What were the characteristics of style for the Middle Ages and Renaissance?

Middle Ages - the biggest patron of the arts was the Church. So most art (music, literature, art) was religious themed. Passion plays (theatre performed in the streets about famous biblical stories - mostly Christ's death and resurrection) originated in France and spread throughout Europe. Literature also depicted religious elements. A famous Middle Ages work is Chaucer's Cantebury Tales, involving a pilgrimage to a famous holy site. Art was usually dark-themed. Things were not drawn to scale (horses would be taller than trees, etc). Mostly depictions of saints lives and biblical stories. Music mostly written for the Church. Lots of chants. Public music was usually never written down and sung on the spot by bards.

Renaissance - shift in wealth. Wealthy merchants and nobles can afford to be patrons of the arts. All arts become more secular. Art takes on lighter themes - love, especially (romantic and otherwise). Theatre emerges as well as opera. Some of the greatest literary pieces are written during the Renaissance including (Paradise Lost, Shakespeare's sonnets, Petrach, Divine Comedy, etc.) Music became more complex and was written down. The Guttenburg printing press was invented and as a result, books became more widely available and literacy rose.

In a nut shell-

Middle Ages - Christian-centered, dark-themed, not widely distributed

Renaissance - Secular, multi-thematic, widely distributed.

I hope this helps. It might be a bit confusing.

Dark Ages Art

Watch a Kenneth Brannaugh Shakespeare film or go to a Reconnaissance Faire already! Jeez! Do you kids ever leave the home?!?!