Click Here for the Syllabus in PDF Format
Course Schedule
Week 1 Introduction.
Tu (01/18) Course Introduction.
Th (01/20) Discussion of Key Questions and Introduction to the Renaissance.
Week 2 Framing the Question: What does it Mean to be Human? Medieval and Renaissance Answers.
Tu (01/25) The Renaissance, continued.
Th (01/27) What does it mean to be human?
Reading Assignment: “Renaissance Idea of the Dignity of Man” from the Dictionary of the History of Ideas; Selections from Aquinas; Selections from Pico della Mirandola; Genesis chapters 1-3; available online. (See the course webpage.)
Week 3 Framing the Question: What Does it Mean to be Male or Female? Medical opinions from Antiquity to the Renaissance.
Tu (02/01) Part 1: Ancient Theories and their Medieval Transformation.
Th (02/03) Part 2: The Recovery of Texts and Further Transformation.
Week 4 The World of the Renaissance Woman.
Tu (02/08) Did Women Have a Renaissance? The Woman and the Renaissance Family.
Reading Assignment: King, chapter 1. “Did Women Have A Renaissance?” Excerpts from Joan-Kelly Gadol. (Link to it on the course webpage.)
Th (02/10) What do the sources say?
Reading Assignment: Francesco Barbaro, On Wifely Duties; Goro Dati: Selections from the diary.
Week 5 Women and High Culture. The Question of Homosexuality.
Tu (02/15) Women and High Culture.
Th (02/17) The Question of Homosexuality.
Reading Assignment: Selections from People With a History, the Website of Prof. Paul Halsall.
Week 6 Gender as a Physical Side of Being Spiritual.
Tu (02/22) Gender and the Church: Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Perspectives.
Reading Assignment: A selection of primary sources available online.
Th (02/24) Gender, the Church, continued, and the Questions of Witchcraft.
Reading Assignment: Richard M. Golden, “American Perspectives on the European Witch Hunts.” (Available online through J-Stor.)
Week 7 Midterm.
Tu (03/01) Concluding Discussions and Review.
Th (03/03) MIDTERM
Week 8, March 8 & 10: Research Introduction.
An introduction to the methods of historical research, the establishment of a thesis, and the use of the Library for research.
Week 9 What Painting and Sculpture tell us about Human Nature and Gender in the Renaissance.
Tu (03/15) Hot, Dry Men, Cold, Wet Women, part 1.
Reading Assignment: Filipczak, Introduction, Chapters 1 & 2.
Written Assignment Due: Preliminary Choice of a Research Topic.
Th (03/17) Hot, Dry Men, Cold, Wet Women, part 2.
Reading Assignment: Filipczak, Chapters 3, 4, and 5.
SPRING BREAK
Week 10 A Renaissance Humanist Raises the Questions.
Tu (03/29) Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, part 1.
Reading Assignment: Selections from Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron
Written Assignment Due: Review Paper on Filipczak Themes.
Th (03/31) Decameron, part 2.
Reading Assignment: Selections from Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron
Written Assignment Due: Preliminary Bibliography of Primary and Secondary Sources.
Week 11 A Renaissance Woman Raises the Questions.
Tu (04/05) Christine de Pisan, part 1.
Reading Assignment: Selections from The City of Ladies.
Written Assignment Due: Review Paper on Boccaccio Themes.
Th (04/07) Christine de Pisan, part 2.
Reading Assignment: Selections from The City of Ladies.
Written Assignment Due: Progress Report on Research Project.
Week 12 Human Nature and the Gender of Politics in the Renaissance.
Tu (04/12) Machiavelli, part 1.
Reading Assignment: The Prince, Selections. (Available Online.)
Written Assignment Due: Review Paper on Pisan Themes.
Th (04/14) Machiavelli, part 2.
Reading Assignment: The Prince, Selections. (Available Online.)
Written Assignment Due: Progress Report Prior to Office Visit.
Week 13 Discussion of Research and Key themes in the Course.
Tu (04/19) No Class: Office Visits Scheduled with the Instructor.
Written Assignment Due: Full Outline of Research Paper with Complete Bibliography.
Th (04/21) Discussion of Research and Writing.
Week 14 Papers Exchanged.
Tu (04/26) No Class: Work on your papers!
Th (04/28) Student presentations and discussion of the personal research topics.
Written Assignment Due: Each student will submit four copies of a full draft of her or his research paper for peer review.
Week 15 Papers Returned.
Tu (05/03) Return of Research Papers.
Written Assignment Due: Return Corrected Drafts to their Authors.
FINAL EXAMINATION: Research Papers due no Later than the Beginning of the Designated Examination Time: 12:00 NOON ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 11
Supplementary Links
Readings for Week 2
Renaissance Idea of the Dignity of Man
Reading for Week 4
Selections from Joan Kelly-Gadol, "Did Women have a Renaissance?
Reading for Week 5
Halsall: The Experience of Homosexuality in the Middle Ages
Reading for Week 6
Richard Golden Article (Available through Campus Computers)
Link for Art Assignment, (due week 10)
Web Gallery of Art (Search Up Rubens, Samson and Delilah)