Castiglione and the True Renaissance Man

Castiglione believed that in order for someone to be considered an accomplished Renaissance man they must have the ability to tell an amusing story. Castiglione expressed that in order to tell an amusing story which would achieve the desired effects upon the audience, one must possess intellectual flexibility. During the Renaissance, books were not readily available as they are today, and therefore the public was dependent upon the communication skills of talented individuals to provide entertainment. Because entertainment was dependent upon superior communication skills, Castiglione felt the possession of cognitive astuteness and social competence were the requirements to be considered an accomplished Renaissance man.

Surely the ability to tell a funny story could not be the only requirement to be considered a true Renaissance man. Did Castiglione forget about all of the performers and the artists whose artifacts of the Renaissance exist and have become widely famous and are studied in colleges all over the world? So I must respectfully disagree with Castiglione because his Renaissance men are not around today to be heard and experienced by countless generations, but the artifacts of the musicians and artists have endured the restraints of time and privileged us with their true Renaissance art.

Response to Question 1 of Week 2

Anglo Saxon women played a role in the performance of cultural texts by supporting their men through theatrical performances on the sidelines of the battlefield. These women supported their men by providing feedback and encouragement in regards to their performance on the battlefield. The Anglo Saxon women served as witnesses by “reflecting and projecting mirrors which confirmed and incited the actions of men” (Dwight Conquergood). Additionally, women possessed the power to alter the course of events when the men were wavering in battle by offering dramatic theatrical performances of “rape and plunder” as a forewarning of the misery felt after losing battle (Dwight Conquergood). These horrific performances united the men and helped them to find courage within their fear of losing the women.



For the Anglo Saxon people, performance served the rhetorical function of transmitting cultural knowledge about their origins, their cultural identity, and their intransience. The men served as agents of motivation and solidarity as they told heroic tales of their quests and achievements. The males also served as vehicles of intimidation for the enemy. The women, on the other hand, assisted in maintaining cultural knowledge by providing perpetual support for the men by confirming male egos and by providing them with response and critique of their actions. The women also kept the memory of the fallen men alive by succumbing to their grief in a public manner.



The Anglo-Saxon men and women both contributed equally in regards to maintaining and sustaining cultural knowledge by affecting a sense cohesion and communitas among the people. However, women were viewed very highly by the Anglo-Saxon people because of the importance of the supportive, honest, and devoted female role. The men may not have been as successful or the people as united, if the women did not perform their important sympathetic role in the community.