The Book of the Courtier was written by Baldassare Castiglione in 1528. He was inspired to write it by debates that occurred on what makes an ideal person. What he produced became a best seller as it presented an ideal now known as “Renaissance Man.” Undoubtedly few mortals succeeded in demonstrating all of the traits enumerated, but they did have something to aim at.

Your assignment is threefold: (1) Briefly, in under 200 words, summarize the characteristics of the “Renaissance Man.” (2) In under 200 words, what would be the characteristics of the ideal man at the beginning of the 21st century; that is, what virtues and personal attributes does your society advocate (3) How does Castiglione’s description of Renaissance Man illustrate the humanism of the period in which it was written?

Try the following web site: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~wew/fencing/papers/courtier-desc.html