Renaissance Literature and Philosophy: Key Concepts

Machiavelli and *The Prince*

Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence. In his youth, he received training in the humanities and then carried out political functions. His most important work was *The Prince*. The book constitutes an exclusive relationship for the measures to hold the reins of government that the ruling must follow. Machiavelli reserves the right to use force and will if the state requires it.

*Arcadia*: Renaissance Pastoral Novel

*Arcadia*, a Renaissance pastoral novel, was published in Valencia. It accounts for the life of young Sincere who, after a disappointment in love, left Naples and moved to the nation's Arcadia, where peace is called Peloponnese. However, a terrible dream leads him back to Naples, where he learns of the death of his beloved.

Pastoral Novel

The pastoral novel is a narrative subgenre that was configured in the Renaissance. It consisted of a dialogue in which pastoralists have stories. It reflects the pastoral, idealistic, and unrealistic vision. The theme is always love and offers a static view of nature.

*Amoenus Locus*

The term *amoenus locus* means "pleasant place." This term is also used in Western literature, such as in Ovid's *Metamorphoses* and the Middle Ages.

Castiglione and *The Courtier*

*The Courtier* is Castiglione's main treatise on good manners, in which he draws the portrait of the perfect gentleman of the court. The gentleman should also be skilled in music composition, dance, and literary pursuits. Castiglione also deals with the education of women. This book underscores the plainness and simplicity of his prose.

Sonnet

Sonnets are poetic compositions formed by 14 lines of high art, usually endecasyllabic, and rhyming, which are divided into two quartets and two tercets. The sonnet is of Italian influence and began to be rehearsed in the 15th century.

*Donna Angelicata*

*Donna Angelicata* was cultivated by the poet Guido Guinizelli and Dante. The woman becomes the messenger through whom love can be attained. Her physical beauty is a reflection of her inner beauty and spirituality. During centuries, this beauty was the ideal.

Revival

The Revival is understood as the 16th century. It was a period of deep changes, with the maximum bearing being the Renaissance. The Renaissance also saw the development of humanistic genres. The Renaissance matched the enthusiasm for the study of classical antiquity and Greek.

Neoplatonism

Neoplatonism was a philosophical school favored in Alexandria in the first centuries of the Christian era. Its doctrines were a renewal of Platonic philosophy under the influence of Eastern thought.

Courtly Love

Courtly love defines the relationships between lovers of the nobility in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Courtly love required adherence to certain rules developed in the songs of troubadours.

Humanism

Humanism was an intellectual, philological movement of European artists and intellectuals closely linked to the Revival, which originated in the 14th century.

*Commedia dell'arte*

*Commedia dell'arte* arose in Italy and means "craft of the profession" or "professional theater." Improvisation was based on the script, which was just a starting point from which the actors improvised their dialogues. Its origin has been sought in the old Atellan plays of Rome. The stock characters are Harlequin, Captain, Doctor, and Bully.