Influences of two Art periods
Influences of two arts
The Medieval literature is related to the feudal era. With the subordination to religious ideology, it carried a significant spiritual values, discovering and protecting a person, revealing new sides of a soul, to differ material aspects from those values which were emphasized by antique literature. Thus, the humanism of early medieval Latin literature was reinforced by another Christian humanism the dogma of the Church in the Middle Ages was not so humane.
1. Christianity
2. Ancient heritage
3. Folklore
Christianity of the Medieval era is different from our idea now. In the Middle Ages, there were no differentiation of literature between secular and ecclesiastical. Hagiographic writings were also related to the literature.
In the Middle Ages, there are no authors they appear very rarely and in most cases the writings are unknown. There is no concept of plagiarism. Overwriting of the other books and the borrowed idea is excepted. A new reading of the old stories. For example, the plot of "Tristan and Isolde" was developed by many authors. The author uses the image which is taken from a literary tradition. Three-part structure of medieval society: Praying monks – head; Knights – hands; Peasants – legs.
"The Song of Roland" is, in fact, one of the most famous and significant heroic poems of the epic cycle written in old French language. Presumably it was written at the end of XI century and the beginning of the XII century. Tells the story of the Charlemagne's army death after returning in August 778 from the conquests in Spain. This song refers to the heroic epic. It also refers to the early medieval literature. The main themes of the heroic epic are: defense from external enemies; faithful respect of the lord and the king.
Lyric of Provençal troubadours was also very popular. The creators of courtly lyrics were troubadours - Provençal poets and singers. Guillem Aquitaine is considered to be the first troubadour.
The traditional character of the troubadour’s poetry completely corresponds the canonical system of genres. Troubadour lyrics essentially required not individual, but the genre image of the author, who seeks to merge with the real "I" of the poet.
The troubadour poetry is mostly about love. Troubadours sang of love in the genre of the courtly song. This kind of lyrics usually keeps 5-7 stanzas, closing one or two parcels.
However, the troubadours sang not only about love and not just for the ladies. In their works, they respond to all urgent questions of that time: political events, issues of morality, ridiculed their political or religious opponents and other.
Ideals and traditions of chivalry romances were affected by the lyric poetry of the troubadours. Numerous writings formed the favorite reading list of high society and eventually received a peculiar coloring in the spirit of the chivalric code.
Christian legends brought to life the famous novels of Robert de Boron (XII century) "Joseph of Arimathea", "Merlin", "Parsifal" a prose novel by Walter Mapa "St. Grail" and others. In addition to these works of a religious coloring there were also purely secular novels recreating life and exploits of the amorous adventures of Arthur and persons who attributed to the era of the British Kings and the heroes of the Round Table.
The Medieval drama is the most richly represented in literary works. Hence, the goal of medieval drama in general is to create a church propaganda tools on the purposes of the Christian expression of Catholic dogma.
Renaissance
Renaissance began in Italy in the 14th century. This era is much shorter than the Antiquity or the Middle Ages. It has a transitional nature, but the cultural achievements of this time make people distinguish it as a special stage of the Late Middle Ages. Humanism in the Renaissance was a particular set of moral and philosophical concepts. It was directly involved in education with human-based preferential attention not to the former scholastic knowledge or knowledge of religion, but to the following disciplines: philology, history, morality. It is incredibly important that these disciplines began to be appreciated by the people as the most universal.
This era is essentially a separation from feudalism, liberation from the influence of the church and return to ancient roots, forgotten in the Middle Ages. Renaissance can be attributed to the struggle against the church influence, the changes of the vertical model of the world, recovery of antiquity and the idea of universal human. The struggle against the church and the feudal influence was the central idea of the Renaissance. This is the emergence and development of secular literature and secular genres. There were writers and artists who dared to speak out against the church. They were convinced that the greatest value on earth is the man and all his interests should be focused on his personal life, to live it fully, happily and meaningfully.
If everything in the Middle Ages was done from scratch, in the renaissance people remembered that before the 473 year there were a lot important historical moments, and it deserves to be continued. At the same time they did not refuse from the medieval heritage and saw the solution in the dialogue of ancient and medieval cultures.
The new cultural paradigm emerged from fundamental changes of social relations in Europe. The growth of city-states led to the growing influence of the estates that didn’t participate in the feudal relations. All of them disagreed with the hierarchical value system created by Medieval era and church culture.
In the literature of the Renaissance era humanists ideals expressed the glorification of the harmonic, free, creative, fully developed personality. Love sonnets of Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374) discovered the depth of man's inner world, his emotional life.
The literature of Renaissance era relied on folk poetry and the ancient literature, so the rational principle is combined with poetic fantasy and comic genres.
Francesco Petrarca, on the one hand, was a personality with an inquisitive, critical mind. He searched for the fame, love of life, nature and enthusiastically worshiped pagan antiquity. On the other hand, he was pressed by the load of ascetic beliefs and he could not break with the religious culture.
The Franch Renaissance is bound to the influence of Italian Renaissance, of which King Francis I imported not only the humanistic ideas and works of art, but their creators - artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, the doctor and linguist Julius Caesar Scaliger and others. The sister of the king, Marguerite de Navarre, established court circle of humanists, which listed Epicurean poet Clement Marot ("Temple of Cupid"), the satirist Lucian - Bonaventure Depero ("Cymbal world").
Protestantism (or Reformation) receives the name Calvinism in France after its ideologist Jacques Calvin finalized his teaching in 1536. The Fighting of Catholics and their opponents (Huguenots) from the middle of the XVI century took the ruthless character on both sides, and it culminated in the bloody struggle of the Huguenots in 1572, known as the Massacre of St. Bartholomew.
The last 10 years of the 15th century - the first quarter of the 16th century caused a very strong influence on spiritual development. A common feature of the Northern Renaissance - humanistic creativity deployed in the academic and ideological aspects. For instance, there were many philosophical debates, theological problems humanists struggle with medieval scholasticism. This era has a pronounced religious character: Reformation, Martin Luther. But this is only part of the era.
The novel about "Don Quixote" of Miguel de Cervantes summarizes the development of Renaissance prose. He used the images and established forms of chivalrous and pastoral novels, but put a different content. Also, he revolutionized the concepts of knights. Don Quixote’s story is represented as a parody romance. Cervantes said that has an intention to inspire people with an aversion to the false and ridiculous stories. So he fought with the old, feudal consciousness that underpins them. Cervantes also makes fun of the pretentious style of chivalry.
The main character called himself a great name Don Quixote de la Mancha. He chose a lady he wanted to fight for and went in search of adventure.
At first novel of Cervantes goes beyond a literary parody. But gradually Don Quixote ceases to be only a comic figure. Don Quixote is described not only as a poet. However, his actions may seem like madness, he is a man of great intelligence. Don Quixote argues as reasoned humanist of the Renaissance. Wisdom of Don Quixote was not related to the dogma of the church. He didn’t dream of the heavenly happiness. He dreamed earthly happiness of the mankind, and was always ready to give good advice to anyone who had needed it. But Cervantes constantly puts Don Quixote in ridiculous situation, because idealism of Don Quixote is a powerless tool for changing anything in the world in which selfishness and greed have the prevailing positions. The novel ends with the triumph of common sense. Before his death Don Quixote renounces chivalry and all his past follies.
Renaissance and the Medieval periods have nothing in common, but these two eras are extremely important and have a huge historical value. Comparably to the Middle Ages, where everything was oriented on the religious studies and dogmas, the Renaissance turned the world around. Without the Medieval strict worldview it would be impossible to recognize a real value of the Renaissance and vice versa. Many scientists say that these two time periods have an enormous meaning on human being and understanding of our nature in general. The school program includes literature of both Renaissance and Medieval times. It explains how necessary it is for basic world view and perception. However, people may put this topic on the debate, because at the first sight it seems to be easy to decide which side has more advantages. The main idea is to prove the interdependence of these art periods and to analyze the historical thread between them.
References
Hale, J. (1965). Renaissance. New York: Time.
Pater, W. (2010). The Renaissance studies in art and poetry. S.l.: Floating Press.
Legouis, E., & Cazamian, L. (1964). A history of English literature: The Middle Ages and the Renascence (650-1660) (Rev. ed.). New York: Macmillan.
Ward, A. (1907). The Cambridge history of English literature. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Alchin, L. (n.d.). Medieval Literature - Medieval Life and Times. Retrieved October 27, 2014, from http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-life/medieval-literature.htm
