How Did The Black Death Affect Society

The Black Death impacted Europe both socially and economically. This plague altered Europe’s art, faith and everyday peasant lifestyle. During the onslaught of death, art and literature took a dark turn to reflect the epic pandemic. Not only that but people's faith in God was also tested as people believed that he was abandoning them or even the cause of the Black Death itself. Additionally lifestyle of everyday peasants was changed as worker’s wages were also affected due to the disease as there were less workers and more job opportunities for the surviving Serfs to take advantage of. The Black Death shook Europe and impacted it in both social and economic ways - art, faith and peasant lifestyle being no exception.

First off, art and literature during the spread of the Black Death was largely impacted. Instead of its usual positive religious meanings, the arts turned toward expressing themes of death and suffering. For example, many pieces of art depicted smiling devils attacking helpless victims of the plague as God watches from above them. The literature was also shifted from its religious origins- most people who had the education to be able to write mostly used it to
But once the Black Death overcame Europe, many of those who once turned to their faith for assistance began to actually turn away from it. One example of this is that many believed that God was mercilessly punishing the people in the cities with the Black Death in order to pay for their sins on Earth. Some others even believed it wasn’t God himself but that their prayers were falling on deaf ears and that God had forsaken them. Overall Europeans’ faith in God and the Church that had once promised protection for them was severely judged and questioned during the Black Death pandemic and it left many civilians feeling a great deal of despair and frustration at the world around