Humanities Midterm

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Counter Reformation: Triggered by Luther's Reformation, the Counter Reformation is a period of moral and spiritual renewal and clarification of doctrine in the Church. The meeting of the Council of Trent between 1545 and 1563 established certain Catholic practices such as the seven sacraments, and penance types. The counter reformation also brought about a new energetic piety marked by the works of several great saints of the time, but also terrible times of prosecution such as the Inquisition
Plotinus: 3rd century philosopher and founder of Neo-Platonism, an adaptation of Plato's views that did not see mattter as bad, but neutral. His philosophy leads to Christian Neo-Platonism (which believes matter and the material world as good) and even Humanism (related to Christian Neo-Platonism because the "good human beings" of the Humanistic view.
Peasant's War: Rebellion broke out against all authority in 1524-1525 in Germany over class struggles and relgious revolts (such as controversy over what sin was defined as). Luther did not approve of this, despite being blamed for it.
Anti-semitism: A theme evident in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, the negative views of the Jewish people were illustrated in Shakespeare's character Shylock. Shylock, the villian of the story is an ugly example of the Jewish stereotype. By the end of the story, the money-ledner is publically humiliated and forced to convert to Christianity, an upcoming theme in Europe at that time.
Soliloquy: Long passages in literature by a character. Used often by Shakespeare to describe and develop characters in his works, making it more relatable to ourselves, making his work timeless
Indulgences: Usually relics sold by the Church for a reduction of punishment after confesion and absolution that were thought to reduce one's (or buy one for a relative!) time in purgatory. A hot button issue for Proestant reformer Martin Luther, the sale of indulgences in Germany (profits benefitting the Vatican's projects) provided a spark needed for an important document of the Reformation, the 95 Theses
Christian Neo-Platonism: Christian Neo-Platonists believe that matter is good because it is a product of God. Because matter is good, technically art is good too because it is an interpretation and picture/sculpture/etc. of a material thing. Michelangelo believed God's divine inspiration gave him the ability to achieve "good" things.
Council of Trent: Meetings between council fathers between 1545 and 1563 the discussed Protestant heresies as well as defining many Catholic practices and teaching (Scripture, Original Sin, Sacraments, Saints, and the Eucharist), as well as issuing reform decrees. Council responded to Protestant disputes, and was a huge part of the Counter reformation
Radical Grace: Luther believed that humans are all totally corrupt because of the Original Sin of Adam and eve, and that we can not redeem ourselves in anyway to God by good works or piety. However, people are expected to live as if they were some of the saved. Luther finds wonder in the fact tha tGod would want to save human beings because we're corrupted with the choice of sin, and that we're saved in spite of it. This concept of radical grace contrasts with the Catholic view that good works and living a good life helps one's chances of getting into heaven
Ten Commandments: According to Catholic doctrine, the 10 Commandments set guidelines by which to live a good life and help you become a better person (And also, gain a spot in heaven). Protestant views differ greatly because of luther's idea that man can never live up to them because Original sin has caused total corruption of the human person, and that we are at God's mercy for our slvation (which has already been decided for us)
Bassanio: Character from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. friend that Antonio is in love with, Bassanio needed money to woo the wealthy Portia
Italian Sonnet: Sonnet type consisting of an octava and a sestet that is able to be made by the vowel-rich romance languages
Rhyming couplet: An element of literature found in the English Sonnet founded by Thomas Wyatt and used famously by William Shakespeare
Creation of Adam: One of Michelangelo's only paintings, but considered as part of one of his greatest works of art (ceiling of Sistine Chapel in 1508-1512). Classically inspired like all works by Michelangelo and bares classical qualities such a realistic anatomy (realistic, anatomically correct human with lifelike details), idealized proportions (proportions of figures, such as size of God and Adam sending a "God made us in his likeness and imagine" message), and heroic nudity. One of nine main frescoes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling that depict scenes in Genesis. Sizes and plane of Adam and God, as well as their almost touching fingers highlight the Renaissance view that humans and the human person are (HUMANISM), a view shared with Christian Neo-Platonists.
Sistine Chapel: Built in 1480 by Sixtus IV, the uncle of Julius II. Michelangelo hired to paint frescoes (paint on wet plaster) and raises an artist/craftsman discussion because he was commissioned to such a fantastic project. Nine main frescoes cover the middle of the ceiling depicting scenes from Genesis, flanked by Old Testement and pagan prophets. Site of a fantastic piece of artwork into architecture that reflects Michelangelo's Neo-Platonist views and the Humanistic view of humans and human form of the Renaissance
Motif: "Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text's major themes." Motifs such as the cross dressing and the law were present in the Merchant of Venice, shows the major themes of a strong woman in a time when she could only have power as a man, and the importance of law in a merchant commerce city
Sacraments: At the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church established that there are seven sacraments (Baptism, Confession, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick) as part of the Counter-Reformation, in response to the Protestants. Protestants only believe thatthere are two sacraments (Baptism and Eucharist), because of the concept of sola scripture (Scripture is the authoirty by which to base doctrine and resolve religious disputes)
Johannes Gutenberg: Gutenberg, a German printmaker was credited with the invention of the printing press around 1450. In 1455, he published the famous Gutenberg Bible. The invention of moveable type (rearrangeable printing blocks) and the printing press aided Martin Luther's quest to reform the Church, by making the written word (or printed, in this case) more availiable to the common people (who had a much higher literacy rate than before)
Pope Adrian VI: Serving for only a short amount of time, Pope Adrian VI sought to launch a Counter-Reformation during the time of the Protestant Reformation. Admitting that a Pope may make mistakes drew attention as it conflits with the concept of papal infallibility. Luther thought of the Church as a spirtual establishment corrupted by men, even the Pope (Who he dclared at one point, an Antichrist)
Jessica: Daughter of the Jew, Shylock in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. In love with a Christian, she defies her father's wishes and runs off with him. Jessica's character touches upon the Christian-Jewish tension in Europe at the time before the Inquisition
Antonio: A character in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice that takes out a loan with Shylock, the Jew, to help his friend and love Bassanio. Antonio is the play's title character. Antonio's deal stated a pound of flesh would be given in the event of the forfeiture of the loan. Antonio's role in the play illustrates the concepts of self interest vs. love and heavy anti-Semitism [forced Shylock to convert to Chrsitianity]
Laocoon: Considered one of the greatest sculptures of antiquity. Depicts a chaotic scene in a realistic way involving movement and emotion. Michelangelo was present when the statue, which had been missing for a thousand years, was excavated. Statues such as the Laocoon group are thought to be Michelangelo's inspiration and influenced his work greatly.
Platonism: Ancient philosopher Plato's ideal in which matter is bad, and taught that all we see is related to our idea of what is "the ideal". Allegory of the cave! This ancient belief inspired a slightly different view, Neo-Platonism (Matter=Neutral), which led to the Christian Neo-Platonist view that matter is good.
Neo-Platonism: Philosopher Plotinus beleived in a spiritual AND material world (unlike Plato focusing only on the spiritual). Neo-Platonism (3rd century AD) and three "hypotheses"- The One, The Intelligible, and the World Soul. Neo-Platonism changed the Platonistic view that matter is inherently bad, and moved toward the Christian Neo-Platonist view of Michelangelo who felt that art was a product of divine inspiration and the humanistic view that matter is good.
Scriptorium: Prior to the invention of the printing press in the mid 1400s, moansteries were the primary source of written works. Monks copied versions of literature, complete with illustration and decoration in places called scriptoriums. Without the invention of the printing press, monastic scriptoriums would have never been able to relay the message of Martin Luther to the common people far and wide
Blank verse: A type of poetry without any rhyme, but simply meter. A common meter to use in this type of poetry is iambic pentameter, commonly used by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare wrote a majority of his plays in unrhyming iambic pentameter,s ome of the greatest literature written in blank verse
Shylock: A Jewish moneylender in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice that plays the villian you "love to hate". After making a deal with Antonio and consequently having to collect repayment in flesh, the court scene illustrates themes such as the power of the law in a merchant city, the renaissance view of the Jewish, and mercy vs. law
Leipzig debate: A debate originally between Andreas Karlstadt and Johann Eck in 1519 that debated doctrines such as free will and grace and the contrasting viewpoints of Catholics and Protestants. With the arrival of Martin Luther to the debate, matters such as the sale of indulgences and authority arose. Luther replaced Karlstadt and argued whether the Church or SCripture has the authority to answer questions about religious doctrine. Luther's case argueably won, as he did in all debates in which he spoke
Globe theatre: Built in 1559 by the play company the Lord Chamberlain's men, the Globe Theatre was located on London's South Bank. The playhouse had several levels in which people of all social classes could attend the plays. Queen Elizabeth I was a big supporter of the theatre in Renaissance England
Tragic hero: A main character in literature that makes an error that leads to their tragic downfall. Tragic heroes have been present in literature since ancient Greek and Rome
Portia: An intelligent, beautiful, and wealthy heiress in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. Portia's character is a fine example of female heroines, but the Renaissance view that a woman cannot be the hero is illustrated when she has to come to the court dressed as a young doctor of the law
Transubstantiation: Protestants don't believe in the miracle of the Eucharist (Bread to flesh, wine to blood), whereas Catholics do. For Protestants, the Eucharist is still a sacrament but purely symbolic.
Total Corruption: Martin Luther's idea that humans are powerless in matters of slvation, an opposite view of Renaissance humanism (Man is good because he is made by God). Luther views all mankind as forever tainted by the Original Sin, and feels that we are simply at the mercy of God. Because of our terrible flaws as humans, only God's radical grace can save us from damnation (which is already predetermined)
Last Judgement: (1536-1541). Great painted masterpiece by Michelangelo. Scene depicting a myriad of reactions and emotions in Michelangelo's classically inspired (heroic nudity of many figures, idealized proprtions and realistic though excessively muscled features). This particular painting also reflects difficult times in Italy (reformation 1517, Sack of Rome 1527) and the increased political instability since the painting of the frescoes
Francesco Petrach: Developed the Italian Sonet in the 1300s: an octava and a sestet that is able to be made by the vowel-rich romance languages
Metaphorical density: A motif or extended metaphor (an image within an image) in plays that grabs the reader, which is an element of Shakespeare's work that makes it so easy to relate to ourselves, making it a timeless work
Brethren of the Common Life: In 1497, Martin Luther was sent by his father to the Brethren of the Common Life for education. The school consisted of lay people who tried to live a pious life, which included Devotio moderna (frequent communion, frequent confession, and wanted relgiion to be very introspective and self-revealing). Luther's extreme piety influecnes his outlook on the role of the Church and God's view of man
Lorenzo de Medici: Ruler of Florence, extremely well educated and wealthy, took Michelangelo in and gave him his start. His gardens contained many classical sculptures that inspired Michelangelo
95 Theses: Written by Martin Luther in 1517, 95 Theses was an important document that spoke on the immoral practice of indulgences (Pay money to church, you spend less time in purgatory). Through it, the ideals of Martin Luther spread like wildfire thanks to the printing press, catalyzing the Reformation of the Catholic Church
Diet of Worms: 1521. Assembly in Germany of many princes of the Holy Roman Empire at which Martin Luther was invited to retract his heretic statements. AFter his condemnation as a heretic at the Diet of Worms, Luther was hidden away by Frederick the Wise at Wartburg CAstle, where he made the important translation of the Bible from Latin to the vernacular, providing the masses with the ability to read and interpret scripture for themselves
David: 1501. Great masterpiece of Michelangelo's design depicting a youthful male nude David, from the story of David and Goliath. First time David was sculptured BEFORE battle, and he stands naturally and realsitically in the controposto stance that mIchelangelo used because of his influences from classical antiquity. David stands tall in a public place in Florence, and is seen as symbol of Florence due to his own struggle against a large and formidable enemy (Florence is a small Italian city and was surviving in a time of Italian civil war)
Desiderious Erasmus: A peace-loving scholar that intially symphatizes with Martin Luther, Erasmus complains about Luther in the Letter to Jodocus Jonas on Luther. Erasmus feels that Luther has taken his works and spun it to his advantage, contradicts humself, and practices no Christian moderation. Erasmus appeals to Luther to stop the discord and to preserve a more unified Europe (Becoming eweaker with the conversion to Protestantism within the Holy Roman Empire)
Printing Press: The printing press was invented by a German man, Johannes Gutenberg, in the mid 1400s. This development in history revolutionized communication in a time when more people were literate, enabling the pople to gain knowledge of current events, new ideas, and allowed them to read SCripture to themselves for the first time. Moveable type and advancements in papermaking made it possible for thousands of copies of literature to make its way to the common people. With the help of the first mode of mass communication, Martin Luther's ideas spread to many
Fredrick the Wise: A powerful duke that found Luther's message appealing. Without his protection, especially after the Diet of Worms (where he was condemned for heresy), Martin Luther wouldn't have been bable to spread his message and contiune the Reformation. During his time at the Wartburg Castle, Luter spent his time translating the Bibel into the vernacular, making the Bible available for interpretation by the common man
Iambic pentameter: A meter used in the Sonnets of William Shakespeare consisting of different stressed syllables that creates a pleasant beat when read aloud
Poliziano: Tutor in the Medici house, Neo-Platonism, think that's where Michelangelo learned about classical history
Thomas Wyatt: Developed the English Sonnet: a set of three quatrains by adding a line of two that rhyme. Wyatt's English Sonnet was famously used by William Shakespeare in his collection Sonnets. The English Sonnet was developed becase of the inability to create numerous meaningful rhymes because of the Germanic root of the English language
Classical antiquity: Period of time B.C when ancient Greek and Roman cultures thrived in all areas (ex. Politics, civic engineering, ART & science, etc.). Classical sculpture from this time period inspired the style of all mIchelangelo's great masterpieces. Classical sculpture bares three marks- Heroic nudity (glorified, idealized, male figures), ideal proportions (larger than life, emphasized parts), and realistic anatomy (human forms at their "very best"
Holy Roman Empire: The Holy Roman Empire was the union of central europe under the monarchial control of the Roman Catholic Church, broken up into subunits, often controlled by dukes or princes. In the early 1500s, the Reformation lead by Martin Luther converted many formerly Catholic cities to Protestantism, creating a divide and weakening of the power of the Holy Roman Empire
Johann Tetzel: Tetzel, a papal comissioner and a friar, sold indulegences in GErmany. The Church's profit from the German people angered Martin Luther, and provoked the document 95 Theses- a document that sparked the Reformation
Papal infallibility: The Catholic dogma that the Pope can define beliefs of the Church and solely interpret Scripture conflicted greatly with Martin Luther's ideas of Reformation. Since Martin Luther believed that all humans are "totally corrupt" because original sin, the monopoly of power that the Pope has on the Church itself is absolutely corrupt. Luther belived that scripture alone has authority, and that God wouldn't delegate authoirty to humans because of original sin.
Humanism: Renaissance view that appreciates idealized and not idealized forms and sees matter (Christian Neo-Platonist view) and humans as "good" things. In an artistic standpoint, Humanism looks to classical antiquity for examples of glorified and appreciated human forms that inspired Michelangelo's great masterpieces (influence of Laocoon group). Paintings like the "Creation of Adam" place God and humans on the same plane and almost touching show the Humanistic view that God created man in his own image and likeness related also Christian Neo-Platonist view that things God made (the material world, which includes us as human beings) as good.
The Intelligible: Part of the Neo-Platonist (3rd cenutry BC) view in which there are three hypotheses- The One, The Intelligible, and the World Soul. The Intelligible is considered to be a result of the "One", and is our ideals of objects (ex. the chairness of the chair). This Neo-Platonist view relates to the concept of the divine instilling an artist or craftsman with their gift artistic brillance!
Northern Humanism: Form of humanism assocaited with the Renaissance of the North in which Christians studied the Bible, and produced their own interpretations. Luther's translation of the Bible from Latin to the vernacular proved very helpful, and opened the eyes of many about discrepancies between Scripture and the Church. The questioning of these discrepancies fueled the Reformation. Unlike humanism of the Italian Renaissance, Martin Luther believed that humans are pathetic, damned, and at the mercy of God and his radical grace
Sola Scriptura: Martin Luther's idea that only scripture is right, because it is pure and untainted by interpretations of the Church. The new availiability of the printed word and Luther's translation of the Bible from Latin to the vernacular allowed many common people to see the descrepancies between scripture and some of the practices of the Church, fueling the Reformation of the Catholic Church, and the rise of Protestantism in Europe

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