Throughout the time during the 14th to 17th century the Renaissance occurred and developed. Prior to the Renaissance was the Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages where cultural and economic aspects were known to have declined and deteriorated. The writing in that period was noticeably different than the writing that came out of the renaissance period. Art and sculptures were also known to be very gothic and in comparison to art that emerged from the renaissance it seemed to convey and communicate way less. In the Middle Ages writing and literature was not as original and creative since writers wrote stories or folktales that they heard or were passed down. In addition to this writers did not really take credit or sign their works. Literature from the Middle Ages was mostly focused on religion and Christianity and these folktales/fantasies, while the emergence of the Renaissance allowed for the writing to be more expressive of individuality and humanism. Renaissance writing even became what it was with the help of the printing press which emerged in this period as well. It helped spread literature to the masses in an efficient manner. The Renaissance era was a period where lots of growth occurred in many areas and aspects and this technology assisted with the improvement in the quality of literature.