1. Italian Writers
Renaissance Man: Dante Alighieri
Accomplishment: Divine Comedy
Description: A story/poem about heaven, hell, and
purgatory
Renaissance Characteristics: Classics, Humanism,
Vernacular, Religious

3. Italian Writers
Renaissance Man: Niccolo Machiavelli
Accomplishment: The Prince
Description: A book about politics; told leaders how
to rule, to focus on the “here and now” and not
theories.
Renaissance Characteristics: Secular, Vernacular,
Humanism and Realism (political)

4. “it is much safer to be feared than
loved because ...love is preserved
by the link of obligation which,
owing to the baseness of men, is
broken at every opportunity for
their advantage; but fear preserves
you by a dread of punishment
which never fails.”
― The Prince
“Men ought either to be well
treated or crushed, because
they can avenge themselves of
lighter injuries, of more serious
ones they cannot; therefore the
injury that is to be done to a
man ought to be of such a kind
that one does not stand in fear
of revenge.”
― The Prince
“Of mankind we may say in
general they are fickle,
hypocritical, and greedy of
gain.”
― The Prince

5. Italian Artists
Renaissance Man: Michelangelo
- He was known as a master. He was a sculptor,
painter, designed buildings and wrote poetry .
Accomplishments: Sistine Chapel, David, Pieta.
Description: The David and Pieta are famous statues,
and the Sistine Chapel is considered one of the
greatest painted murals of all time.
Renaissance Characteristics: Humanism, Realism,
Religious

9. Italian Artists
Renaissance Man: Leonardo da Vinci
- A true genius of the Renaissance. He was a great
painter, sculptor, architect, inventor, and engineer,
mathematician. He studied anatomy, the structure of
human bodies, to make his paintings more real.
Accomplishments: Mona Lisa, The Last Supper
Description: Mona Lisa is considered one of the greatest
portraits of the Renaissance. The Last Supper depicts Jesus and
his Apostles sitting together – very famous painting.
Renaissance Characteristics: Humanism, Realism, Secular,
Religious

12. Northern Europe
Renaissance Man: Johannes Gutenberg
Accomplishment: Invented the Printing Press
Description: Developed a printing press with
movable type. He printed the Bible in 1456.
Renaissance Characteristics: Helped spread
Renaissance ideas.

13. Northern Europe
Renaissance Man: William Shakespeare
- He wrote plays and poetry, and is considered the
greatest writer in the English language.
Accomplishments: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and many
more playwrights.
Description: Wrote in the English language, influencing
the development of written English.
Renaissance Characteristics: Classics, Humanism, Secular
(some religious themes), Vernacular

14. Scientists
Renaissance Man: Copernicus
Accomplishments: Argued that the Earth moves around
the sun! Oh, and the Earth rotates on its axis too!
(crazy…)
Description: His theories inspired other renaissance men
and their research. Galileo was able to show Copernicus
was right using the telescope. Kepler agreed with the
movement of planets around the Sun, but added that
they move elliptically, not in a circle.
Renaissance Characteristics: Humanism, Secular