The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
This masterpiece offers a first-hand description of the devastation of
the Black Death on the city of Florence. It tells the story of ten young
friends trying to hide from the plague. It was written in vernacular
Italian, not Latin.
Autobiography by Benvenuto Cellini
A boastful work by a leading artist that captured the Renaissance
celebration of individualism. It offers the powerful assertion that “Man
can do all things” that sums up a new confidence in man’s potential.
Oration on the Dignity of Man by Pico della Mirandola
compared every
known religious and philosophical tradition looking for universal truths
embraced by all humanity. It was seen as an attack on the primacy of
Christian thought.
The Courtier by Baldassare Castiglione
This is a work about etiquette and manners. He believed that
the Renaissance was a unique age in need of new etiquette. He
argued that the modern man, a “Renaissance Man,” must combine
traditional males virtues with education and artistic talents.
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
He worked for the Medici government in Florence. This
masterpiece of political science described the qualities of the ideal
ruler arguing that he cannot be limited by Christian morality and that
the “ends justify the means” and “it is better to be feared than loved.”
In Praise of Human Folly by Erasmus
A Christian Humanist work that used satire and humor to mock certain
practices of medieval Catholicism, such as veneration of saint’s relics,
in hopes of provoking reform within the Church.
Education of a Christian Prince by Erasmus
Some view this as a response to Machiavelli’s The Prince, in which
he argues that the very goal of any ruler should be to imitate the
example of Christ to love your neighbor.
Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan
Written in French by a female author, the work is considered one of the
first pieces of feminist literature. She argues that women are evry
bit as capable as men if only given an education and an opportunity.
Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women by John Knox
Written by a powerful Scottish religious and political figure, the work
attacked the notion of women ruling over nations. He said this went
against God’s law. He attacked powerful female rulers such as Mary,
Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I of England, and Catherine de Medici of
France.
Marco Polo’s Journey by Marco Polo
Published after his return from his epic excursion to China, the work
described the sights he encountered on his travels and the remarkable
life he lived in medieval China. His work inspired others to explore the
globe.
Essays by Michel de Montaigne
This philosophical work made the radical assertion that each culture
possessed its own unique norms and that while different than
European culture they were not inferior, just different. It is the
foundation of cultural relativism.
Othello by William Shakespeare
One of his greatest tragedies, this play’s lead character is
a complex and fully developed man who happens to be dark skinned.
It is one of the first sympathetic depictions of a black person in
European literature.