The Influence Of The Gutenberg Press

Times are Changing The Renaissance was a time of discovery and exploration for its people. People became curious about the world around them. Idealistic governments were imagined instead of the present monarchies and absolute rulers. Literature was written to symbolize the problems in their current society. A new invention, The Gutenberg Press, allowed people to indirectly discuss these controversial issues across the globe. New ideas about government, science, and the arts paved the way for the modern world. During the Renaissance, many people spoke out against their monarchs in many ways in hopes of changing the government for the better. Voltaire, an author famous for writing Candide, wrote, ‘“We were asking if you do not tenderly love
the King of the Bulgarians”’ (853). In saying this, Voltaire is mocking kings. Voltaire is saying through his writing that kings are not some special human beings and everyone else has just as much rights as they do. His thoughts show the theme of equality for everyone. Kings had absolute power over their country and people. Many people during the Renaissance wanted to make their own decisions and rule themselves. Kings had been telling people that they had divine right, they were chosen by God to be in their position of power. Many were fed up with this excuse and did not believe it. This was one indirect way of speaking out against the monarchies. Today, people can govern themselves through democracies. If it had not been for Voltaire and many others speaking out against absolute power, more countries today might have been ruled by monarchies. The Gutenberg Press, a printing press from the early Renaissance, was one form of spreading new government ideas.
The Gutenberg Press drastically improved lifestyles. This scientific invention made it easier to produce massive amounts of books instead of writing individually each one by hand. One way people’s lifestyles changed was through reading. Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, wrote, “Of all those [writings] that he thus devoured none pleased him so well as the ones that had been composed by the famous Feliciano de Silva, whose lucid prose style and involved conceits were as precious to him as white pearls” (831). Cervantes is showing how important it was when people first began to read for pleasure in the Renaissance. Another thing his writings show is how people became more attached to earthly things such as books. Before this time, it was mostly useful knowledge for educational purposes in books. Also, this change represents how the Renaissance was a time of learning, but also a time of living comfortably and lavishly. The Gutenberg Press created this change in reading because books were easier to access. Also, when The Gutenberg Press was invented many people became literate. The Renaissance showed people that they do not have to live off the bare necessities. People can live comfortable lives and treat themselves to things such as reading a story. In our modern world people often curl up with a good book. People might not have this tradition today
if it was not for The Gutenberg Press. Many of these novels and epic poems created from The Gutenberg Press had hidden meanings.
These new forms of art were used to hint at rights for women. Sir Thomas More, the author of the novel Utopia, wrote, “…in Utopia, where everything belongs to everybody…” (800). More is saying that in this ideal society it does not matter what gender you are. In this Utopia no one has more rights than anybody else. Also, only men in this time period could own items and More wrote this as the idea of women owning items too. Basically, at this point in history, men owned women. The only thing given to a women was her husband’s title. If Sir Thomas More had just come out and wrote that women should be equal to men, people would disagree and not support his literature. This is showing how More was hinting at rights for women and how they should be equal to men. Today women and men have the same rights. Utopia helped shaped women and men equality for the modern
world. Gender equality was one of the many new ideas that emerged from the Renaissance. This modern world has been affected in lots of ways through the government, science, and the art of the Renaissance. Without the influence of the Renaissance, people today might have many different traditions and have a different lifestyle. People might not read books for personal enjoyment or be able to influence decisions in their government. Also, women still might not have equal rights with men if it was not for the small hints at this issue through the literature of this time period. Hopefully today’s society will have a positive impact on the future such as the Renaissance did for the modern world.