Venezuelan Personalities: Contributions to Science, Art, and Literature
Venezuelan Personalities
Rafael Rangel (Medical Research)
Rafael Rangel was born on April 25, 1877, in Betijoque, Trujillo State. One of his professors was Dr. José Gregorio Hernández, whom he considered a master. Rangel’s economic situation as a student was very difficult; he slept in a hallway at the University of San Francisco on a door supported by two barrels of cement. His life was dedicated entirely to research. He dedicated himself to the study of anatomy, histology, bacteriology, medical
Read MoreReality, Poetry, and Themes in The House of Bernarda Alba
Reality and Poetry in The House of Bernarda Alba
In The House of Bernarda Alba, Lorca combines reality and poetry. The work transcends the boundaries of realism. However, characters, situations, and space are all viewed from a poetic dimension: exaggeration, the marked differences between old Angus and Pepe among the Romans, and the structuring of the work. We see a level of poetization of reality. Lorca’s greatest merit is having integrated poetic language into the speech of the characters, making
Read MoreDon Quixote: Analysis of Cervantes’ Masterpiece
Don Quixote: Cervantes’ Enduring Legacy
Don Quixote, in two parts: Part One: The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605). Part Two: The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote de la Mancha (1615). In 1614, Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda published an apocryphal Part 2: Second volume of The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Cervantes addressed this continuation in his true second part.
Sources and Influences
- The farce of the Romances: The farmer Bartolo goes mad reading romances.
- Novels of
Renaissance Literature: Key Figures and Characteristics
Renaissance Literature: Characteristics and Key Figures
General Characteristics of the Renaissance
- Exaltation of the Classical World: Recovery of Greco-Roman culture (mythology, classical canon of beauty, proportion, balance, naturally).
- Anthropocentrism and Individualism: Sense of security and self-assertion. Man is the greatest achievement of creation, above nature.
- Nature: Critical and rational look toward nature.
- Religious Spirit: Counter-Reformation and new approaches emerge to renew the religious
Greek Influence on Roman Culture: Conquest and Legacy
Greek Influence on Roman Culture
The southern Italian peninsula and Sicily were colonized by the Greeks, who designated one of these territories Magna Graeca. Its cultural influence was enormous in all fields of knowledge and art. Starting with a “loan” from its script, which gave rise to the Etruscan alphabet, and indirectly through contacts with primitive Roman civilization, it also led to the Latin (or Roman) alphabet, which we use today.
The Subjection of Greece
Greek contact with the world grew
Read MoreAncient Iberia: Settlers, Colonizers, and Roman Conquest
The First Settlers: Iberia
The first settlers in Iberia arrived centuries before Christ. Various tribes from North Africa inhabited the small state, engaging in farming, grazing, and metalworking. Their cultures differed; those in contact with the coast were influenced by the Phoenicians and Greeks, developing advanced civilizations, while others lagged behind. They worshipped stars and spirits.
Tartessians
The Tartessians, of unknown origin, lived in the southern part of the peninsula. Around 500
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