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The Invention Of The Printing Press

Decent Essays

The invention of the printing press was a great influence on Renaissance culture and literature. Its inventor, Johannes Gutenberg said himself “like a star it shall scatter the darkness of ignorance and cause a light herefore unknown to shine amongst men” (Gutenberg, n.d.). By creating the market for the printed word, he paved the way for literature in the Renaissance. Gutenberg’s printing press single-handedly revolutionized the way stories were shared. He took the power of the word away from the wealthy and gave it to the greater population.
Before the Press:
Before the printing press was invented books were a scarce luxury. They were produced one at a time, meticulously copied by hand, usually by monks. This process took a very long time, which made them very expensive. These rare handmade books were held almost exclusively by the churches and a few wealthy nobles who could afford them. Since books were the primary source of knowledge and information, the lack of them caused the people to rely on the church for their information. This gave the church the power to deceive and manipulate people to benefit the church and themselves. No one questioned it, they merely accepted it as fact, since they had no other source of information with which to challenge the churches way of doing things.
Gutenberg:
Johannes Gutenberg was born in Mainz, Germany, although the exact date is unknown. Though he is recognized today, there is very little information about his life and what

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