4.1.7

Key Figures in the Renaissance

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Renaissance Figures in Northern Europe

There were influential scholars and figures in the Renaissance who came from Northern Europe. They included Erasmus, Shakespeare, and Sir Thomas More.

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Erasmus

  • Desiderius Erasmus was a humanist scholar from the Netherlands.
  • He was very influential in his time.
  • Erasmus wrote 'The Praise of Folly' (1509) which criticised the Catholic Church for corruption.
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Shakespeare

  • William Shakespeare was a famous playwright from England.
  • The influence of the Renaissance can be seen in the themes and characters in his plays.
    • He focuses on creating complex characters, such as Hamlet, and themes which explore humanity.
    • Shakespeare also looked to the classical world for inspiration. For example, he used figures such as Julius Caesar.
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Sir Thomas More

  • Sir Thomas More was a Renaissance humanist from England, as well as an author, social philosopher and statesman.
  • In the Catholic Church, More is venerated as a Saint for refusing to give up his Catholicism in exchange for his life.
    • He was executed by Henry VIII for refusing to accept him as the Head of the Church.
  • More is very famous for his book 'Utopia'.
    • The book imagines an ideal society.

Jump to other topics

1The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

1.1Anglo-Saxon England

1.2The Contest for the English Throne

1.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

1.4King John

1.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

1.6The Black Death

2Worldviews

3The Empire of Mali

4The Renaissance & Reformations, 1500-1598 AD

5The British Empire, 1583-1960 AD

6The Peasants' Revolt

7Religion in the Middle Ages

8Slavery, 1619-1833 AD

9The English Civil War, 1642-1660

10The Industrial Revolution, 1750-1840

11US Independence, 1775-1783

12The French Revolution, 1789-1815

13The British Empire, 1857–1930

14Suffrage

15World War 1, 1914-1918

16The Inter-War Years, 1919-1939

17World War 2, 1939-1945

18The Cold War, 1947-1962

19Civil Rights in the USA, 1954-1975

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