Final answer:
Commoners were depicted as unsophisticated and hardworking, often to emphasize societal hierarchies and maintain the status quo by reinforcing the perceived natural social order.
Step-by-step explanation:
Commoners were often portrayed as unsophisticated, uneducated, and hardworking individuals in historical literature and art. These depictions served to reinforce the societal hierarchies that were prevalent at the time.
The portrayal emphasized the differences between the elite classes and common people. Commoners were also often depicted as virtuous in their simplicity, or sometimes as comic figures, depending on the context and the message the art or literature was trying to convey.
One reason for these portrayals was to maintain the social status quo by highlighting the perceived natural order of society. The elites, who were often the patrons of the arts and literature, would preserve their power and justify their social prominence by promoting these stereotypes. By consistently depicting common people in this way, the ruling classes sought to legitimize their own authority and discourage challenges to the established hierarchy.