Comparison Renaissance To Now Essay Research Paper

Comparison: Renaissance To Now Essay, Research Paper

The Similarities of the Renaissance and Contemporary Era

Historically, the Renaissance era developed societal, ethical and moral behaviors for its future known as the Contemporary period. The study of the Renaissance era, during the past few weeks in class, captures the magnificent ideas of history and compares those ideas toward today s thoughts and views which stimulate the minds of the researcher and creates an imagination of personal values. Comparing the Renaissance views to Contemporary views there are immeasurable similarities regarding art, politics, and technology. All three acknowledges and exhibits the standards for improving society and the world.

Art is constant throughout history and considered an expression of the artists to communicate his or her views. Art expression is noted, modeled, or documented through literature, paintings, sculptures, music, or any kind of project used to convey or enlighten society as a whole. The music similarities between the past and present include public performances for entertainment, enlightenment or historical values. Entertainment of the past to the present continues to mark society s culture because of audience s acceptance of the music performed. It was not uncommon for music to be performed during the Renaissance era on the streets, at fairs, plays, theatre, and castles for entertainment. Music was played for church functions as it remains today. In contemporary society, music continues to provide content and meaning from the writer and still found in concerts, plays, fairs, and special events of today. The writer or artist strengths and weaknesses are the attributes that contribute to learning value, which has not changed from the Renaissance era. Who demands the wonderful sound of music. Simply, it is the audience who creates the demand to listen to a collage of lyrics or musical ensembles for entertainment (Popular Music & Society 2).

The popularity of the songs dictates the length of time a song may last, but there are questions of how long it will last throughout history. Music survives because it communicates the artist s image of beliefs or values of life to pass on to each generation. Society from both past and present questions the intent of the artist from the beginning of time. Music is now so foolish that I am amazed. Everything that is wrong is permitted, and no attention is paid to what the old generation wrote as composition. (Samuel Schedidt – 1587-1684) Elvis Presley started his career with his wild shaken leg movements and loving lyrics but was severely criticized by the public as being obscene with his presentation. Think about music and content for today. The content is the same as the past and found in plays, theatre, operas, special events and views of humanism and realism to touch the human emotions, which both embellishes our minds and prevalent for today. Soap operas, for example creates emotions because the access to the personal feelings projected by the cameras.

The similarities of music from the past as entertainment is the same as today; it surpasses the time zones and embraces our life with a variety of wonderful sounds that entrap our souls and binds our thoughts of realism and humanism. In music, there are political agendas that would separate the classes and allow certain people privilege to perform or listen to the talented. The popes were powerful in earlier times. They enjoyed the company of the musicians and if they were good enough they would live within the confines to write and perform their works.

Society was divided into classes and ruled by Popes and Kings, which resulted into power struggles. In The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli states, I might be asked how it has come about that the Church has reached such great temporal power, when, previous to Alexander VI, the Italian potentates-and not merely the really powerful ones, but every lord or baron, however insignificant-held in slight esteem as regards temporal power; whereas now it is dreaded by a king of France (The Prince, p69) The same book discusses the two political systems;

1.) Monarchies – The Prince rules and the Republic are annexed through state or acquired by princes.

2.) The Republics – Achieve sovereignty either by wicked means, or when a private citizen becomes sovereign of his country by the favor of his fellow-citizens.

The disadvantages for having a mixed government was to maintain control over the people, lack of loyalty, and facing vengeance. Today, we have a two party dominate system as well, which is similar to the ideal of Machiavelli. Both political parties have differences within pursuing and obtaining an office to serve; however, they are the same in a sense that those striving to the top actually apply the same goals to get there. The idea of conquering and establishing authority and ruling a providence in Machiavelli s time are to have less consideration for people, establish armed forces, punishing the guilty and watching the suspected and strengthening position across the country he rules.

To conquer and achieve rule and control, Machiavelli suggests that suppressing the people, allowing the people to live within their own law, and creating a government of few will keep the country friendly to the conqueror. What a thought to compare the political agendas of the past