Humanism is a transitional literary movement between Troubadourism and Classicism that marked the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Modern Age in Europe.
With a focus on valuing man, he stood out with productions in prose (historical chronicles and theatre) and poetic (palace poetry) during the 15th and 16th centuries.
The characteristics of humanism
The main characteristics of humanism in the arts and philosophy are:
Anthropocentrism: philosophical concept that emphasizes the importance of man as an agent endowed with intelligence and critical capacity. Averse to theocentrism (god as the center of the world), this concept allowed the decentralization of knowledge that was previously owned by the Church.
Rationalism: philosophical current associated with human reason that focuses on the production of knowledge about the human being and the world, contesting spiritualism.
scientism: associated with rationalism, this concept places science in a prominent place. Through the scientific method, he fosters discoveries in this field in order to understand natural phenomena.
Classic antiquity: the humanist artists were inspired by the studies previously carried out by Greek and Roman classical thinkers, above all by Greco-Roman literature and mythology.
Valorization of man: Inspired by classic Greco-Roman models, there was an appreciation of the human body and man's emotions. Thus, the humanistic arts focused on details that revealed expressions and desires.
Ideal of beauty and perfection: allied to the concept of valuing classic models, in this period we sought to achieve the perfection of human forms through balanced proportions and perfect beauty.
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Humanism in Portugal
The initial mark of Portuguese literary humanism was the appointment of Fernão Lopes as chief chronicler of the kingdom, in 1434. This movement goes back to 1527 with the arrival of the poet Sá de Miranda from Italy, when the Classicism.
Popular theater, palatial poetry and historical chronicle were the most explored genres during the period of humanism in Portugal.
Among the main authors of Portuguese humanism are: Gil Vicente, Fernão Lopes and Garcia de Resende.
Gil Vicente (1465-1536) was considered the “father of Portuguese theater” and his work addresses religious and human themes. Despite having a Christian and moralistic religious vision, his texts also present social criticisms.
This author wrote several plays called Autos e Farsas. The Autos focused on human and divine themes, and the Farces were related to the customs of Portuguese society at the time.
Among his dramaturgy work, the following stand out:
- Notice of Visitation (1502)
- The Old Man from Horta (1512)
- Barca do Inferno report (1516)
- Farce by Inês Pereira (1523)
Excerpt from Auto da Barca do Hell by Gil Vicente
Devil
— Knights, you pass
and do you not ask where is?1st Knight
"Ye, Satan, presume?"
Pay attention to whom you speak!2nd Knight
— You who demand us?
We don't even know it well:
we die in the Parts d'Other,
and do not want to know more.Devil
— Get in here! What is this thing?
I can't understand this!Knights
— Who dies for Jesus Christ
do not go on such a boat as this!They went on again, singing, their way straight to the boat of Gloria, and as soon as they arrived, the Angel says:
Angel
— O knights of God,
I'm waiting for you,
who died fighting
through Christ, Lord of Heaven!
You are free from all evil,
martyrs of the Holy Church,
that whoever dies in such a battle
deserves eternal peace.And so they board.
Fernão Lopes (1390-1460) was the greatest representative of humanist historiographic prose, as well as the founder of Portuguese historiography.
Before him, the historiography of Portugal was limited to the nobiliary, that is, the pedigree books that brought together the family trees of medieval nobles.
Thus, he expanded this concept by writing works of great artistic and historical value on the history of the kings of Portugal, of which the following deserve mention:
- Chronicle of El-Rei D. Peter I
- Chronicle of El-Rei D. Fernando
- Chronicle of El-Rei D. John I
Excerpt from the chronicle El-King D. Peter I by Fernão Lopes
And because the king Dom Pedro, whose reign is to follow, used justice, that God may be more pleased than the good thing that the king can do, as the saints write, and some want to know what this virtue is, and because it is necessary for the king, if it is so for the people: you, in that style that we simply caught, can read it through this manner.
Justice is a virtue, which is called every virtue; as soon as whoever is just, he fulfills every virtue; because justice, as well as the law of God, defends that you do not fornicate or be a choker, and this in keeping, the virtue of chastity and temperance is fulfilled, and thus you can understand the other vices and virtues.
This virtue is very necessary for the king, and that for his subjects, because, if there is a virtue of justice in the king, he will make laws so that all may live. rightly and in peace, and his subjects being just, they will carry out the laws that he imposes, and in keeping them they will do no unjust thing against any one. And such a virtue, like this, each one may gain by a work of good understanding, and sometimes some are born so naturally disposed to it, who with great zeal carry it out, since some vices are inclined.
Garcia de Resende (1470-1536) was the main representative of the palace poetry humanist. The writer published in 1516 the work General Songbook, which brings together more than a thousand poems from medieval literature by 300 different authors.
Palace poetry receives this name, as it was generally produced in palaces and was intended to entertain the nobles. The most explored themes were religious, amorous and satirical.
In the previous literary period (troubadour), poetry had a strong relationship with music, however, with humanism, it is dissociated from this musical aspect.
In addition, the palatial poetry of humanism innovated in the formal aspects of poetic production, with the use of the larger round (verses with seven poetic syllables), which gave greater rhythm and memorization, at the expense of the smaller round (verses with 5 syllables poetics).
Poetry excerpt Agnes's ball by Garcia Resende
what will be the heart
it's raw and no joke,
do not cause him passion
how cruel is that
and death are they without praying?
Sad for me, innocent,
that, for having very boiling
loyalty, faith, love
oh prince, my lord,
they killed me raw!my misadventure
nam glad to finish me,
for giving me greater grief
went to put me in such a height,
to bring me down from above;
that if someone had killed me,
before having so much good,
in such flames do not burn,
father, children never met,
nor had anyone cried to me.
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The humanists: authors and works of humanism
The humanists were the scholars of ancient culture who were dedicated, above all, to the study of texts from classical Greco-Roman antiquity.
All of them were influenced by characteristics of the period such as the cult of languages and Greco-Latin literatures (classic model).
Among the great representatives of humanist literature are:
Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) - Italian poet, founder of humanism and author of the works: Songbook and the Triumph; my secret book; Holy Land Itinerary.
Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) - Italian poet and politician, author of the works: The divine Comedy; about the common language; New life.
Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) - Italian poet and author of the works: Decameron; the bucolic song; famous women.
Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) - Dutch theologian and philosopher, author of the works: praise of madness; Christian Knight's Handbook; colloquia.
Thomas More (1478-1535) - English writer and philosopher, author of the works: Utopia; Treatise on the Passion of Christ; Souls' supplication.
Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) - French philosopher and writer, author of a single work gathered in 3 volumes: Essay.
Historical context of humanism
Humanism emerged in the 15th century in Italy, more precisely in the city of Florence during the Cultural Renaissance period. Therefore, it is also called Renaissance Humanism.
This intellectual movement of valuing man, influenced several fields of knowledge (philosophy, science, literature, sculpture, plastic arts) and quickly spread to other countries from Europe.
The Renaissance period was a time of important transformations in the European mentality. Some factors that allowed the emergence of a new vision in human beings were:
- the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg, which provided for the expansion of knowledge, previously controlled by the church.
- the great navigations and the European maritime expansion, which allowed to broaden the horizons of the European man.
- the crisis of the feudal system, as several commercial activities emerged, giving rise to mercantilism and the use of exchange currencies (money).
- the emergence of the bourgeoisie as a new social class, which was consolidated with the expansion of commerce and the development of medieval cities.
All these changes were necessary to question the old values in an impasse developed between faith and reason.
Therefore, theocentrism (God as the center of the world) and the medieval hierarchical structure (nobility-clergy-people) leaves the scene, giving way to anthropocentrism (man as the center of the world). The latter was the central ideal of Renaissance humanism.
Read more about this period:
- Renaissance: characteristics and historical context
- cultural renaissance
- What is humanism?
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