Answer the question - Essay Example

Western Civilization questions 14. There was a long-term complicated and uncomfortable relationship between the kings of England and France. The king of England owned land in France, which meant that he had to swear allegiance to France as a condition of owning the property. But France was not as strong at the time and owned less of the country than England did, meaning that England’s king actually controlled more of France than France’s king. But the Hundred Years War was brought to arms when King Edward III of England demanded that King Philip IV of France return lands to England and King Philip demanded that King Edward swear fealty to him.

Joan of Arc inspired the French troops into fighting and taking the initiative instead of always taking defensive positions. It was this aggression that exposed many of England’s tactical tricks and helped France win the war.15. The Black Death decimated Europe’s population when it struck, changing the fabric of society as people found it more and more necessary to depend on each other as a means of surviving. Many people assumed God was angry with them and began taking up much more penitent and harsh religious practices as a means of attempting to appease God’s wrath by sacrificing their own comfort and joy.

Economic conditions changed dramatically as countries once on top of the economic pile fell to the bottom as trade fell off and competitors from other countries entered the market through the development of the guilds. The guilds also changed economic conditions for individual citizens by redefining the full-time worker as being male only. 16. Humanism was a return to the ancient knowledge and philosophy of the Greeks and Romans. They felt that God created the universe and placed people in it to develop and industrialize it through art, science and technology.

To achieve this at its highest level, it was necessary to provide instruction in these fields to individuals regardless of their level of society, because all humans were responsible for developing the Earth. This approach differed from later interpretations in that it didn’t put any particular emphasis on the dignity of all human beings and their prominent protective place in nature. 17. Renaissance art reveals a significant shift in thinking as artists moved away from the stiff and directed images of the past to more natural, flowing forms, classically inspired subjects and better techniques to express realism and human emotion in their work. 18. Desiderius Erasmus was a well-known humanist and monk.

He brought the ideas of humanism into the Christian doctrines, reconciling the two approaches in such a way so as to inspire more sincere worship among parishioners, giving birth to what is now known as Christian humanism. 19. Life in a noble court was probably confusing. People would wander around doing whatever they wanted that pleased the lord or lady of the house. This included a wide variety of arts and performances, but could also change in a moment at the whim of the lord. The advice Castiglione offers to the courtier indicates that this sort of lifestyle was much like walking on a razor’s edge as the individual had to be impressive but not too impressive and talented but not too talented, etc. 20. The artists of the Renaissance supported the papacy by painting and sculpting tremendous works of art that demonstrated even for the illiterate the power and prestige of the clergy and the clergy also supported the artists by giving them generous commissions that enabled them to practice their art.

Sometimes these relationships were contentious, though.