Ayelet Personage assignment

Ayelet Schorr

In my opinion, the two most important people of the Renaissance were William Shakespeare and Michelangelo Buonarroti, because of their lasting impact on the world.  Shakespeare revolutionized the sonnet, particularly the sonnet cycle.  He also added so many words to the modern English language.  Michelangelo created masterpieces like the David and the Pieta.  The David in particular was revolutionary during the Renaissance, since Michelangelo made a Biblical figure as beautiful as any Greek god. Though of course there were many important people who made contributions to the Renaissance, none are as famous as Shakespeare and Michelangelo.  The reason these two are so well known is because of how they affected the culture even after their generation.  Even today, we use the words and phrases that Shakespeare invented, and the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, is still known worldwide.  People still study Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, and Michelangelo is still considered one of the greatest artists of all time.  I think the fact that their works are still known today makes them the most important out of all the great people of the Renaissance, because though that time period is over, people are still well aware of its occurrence because of those two men.  In addition, students are still learning about Shakespeare and Michelangelo, which ensures that their legacies will remain for many generations to come. Though many people impacted the Renaissance during its time, none kept it alive until this day like Shakespeare and Michelangelo.