Western Literature I, Week 34

Do you think that the old man in the Pardoner’s Tale was Death. So far, I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffery Chaucer. But perhaps the grass just appears greener here after the dismal Decameron. Each of the twenty-four stories has its own narrator, and they provide…

Western Civilization I, Week 34

 Discuss the rise and fall of Girolamo Savonarola. Girolamo Savonarola was born in 1452 A.D, to a fairly well-off family in Ferrara. As a young man, he prepared to go into medical school like his grandfather before him. However, he abandoned this career path to become a Dominican friar in 1475. He began preaching in…

Western Literature I, Week 33

Which do you think was more gripping to read? His account of the plague or his stories? For the past two weeks, I’ve had the misfortune of reading Boccaccio’s Decameron. It’s a collection of short stories set during the outbreak of the Black Death, when society was in upheaval. The entire narrative centers on a…

Western Civilization I, Week 33

 What were some of the problems associated with the Renaissance papacy? For many years, the Catholic Church was in desperate need of reform. People were crying to fix the corrupted clergy. Instead, the popes made war, made love, and made their nephews cardinals. The popes ignored the reformers, or were simply oblivious to them.  The…

Western Civilization I, Week 32

What are some of the qualities and strategies Machiavelli recommends to political leaders in the excerpts you read? How does this represent a break with the past? Niccolò Machiavelli’s name is synonymous with deceit. The adjective ‘Machiavellian’ means someone who uses deception to achieve their goals. Much of his irksome reputation originates in his 1513…

Western Literature I, Week 32

Why did Boccaccio have the first story teller invoke God? Boccaccio’s Decameron is a risqué classic that has survived the ages, somehow. It centers around a group of ten people— three men, and seven women— who have escaped to the Italian countryside during the Black Death. They find an abandoned estate, create their own leadership,…

Western Literature I, Week 31

Did these two literary documents give guidance in their era as to how a typical Christian should live? In the past weeks, I have been reading The Song of Roland and the Little Flowers of St. Francis. Both are Christian works, an epic and a florilegium, respectively. They have wildly differing themes, but share a…

Western Civilization I, Week 31

Discuss some of the key ideas of the Renaissance. In the previous renaissances, especially the Carolingian Renaissance, studying the ancient texts was a means to an end. The Carolingians studied Roman law, so that they could apply it in their society. But the Italian Renaissance that we’re all familiar with showed interest in historical works…

Western Literature I, Week 30

Did the Little Flowers provide the common man with confidence about his own life beyond the grave? After reading more of the Little Flowers of St. Francis, the author’s position on purgatory is made clear. Even the friars, who follow St. Francis, and devote their spirits to God, are sent to purgatory. If these holy…

Western Civilization I, Week 30

What was the Great Western Schism, and how was it resolved? The Great Western Schism was a split in the Catholic Church, dividing the Roman and French Churches. It began upon the death of Pope Gregory XI, and the College of Cardinals convened to select a new pope. While they were holding the conclave, the…