Major: Medieval and Renaissance Studies
“Go and catch a falling star,” sang Renaissance poet John Donne, but countless numbers think Perry Como invented the phrase.
Medieval and Renaissance studies majors are constantly finding the roots of the present in the past. Much of our legal system and ideas on human rights come from medieval and Renaissance times. And so do some of the world’s most moving art and literature, from Dante’s Divine Comedy to Leonardo da Vinci’s rendering of Mona Lisa’s mysterious smile.
Medieval and Renaissance studies majors examine the history, music, art, literature, politics, and archaeology of Europe and the Mediterranean from the 4th century to the 17th century. Some programs focus on either medieval times or the Renaissance while others cover both periods.
“A student in medieval and Renaissance studies should see herself or himself as an Indiana Jones of culture: an adventurer as well as an archaeologist, an explorer as well as an analyzer.”
Stephen M. Buhler, Professor of English, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Are You Ready To...?
- Read Don Quixote in the original Spanish
- Direct a student adaptation of King Lear
- Analyze the use of perspective in a painting by Masaccio
- Unravel the byzantine politics of the Byzantine empire
- Research the influence of Islam on medieval European culture
It Helps to Be...
Fascinated by history. You will be studying what others might see as dusty tomes and outdated ideas, but which really are windows into our not-so-distant past.
College Checklist
- What is the focus of the program? Does it concentrate on literature or history? Does it emphasize medieval or Renaissance studies?
- Does the college library have a good collection of primary and secondary research materials?
- Will you have to learn a foreign language?
- How many of the professors work for other departments?
- Will you have the chance to study abroad?
- Will you have the chance to research and write a senior thesis (long research paper)?
- Does the department sponsor cultural activities, such as concerts and theater performances?
Did You Know?
- The word crusade has negative connotations. It reminds too many of the bloody Crusades in medieval times and the conflict between Christianity and Islam.
Course Spotlight
In Introduction to Old English, typically a first- or second-year course, it may be strange at first to see familiar words spelled differently. However, you'll start with simple prose texts and quickly get used to the language. By the time you move on to great Anglo-Saxon works such as “The Wanderer” or “The Dream of the Rood,” you will even enjoy decoding its ancient secrets. Once you have mastered Old English, reading Chaucer and Shakespeare in upper-level courses will be much easier.
