The Crusades were journeys undertaken, in accomplishment of a divine pledge, to transport the Holy Places from Mohammedan totalitarianism. Most of the Crusades were sanctioned by the Pope in the name of Christendom. The crusades originally had the goal of retaking Jerusalem and the "holy" land from muslim control.
Thomas Becket benefited from the status his parents possessed. He was sent to Paris to undergo his education. After that he was sent to England where he joind the household of theobold. Theobold introduced him to the king and the two of them became friends. When Theobold died Thomas took his place as Archbishop. Thomas was hindering the growth of power Henry had envisioned when he appointed him. His allegiance to the church overpowered his allegiance to the king. The king got angry and said, "What sluggards, what cowards have I brought up in my court, who care nothing for their allegiance to their lord. Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest." Well it just so happened that there were four knights ready to oblige him. One cold december night they found him and he fled. They caught him at the alter and struck him with their swords and ended his life. It is said that there was conversation between the knights and Thomas. A monk claims to have heard them talking just before the knights killed Mr. becket, but conformation of the is still unknown.
The magna carta was the most significant early influence on the extensive historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law today. It was one of the most important things to happen to democracy in history. It was the Influence for the constitution as well as the Declaration of Independence. It was originally written because of disagreements between Pope Innocent III and King John.
The black death was one of the most deadly pandemics in history. Starting in southwestern Asia it spread to Europe in the late 1340s. Worldwide the plague killed 75 million people worldwide. It wiped out almost two-thirds of Europe's population. There were Three interrelated forms fof the disease. There was the one that attacked the respiratory system, one that attacked the blood system, and one that caused lesions and tumors all over your body.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Beowulf
When I first started reading Beowulf It was hard to stay focused and I really didn't understand it, so I read over it again. I still found the beginning boring, however, but I did begin to become increasingly interested once I read a little deeper. The more I read it the more I got into the story.
I found the writing style a little hard to comprehend, but I think over all Beowulf was a story of courage, honor and dignity. I liked the fact that he had never met the king but was willing to travel harsh, unforgiving waters to help him defeat a monster of epic proportion. This demonstrates a charcteristic that the anglo saxons also admired. A characteristic called courage.
Beowulf demonstrates courage throughout the story. When facing Grendel he uses no weapon, just his bare hands. I think this compares to a story of a hero who is also well known. His name is Bruce Lee and he too was a man of honor and courage. The excerpt I am comparing this too is when Beowulf takes on Grendel. "The mighty one, Beowulf, watched, waiting to see how that wicked one would go about starting. Nor did the wretch delay, but set about seizing a sleeping warrior unawares and bit into his bone locks, drinking the streams of blood,then swallowing huge morsels of flesh. Quickly he ate that man,even to his hands and feet. Forward Grendel came,stepping nearer. Then he reached for Beowulf. Beowulf grasped his arm and sat up. The criminal knew he had not meti n this middle-earth another with such a grip. Grendel's spirit was afraid and his heart eager to get away, to flee to his hiding place, flee to the devils he kept for company. Never had he met a man such as this."
The part of the story that stuck out to me the most, however, was Beowulf and the dragon. I think it stuck out the most because I found it intriguing how brave he still was even though he was an old man. Another reason that this stuck out to me was that I was suprised in the lack of courage in his soldiers. Earlier in the story they were willing to travel to a distant land and fight a deadly monster, yet when asked to face a dragon years later they lost faith in their leader because of his age.
Beowulf was a story of honor, courage, and morale. You can tell this because of the fact that he was willing to travel the untamed seas to defend a man he did not personally know. He faced perilous monsters with his bare hands. Beowulf was a courageous hero and later a corageous king, and even though by the end he was dead, he was forever remembered as a true hero.
I found the writing style a little hard to comprehend, but I think over all Beowulf was a story of courage, honor and dignity. I liked the fact that he had never met the king but was willing to travel harsh, unforgiving waters to help him defeat a monster of epic proportion. This demonstrates a charcteristic that the anglo saxons also admired. A characteristic called courage.
Beowulf demonstrates courage throughout the story. When facing Grendel he uses no weapon, just his bare hands. I think this compares to a story of a hero who is also well known. His name is Bruce Lee and he too was a man of honor and courage. The excerpt I am comparing this too is when Beowulf takes on Grendel. "The mighty one, Beowulf, watched, waiting to see how that wicked one would go about starting. Nor did the wretch delay, but set about seizing a sleeping warrior unawares and bit into his bone locks, drinking the streams of blood,then swallowing huge morsels of flesh. Quickly he ate that man,even to his hands and feet. Forward Grendel came,stepping nearer. Then he reached for Beowulf. Beowulf grasped his arm and sat up. The criminal knew he had not meti n this middle-earth another with such a grip. Grendel's spirit was afraid and his heart eager to get away, to flee to his hiding place, flee to the devils he kept for company. Never had he met a man such as this."
The part of the story that stuck out to me the most, however, was Beowulf and the dragon. I think it stuck out the most because I found it intriguing how brave he still was even though he was an old man. Another reason that this stuck out to me was that I was suprised in the lack of courage in his soldiers. Earlier in the story they were willing to travel to a distant land and fight a deadly monster, yet when asked to face a dragon years later they lost faith in their leader because of his age.
Beowulf was a story of honor, courage, and morale. You can tell this because of the fact that he was willing to travel the untamed seas to defend a man he did not personally know. He faced perilous monsters with his bare hands. Beowulf was a courageous hero and later a corageous king, and even though by the end he was dead, he was forever remembered as a true hero.
I believe that Beowulf's death made him even more valiant than he was to begin with. He was a man of old age but with the same courage of his youth. He was completely confident in his battle with the dragon. It also gave honor to the kingdom of which he was the representative for, so to speak. He restored the confidence of his people.
I do also believe that the cowardice his men showed in the face of battle was unexcusable. The dragon almost wasn't killed. The dragon wouldn't have been killed if it weren't for the loyalty of one soldier. Wiglaf showed great courage and loyalty to his leader that day. The two warriors took down the foul dragon and it was that act of loyalty that justified Beowulf's death.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)