Alyssa Miner & Rachel Ziemba

Miner & Ziemba 1

Alyssa Miner & Rachel Ziemba

Mrs. Bourgoin

AP Lit and Comp

2 November 2014

Annotated Bibliography: Renaissance

"Humanism." Encyclopedia Britanica. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.

This article discusses the idea of humanism and how it impacted the Renaissance era through its new ideas. Humanism itself can be seen as a tenet because it addresses ideas such as self-perfection. This is a shift from the old idea that everybody should have society’s interests in mind instead of their own. The article also discusses some of the history that led up to the development of the renaissance, such as the decreasing influence of the Catholic Church. Because the article is from the online database Encyclopedia Britannica it provides us with accurate information about the era.

"The Renaissance." Encyclopedia Britanica. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.

This article addresses many of the ideas associated with the Renaissance era and how it was developed. It discusses the transition that took place within society, and this allows us to see the tenets that were created. These include ideas such as rebirth, respect for ancient literature, and curiosity and discovery. It also mentions some of the famous authors in the Renaissance era, such as Shakespeare, and their contributions to the era. The article provides us with history of the era and many of its important characteristics. This information is accurate because it comes from the accurate source of Encyclopedia Britannica.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Much Ado About Nothing." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.

This webpage introduces the reader to “Much Ado About Nothing”, a play by William Shakespeare. A synopsis of the play is given, and it is described as an example of Renaissance era literature. The article refers to Shakespeare’s use of tropes relating back to ancient Greek literature, which connects to one of our tenets for the Renaissance era. It describes the kind of writing that was popular in the Renaissance, and also that Shakespeare was the “advertiser”, so to speak. Shakespeare’s work defined the Renaissance era, and many modern texts as well as teachings refer back to his works. The website is credited to be an “online provider of information, resources, guides, tools, and other related content about academic, social, and cultural topics.” according to their “Terms and Services” section on shmoop.com. This source will provide a literary example for our presentation which will fulfill the requirements of the assignment.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Elizabethan Literature (English Literature)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.

This article addresses the characteristics of the Elizabethan era and the literature of that period. The Elizabethan era is part of what’s known as the “golden age” in literature, during the Renaissance, made famous by Shakespeare, Marlowe, Milton, and other distinguished writers of the time period. The Elizabethan era is simply a chronological period, it isn’t a specific style of writing, though, during this era Shakespeare’s style of iambic pentameter and the sonnet became more widespread. Queen Elizabeth’s love for the arts encouraged a flowering in literature, and contributed to the spread of new styles of writing through plays and poetry. This information is from a credible database, so it can be trusted. This information will be relevant in explaining the Elizabethan era and how it contributed to the spread of new ideas and of literature during the Renaissance period.