During the 16th Century the renaissance and the reformation both had a major impact on Europe, this was due to the liberties and new ideas that produced changes in the society. Source 1 concentrates more on the effect the renaissance had whereas Source 2 concentrate more on the reformation and its effects. These however are not the only factors that contributed the ‘new age’ which was being formed, for example other key turning points would be international relations in regards to commerce as well as overseas exploration.
In Source 1 it states that there was a ‘regeneration of cultural values’ this helps to support that the renaissance did have a massive effect in Europe as it was down to those values mentioned in Source 1. It highlights that there was a mass movement in cultural ideas throughout Europe at the time as many people’s view on society and cultural was changing. The infusion of new ideas had the biggest effect on the people in the middle class as out of everyone they cared the most about what others thought of them and whether or not they were doing the ‘right’ thing for that time period. Examples of the new ideas presented where shown through architecture, art and fashion. The change is backed up by Source 1 further as Morris expresses the ideas of the rebirth of ‘standards that had lain dormant since the fall of Rome’ this implies that the so called ‘new’ ideologies that are being formed aren’t so new, that in fact they are the thoughts expressed during the Roman period. Before the ‘new age’ that was forming England had been in the ‘dark age’ a period of time that had no new advancements in any form e.g. through fashion, technology, art, architecture, beliefs etc. As result any small change would seem much more significant due to the long period of nothing new. Therefore Henry VIII massive change in outlook on politics and government compared to his