William The Conqueror Ideology

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During William the Conqueror’s childhood, his father, Duke of Normandy, had gone on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and died, leaving William to become his successor. As he became the new Duke of Normandy, he faced trouble with the other Dukes who wanted to be in power. This resulted in William gaining complete power over Normandy after fighting with the other dukes. William the Conqueror exploited people for their loyalty, which resulted in the Bayeux Tapestry only exemplifying his positive attributes.
William took control over England by using tactics and strategies that were underhanded. As his first tactic of gaining the throne, William rescued Harold, the right hand man of King Edward, who happened to be the King of England at that time, only
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The story was considered an account of betrayal and treachery because it labeled Harold as a traitor and it made William look like a hero as it only illustrated the good sides about William. Odo, William’s half-brother, who had been appointed earldom by William, ordered the tapestry and being the half-brother of William, Odo, was a little bias and felt compelled to make William seem heroic. Odo wanted to make William look exceptional in the story because he believed that if he made William look corrupt, his earldom would be taken away. Odo was also a big part of the church, so he might have been shunned or removed from his position in the church if he went against William. The Bayeux Tapestry is often referred to as a secular “chanson de geste”, which translates to song of heroic deeds. This exemplifies the bias found in the Bayeux Tapestry and the story it tells. Although the Bayeux Tapestry is gorgeous and tells a beautiful story, part of the truth is hidden in order to make it beautiful.
Though the Bayeux Tapestry illustrates a wonderful story, it is also important to know that it is only one piece of the story. Since it is only one-sided, it could also be seen as a propaganda/excuse for William’s actions because it only shows his positive attributes and never mentions any negative attributes. The Tapestry also has a missing piece, which could be a different piece of the story

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