House of Plantagenet

The war of the roses was a series of civil wars between the House of York and the House of Lancaster for the throne of England. Both families were families of the House of Plantagenet, which was a royal house that originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The emblem of membership worn by the York’s war a white rose and a red rose for the Lancastrians in turn the war was named the war of the roses. In 1422 Henry VI became Kind of England and thank to his father’s (Henry V) war success he was also King of France. Though he was the son of Henry V, a good king, Henry VI was a weak ruler with little interest in politics and had little ambition. With this, his court was not well and throughout his realm the door was opened for power hungry…

“His deputy anointed in His sight, / Hath caused his death, the which if wrongfully, / Let heaven revenge, for I may never lift / An angry arm against his minister.” (1.2.38-41). This is the first concrete example of King Richard’s loss of power. John of Gaunt says to the Duchess of Gloucester that he refuses to exact revenge against Richard, even though Richard is probably behind the murder of his brother and her husband Gloucester, because Gaunt still believes that Richard was appointed to the…

The Early Middle Ages are commonly referred to by historians as the “Dark Ages”, due to several factors, including the lack of written documents that would reveal important details about the lives of people during this time, as well as the state of political unrest and civil uprising that was at play, because of the recent collapse of the Roman Empire in Western Europe. This was a time during which nations and alliances were constantly forming and shifting, resulting in many wars and battles.…

At the beginning of the play, Sir Thomas More is described as a leader who lead others with great sincerity. For instance, More tries to direct Rich to become a better version of himself. A specific example is shown in page 7, when Rich bitterly responds “A teacher!” and More consequently replies to Rich’s reaction:“ A man should go where he won't be tempted.”. It is clear that Rich thinks very little of becoming a teacher because it is a low ranked job, but More, as an honest leader, realizes…

In Elizabeth Browning’s pleading letter to Napoleon III, Elizabeth uses many rhetorical devices in order to convince the Emperor of France to pardon Hugo. She flatters His Majesty Napoleon III in an attempt to win his goodwill. Second, she uses syntax in order to create an intelligent letter. Finally, she thoroughly explains her purposes to Napoleon. Thus using flattery, syntax, and logos, Browning was able to effectively persuade Napoleon III to pardon Hugo,had of course he sent the letter.…

During the seventeenth century in England, a great battle for power was taking place throughout the country. William Shakespeare captures this epic battle for power through his tragic play Macbeth. This play takes place in 11th century Scotland and is a story about a Thane called Macbeth, his rise to power and his fall. Throughout the play we see hints of whose fault it is for the actions and eventual downfall of Macbeth. Macbeth is responsible for the death of King Duncan and his fellow people…

For The Burghers of Calais, the intended audience was those who commissioned the work — the town council of Calais, France, to commemorate the bravery of local heroes — as well as the citizens of Calais where the sculpture is displayed. During the 11-month siege of Calais in 1347, with dwindling food and water, six of the city’s leaders offered themselves as hostages to English King Edward III in exchange for the freedom of the city. King Edward III accepted the offer, ordering the men to…

This chronicle of the third crusade is controversial, despite its accuracy and the many details it contains. There is indeed a dispute over who wrote it and when. Nonetheless, the depiction of Richard I in the text is absolutely laudatory. Richard is presented as the perfect knight, from the most noble birth, with a perfect complexion, outstanding military skills and a genuine piety. Next to this model of perfection, the French king, Philip II, is almost invisible. This chronicle is thus an…

The Tudor Dynasty reigned over England after the War of the Roses, a bloody succession crisis ending with Henry VII, the first Tudor, becoming King of England. The Tudors reigned from 1485 to 1603, and despite their long reign the time in English History was rife with dramatic change and disorder that shaped the British Isles for centuries to come, with no small part owed to the Tudors. However, the Tudors reign or socio-economic causes for change and subsequent disorder must be evaluated. For…

Children always like to be the knight that will slay the dragon. They will imagine traveling to the mythical dragon’s lair and slaughter the dragon to be the most beloved and famous knight in all the land. The things they do not realize are that dragons never existed and knights did a lot more than save the fair maiden in the land. Knights would go on military expeditions, discuss politics, and bring order to the land. It took a lot to be a famous knight in the tough times of the middle ages.…