Topic …
Golden age
Main Ideas …
With the playwrights Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides came the birth of serious drama in western culture, attracting thousands to see their masterful tragedies and comedies. Sculpture and painting both flourished and a great programme of public building was undertaken. Culminating in the magnificent temple of the Parthenon.
and Leonardo da Vinci rediscovered classical traditions. They aimed, like the Greeks before them, to create an ideal form of beauty based on nature. Brunelleschi’s breathtaking cathedral dome is just one example of the architectural splendor of Florence during this period
Why did this happen in Florence and not in other Italian cities like Milan, Genoa or Venice? One reason was that Florence was able to build on the cultural achievements of the previous century. The fourteenth century had not only produced great writers such as Petrarch and Dante but also was simply the richest city; its central position made it a major trading and industrial city. Florence was also the scene modern banking and accounting.
William Shakespeare from Stratford. The city was also undergoing an economic revolution as a centre of commerce with ships from London going all over the world. London was the home of the English court and the aristocracy, but traditional society was being revolutionized by the new money from trade. London was a place where fortunes could be made from trade. London was a place where fortunes could be made or lost. A new class was emerging, ready to spend to show their new status and looking for ways of enjoying themselves. Theatres like the Globe grew up outside the city to satisfy the demand for entertainment for both rich and poor. The London theatre was big business with companies of actors and playwrights like Shakespeare or Jonson who were celebrities in their time.