HUM 2 Lecture Notes - Lecture 28: Harsh Times
Document Summary
Naples - monarchy with a king; strong social hierarchy based on family. Florence - republic run by commercial class; class based on money. Was working in the bank business with his father. Father tried to provoke him to go to law school. Finally got to work in literature (quit the banking business for literature) Banking business collapsed, and so his father and him had to go back to florence and live through some harsh times. Spent the rest of his life living relatively poor, but still loved what he was doing. The basis of power was shifting from family -> money. Families had to marry off their daughters to merchants so they could have a better life and the merchants could cover up for them. Son of an aristocratic mother catches his wife with a string tied to another lover. Mother goes on a racket, praising her daughter and insulting the son.
