Book Of The Courtier Analysis

Are we elite in 2016? The Book of the Courtier was published in 1528, by Baldassare Castiglione. The Courtier was written over the course of many years. Castiglione began writing the Courtier in 1508, and finished in 1516. Although the Courtier was written such a long time ago, it still relates to our society today. Baldassare Castiglione was one of the most significant people of this time. He was a diplomat at the court of the Duke of Urbino, but is most famous for his work during the Italian Renaissance. The Courtier served as a guide for Renaissance men and women, on how to better their wealth and social status, through education. The book itself describes the skills and roles that men and women needed to have in order to be achieve an

Elite Renaissance men and women play very different roles in society, they are almost opposite of one another. For example, Castiglione describes men as bold, energetic, and faithful; while he describes women as pure and fragile. These oppositions between men and women are a reoccurring theme throughout the Courtier. “Gentleman whose profession is arms, if ever in the least way he sullies himself through cowardice or other disgrace, always remains defiled before the world and covered with ignominy. Therefore, the more our Courtier excels in this art, the more will he merit praise.” (7-10). As described in this exert, men who practice the roles and skills described in the Courtier shall “merit praise.” According to, “The Merriam- Webster Dictionary,” the definition of merit is, “the quality of being good, important, or useful: value or worth.” Therefore a man who practices the qualities described in the Courtier, will be greatly valued in society. These particular lines in the Courtier probably made a lot of men at the time, question themselves and their own

In the Courtier, women are described as pure and fragile. A woman that is not pure and fragile is stained. The jobs of women in the Courtier included being a proper lady, but also being educated as well. During the Middle Ages, the only way to better yourself was through education. Most “elite” women during the Renaissance were educated, and acted proper and sophisticated. In today’s society, men and women desire to be the same as described in the Courtier. Most women desire a manly man. One who is bold, energetic, and faithful. While men desire a woman who is pure and fragile, but also someone who is as educated and faithful as himself. Although today things are very different, the skills and roles men and women desire to have are still the same. The lessons of the Courtier are necessary in achieving an elite society today. As described in the Courtier, education and effort are the key to becoming an elite individual, which is the same in todays society. Today education is one of the top priorities, not just in America, but all over the world. Education is the only way to achieve wealth, and wealth is the only way to achieve a higher social status. The main lesson of the Courtier is to teach men and women how to become elite, through education and effort. This lesson is still taught