text: Machiavelli genuinely believed that a ruler fit to unite the city-states of Italy must be feared, as opposed to loved. ... The Renaissance also saw the invention of printing in Europe and the rise of literature as an import...

• Word Count: 455
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate