Curated OER
Writing Exercise: Renaissance I
Learners compose answers to three questions related to the rise of the Renaissance. They will compare and contrast the Renaissance to the Medieval Period, consider why ideas from classical civilizations reemerged, and think about the...
Harvard University
The Chaucer Page: Giovanni Boccaccio
From Harvard's Chaucer Page, a brief sketch on Boccaccio mainly focusing on his influence on Chaucer.
Authors Calendar
Author's Calendar: Kirjasto: Lope De Vega: Father of Spanish Drama
Biographical essay on Lope de Vega, the most respected playwright of Renaissance Spain. Features extensive personal information and a bibliography of de Vega's plays and other works.
Luminarium
Luminarium: Henry Viii (1491 1547)
Part of a larger site on Renaissance literature contains links to many biographies of Henry VIII. Includes a compilation of works written by Henry VIII.
Other
Houston Southwest College: Marlowe Literary Page
Good resource if you want a little bit of everything on Marlowe: biography, "Dr. Faustus" text, bibliography, and more!
Columbia University
Columbia University: Digital Dante
Learn all about Dante Alighieri, the Italian poet and author of "The Divine Comedy." Includes a biography and a timeline of his life and work.
University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide: The Divine Comedy
Conveniently divided into Hell, Purgatory and Paradise, this site allows one to read Dante's classic poem online, or download the text. Illustrations appear when the text is read online.
City University of New York
Yale Univ.:cervantes and Modern Latin American Narrative
Essay by Yale professor Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria that closely investigates the literary style of Cervantes' most famous work, "Don Quixote". A very comprehensive essay.
Luminarium
Luminarium: Middle English Literature (1350 1485)
Listed as Medieval literature, you can find authors from the 14th and 15th centuries here, as some are considered Renaissance writers. Excellent resource with links to extensive info on the writers including Chaucer, Langland, and Gawain.
Other
Le Poulet Gauche Bibliography/ronsard's Works
Short bio on Ronsard with links to selected sonnets and poems. Scroll down to see the English translations.
Other
Shakespeare Resource Center: Shakespeare the Man
Bio of Shakespeare which discusses the mystery of his life: the authorship of his works and lack of records for him. Other biographical links contained as well as page on his works.
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Toronto: Selected Shakespeare Poems
Not only is Shakespeare famous for his plays, but for his sonnets and songs, as well. View his poems here, including "The Phoenix and the Turtle", "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day", and other sonnets.
Other
Uwm Libraries: All About William Shakespeare
University of Wisconsin's "Classic Text: Traditions and Interpretations" takes you through page after page of interesting, easy-to-read information regarding Shakespeare's life and works. Excellent resource.
Authors Calendar
Author's Calendar: Cervantes
Informative biography on the Spanish Renaissance playwright and author of "Don Quixote." Includes excerpts from several of his works.
Authors Calendar
Author's Calendar: William Shakespeare
Nice, concise info on Shakespeare's life and works including quotes and bibliography.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Shakespeare Life and Times
[Free Registration/Login Required] This is an engaging flipchart depicting the life and times of William Shakespeare. You will learn the time line of plays, how plays were printed, and see pictures of presses and understand the...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Renaissance: Printing and Thinking
Focus on the emergence of the printing press and bookmaking. Humanism and other new philosophies of the Renaissance mentioned as well. Also, check out other links to learn more.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: What Machiavellian Really Means
From Shakespeare's plays to modern TV dramas, the unscrupulous schemer for whom the ends always justify the means has become a familiar character type we love to hate. Pazit Cahlon and Alex Gendler investigate the origins of the term,...
British Library
British Library: Discovering Literature: Histories
From the staging of disability to the influence of Machiavelli, explore the history plays of Shakespeare and other Renaissance writers.
British Library
British Library: Discovering Literature: Elizabethan England
Exploration and trade, crime and punishment, clothing and social structure: explore key aspects of Elizabethan life, culture, and society.
Steven Kreis, PhD
The History Guide: Gargantua and Pantagruel
This site is from a lecture in modern European intellectual history at The History Guide and gives a brief overview of Francois Rabelais along with an excerpt from his famous work, "Gargantua and Pantagruel."
University of Notre Dame
Ital Net: Renaissance Dante in Print: Chronology of Dante Alighieri (1265 1321)
One page chronology of important events in Dante's life.
Other
Self knowlege.com: Works of Shakespeare
Listing of links from SelfKnowlege.com to texts of selected Shakespeare works including "Romeo and Juliet", "Macbeth", "Sonnet to Sundry Notes of Music", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and many more. Over 40 titles. Also contains...
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli
Read the full text of "The Prince" by Nicolo Machiavelli. This political treatise is said to be one of the first works of modern political philosophy.