¶ … distinguishes the Renaissance from the Middle Ages lies in the sociological movements that defines each era. While there are certainly differences in almost every aspect of life - from art to theology - the two eras share common ground in that without one, there would not exist the other. The era of feudalism that dominated the Middle Ages formed civilizations, communities and bonded like-minded families together. Territorial boundaries were drawn and each nation began creating it's own identity. Identities that were largely dependent upon location which determined agricultural capabilities, architecture, religion, and to some extent, leadership structure.

From this sense of community and working for the good of the people and the government that oversees that community, came the individuality and the humanistic values that dominated the Renaissance. With roots well-planted and generations of families growing up in the same house, in the same country, doing the same thing their forefathers had done for two centuries or more before them, a sense of stability was provided. This gave people the foothold to challenge themselves, stereotypes and the powers-that-be. The age of exploration was born.

Overall, the greatest difference between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance could be determined to be individualistic attitude. On a smaller scale, this shift had a dramatic effect on almost every aspect of life.

Instead of...

The knowledge that was then gained was then more readily shared with the advent of the printing press. Learning was no longer for nobles alone. This also opened up the doors to learn about other cultures.
Shared information and improved communication lead to increased curiosity which lead to diversified thought about religion. Fatalism and the thought that God or gods control everything fell away to reason and logic. People became aware that their own course of action largely affected their daily lives.

This era of mind expansion also influenced artists who explored new boundaries. In place of the two-dimensional symbolistic design that is emblematic of the Middle Ages, much more depth and perspective was employed by the imaginative creators of the Renaissance era. This was also evident in aural artistic represenations as well as visual and tangible works of art.

Although the Middle Ages was immediately followed by the Renaissance, these two time periods are vastly different and embody their own characteristics. Should a Renaissance man have been dropped into medieval times, he would have been thought insane. Likewise, if a woman from the Middle Ages had been dropped into the Renaissance era, she would have thought either she or the rest…