One of the biggest names known for Renaissance writing was William Shakespeare. The majority of his writings were wonderful satirical tragedies that were based around the concepts of love, lust, politics and religion---all of which were undergoing big changes. It was during this time that Shakespeare wrote and had performed several of what are today known as classics: "Romeo and Juliet", "Macbeth" and "Hamlet." The plays were originally written in French, and later translated so to be accessible in many languages.
The biggest change in religion was that of a small, God-fearing boy who by this time had grown up to be rebelliously anti-Christian. Martin Luther had rejected the Christian faith, and created his own Lutheran faith. Known as the Protestant Reformation, Luther was not very well liked because of the ruckus he was causing at the Vatican when he decided to create and post his Ninety-Five Theses. Luther was exiled for some time for his acts, but still kept in touch with his followers daily. When he would return, he would be greeted by almost 10 times as many followers as when he left.
The culture was rocked when what was once a modest form of art turned into something that was severely frowned upon. Artists like Michelangelo began painting pictures of nude women and men, and was the cause of a large scandal when he revealed the now famed "Michelangelo's David," the statue of a man with his genitals showing. It was also around this time that Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. This would to become the most marveled piece in the history of art, and consisted of several dozen nude men.
It was the time when women stayed covered up and men would never be caught showing any part of their body to the public. The Renaissance shook the culture with changes in literature, religion and art. As frowned upon as these changes were at the time, they eventually led to several revolutions and the world we live in today. Many of the works that were produced during the Renaissance are still seen widely in museums, galleries and art auctions today.