| Papers [1-14] of 100 :: [Page 1 of 8] | | Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 —> | Search results on "MIDDLE AGES": |
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Almsgiving in the Middle Ages, 2007.
A look at the alleviation of poverty through almsgiving during the Middle Ages.
1,675 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 6 sources, MLA, £ 37.95
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Abstract
This paper relates that monastic almsgiving during the Middle Ages played a key role in alleviating the effects of poverty in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The paper then explores how the practice of monastic almsgiving changed during the Middle Ages, noting that monastic institutions always sought to relieve need in the middle ages, but the extent to which they absolutely and relatively provided aid to the poor varied as the Middle Ages progressed. More specifcally, the paper relates that almsgiving moved away from unqualified handouts, in the effort to relieve the worst excesses of need, to more limited alms.
From the Paper
"Famine was a persistent problem for a majority of the medieval peasant population. It contributed massively to poverty in the middle ages, as those peasants who suffered from famine had few provisions to survive, especially if famine occurred in concurrent years. Here we see exceptional charity provided by the clergy and monasteries in times of desperate need during recurrent famine of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. For instance the Bishop of Norwich, in 1258, had during a famine given 'all his money, for the benefit of the poor."
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Ideals of the Middle Ages, 2001.
This paper compares St. Augustine's 'City of God' to the code of chivalry in the Middle Ages.
725 words (approx. 2.9 pages), 0 sources, MLA, £ 17.95
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Abstract
This paper compares the rules and theories set forth by St. Augustine to those followed by citizens of the Middle Ages who sought to be chivalrous. It studies both codes which represent the pinnacle of Medieval society. It describes the many classes in the Middle Ages including The Feudal Class, the Religious Class and more. It includes an historical overview of the Middle Ages and the spread of Christianity at the time.
From the Paper
"It is interesting to note that St. Augustine?s City of God was written in the Fifth Century, which is generally considered to be the onset of the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages gained notoriety and expanded mainly due to the spread of Christianity. St. Augustine?s Christian beliefs, coupled with the chivalric code, seemed to serve the theoretical basis for the foundation that the Middle Ages were built on.
"The order of the chivalric code and St. Augustine?s rules also show the importance of religion in society. St. Augustine?s code begins with the general statement, ?Before all else, dear brothers, love God and then your neighbor, because these are the chief commandments given to us.? This general plea not only serves as the precursor for St. Augustine?s code, but would not be out of place if it was written right before the code of chivalry. There are many aspects of the chivalric code which support the general statement made by St. Augustine. They include, ?thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone? and ?thou shalt love the country in the which thou wast born.? These two elements of the code of chivalry note that commoners should respect their neighbors and the country in which they live."
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Theater of the Middle Ages, 2006.
This paper examines the misconceptions of theater of the High Middle Ages.
2,179 words (approx. 8.7 pages), 16 sources, MLA, £ 46.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the revival of theater in Europe, beginning in the tenth century, as inspired and sponsored by the Catholic Church. The writer examines how historians now consider the High Middle Ages as the third major theatrical era in Western history. The paper further illustrates how major dramatic forms were connected with the church, its rituals, and its calendar of religious observances. The author explains the importance of these dramas , which included making church services more appealing and teaching scriptural history to the masses. The three types of plays that came out of the High Middle Ages are presented. The author concludes by arguing that drama other than that associated with the Church did exist at this time, influencing theater in the Late Middle Ages and even today.
From the Paper
"Since Plato's The Republic, the depiction of art, particularly theatre, has been treated as a secondary if not inconsequential chronicle and portrayal of any given era. Nowhere is this more clearly illustrated than during the Middle Ages, where the major dramatic forms, if they existed at all and if they could be called theatre, could only be performed if they were connected with and sanctioned by the church. Coinciding with the well-deserved title of the Dark Ages, the Catholic Church has been historically credited of having begun a revival of theatre in Europe. Extant plays, sponsored by the church and dating back to the tenth century, are categorized into three distinct genres: liturgical drama, which enacted part of the liturgy of the Catholic Mass; cycle plays, which illustrated scriptural history; and morality drama, which metaphorically endorsed the symbolic structure of Christian life. The provincial dramaturgical view generally holds that that these were the only forms of theatre of the time. However, more recent scholarship demonstrates that as these performance-based church rituals begot theatre and theatre further begot church ritual, other plays like university plays, pageants, mummings and disguisings, interludes, other non-cycle religious plays, and drama came into play and that collectively, theatre of the High Middle Ages impacted the evolution of theatre into the Late Middle Ages, and what it is today."
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The Middle Ages and the Rise of Pope Martin V, 2000.
An examination of the life Pope Martin V throughout the Middle Ages.
2,809 words (approx. 11.2 pages), 4 sources, MLA, £ 57.95
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Abstract
This paper chronicles Pope Martin V?s life up to the end of the Middle Ages/the beginning of the Renaissance period. For the purposes of this study, the Middle Ages is considered the time period leading up to the Great Schism, while the period from the Great Schism on is known as the Renaissance. It provides a brief history of Europe at that time and discusses the Great Schism, in which the papacy became involved in a power struggle with kings and how these conflicts over political matters resulted in the people?s loss of faith in the Church which further weakened the Church?s influence over the people eventually ending the Middle Age period.
From the Paper
"The division of the Papacy caused the division of countries in Europe in the Middle Ages. England, the Roman Empire, Hungary, Bohemia, and Poland supported Pope Urban VI. Pope Clement VII had the support of France, Naples, Scotland, Castile, and Aragon. The Great Schism was a struggle not only over religious power but also of political power. The French and the Italians both wanted to keep the church under their influence; therefore, it was of utmost importance to each of them to have a pope who was from their country and to locate the center of the church in their country."
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Jews in the Middle Ages, 2007.
This paper analyzes the book "Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages" by Mark R. Cohen.
1,289 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 30.95
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Abstract
The paper relates how throughout their long history, the Jewish people have often been the object of persecution and prejudice. The paper looks at how Cohen's book, "Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages", maintains that during the Middle Ages, Jews living in the Arab world were more tolerated and less persecuted than those living in the Christian world. The paper shows how Cohen proves his thesis with historical research and solid arguments, discussing his historical findings. The paper discusses the significance of this work in the field of Jewish studies.
From the Paper
"The author begins by "debunking" several myths on both sides of the debate, so he can level the playing field. He indicates there were misunderstanding and misinterpretations on both sides of the debate, and that Jews and Arabs have both helped perpetuate some of these misinterpretations. He then begins to compare life in the Christian world opposed to that in the Islamic world, and begin to sort out the information regarding Jews in both worlds. For example, he notes that in the Christian world in the Middle Ages, most Jews lived under the mantle of serfdom that decreed who they worked for, where they lived, while Jews in the Arab world did not serve and serfs, and could choose to live wherever they wanted (Cohen 46). Thus, Jews in the Arab world had better living arrangements, and were better off in that regard."
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Popular Religion in the Middle Ages, 2004.
This paper discusses Rosalind and Christopher Brooke?s ?Popular Religion in the Middle Ages: Western Europe 1000-1300?.
810 words (approx. 3.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 19.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, although many people view the religion of the Middle Ages as a monolithic institution centering on the Catholic Church and its doctrines, authors Rosalind and Christopher Brooke in ?Popular Religion in the Middle Ages: Western Europe 1000-1300? show that this picture is too simplistic. The author points out that these writers approached the topic not in terms of the church and its clergy, but from the point of view of the laity, believers, and non-believers, including beliefs in superstition and magic.The paper concludes that the issues examined by the writers serve to define religious belief in any era, although in the period they discuss, the choices of the people were clearly fewer than would be true today.
From the Paper
"To explain this, they discuss the social structure of the period from the royalty at the top to the peasants toiling at the bottom of the social scale. The authors also note that there was a religious revival in the 9th and 10th centuries and that the ?monastic cloister was the center of a deeply influential, deeply admired way of life B a ritual life with elaborate liturgy at its center - a life for relatively few dedicated monks, not in itself an expression of popular religion? (48). This way of life is still seen as central to the life and belief systems of the time, for the religious orders influenced the people and colored how they viewed religion and religious expression."
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"The Waning of the Middle Ages", 2007.
An analysis of medieval music, as described by the book "The Waning of the Middle Ages" by Johan Huizinga.
827 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 0 sources, MLA, £ 20.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews the book "The Waning of the Middle Ages" by Johan Huizinga, which discusses music in the Middle Ages. The paper describes the book as impacting the overall knowledge of our history of medieval life and culture in Flanders, Burgundy, and France. The paper suggests that relying too heavily on Huizinga's criticisms of medieval music does a great disservice to the music of the 14th and 15th centuries.
From the Paper
"Many modern musicologists, in the spirit of Huizinga, have had trouble with the lack of song development and the repetitiveness of medieval songs. However, medieval music should not be listened to with prejudicial ears. Huizinger also criticized medieval culture in general, leading to an overly pessimistic vision of life in the 14th and 15th centuries in Europe. All aspects of courtly life, from its songs to its chivalric pageants, were moribund, stagnant, and overly stylized, according to Huizinga. Huizinga also wrote with hyperbole, exaggerating the contrasts inherent in medieval life without acknowledging the "extraordinary creative energy of Western musicians during the middle ages," (p. 149)."
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Blood Libel and the Jews in the High Middle Ages, 2004.
The cause and implications of the emergence of Blood Libel on the Jews in the High Middle Ages
2,507 words (approx. 10.0 pages), 11 sources, MLA, £ 52.95
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Abstract
This paper provides an overview and background of how accusations of Blood Libel against Jews during the High Middle Ages in the European and Islamic worlds were used to persecute them. It also identifies what was the catalyst for charges of Blood Libel against the Jews in the High Middle Ages. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion.
From the Paper
"Throughout their history, the Jewish people have experienced periodic episodes of persecution based on the differences, both perceived and otherwise, between themselves and others, without the need to add any fuel to these cultural fires. When the Jews became implicated in the execution of Jesus Christ, however, they also assumed the unfortunate additional mantle of being responsible for the death of the Son of God, in what many Christians term "Christ-killers." This additional burden has been supplanted by the Jewish people's "blood libel," reflecting the Jews' alleged sacrifice of Christian children at Passover in order to obtain blood for unleavened bread. These charges, and others, were used at times during the High Middle Ages to justify Christian persecution of the Jews."
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"The Medieval Machine: The Industrial Revolution of the Middle Ages", 2006.
A review of the 1976 book "The Medieval Machine: The Industrial Revolution of the Middle Ages" by Jean Gimpel.
1,550 words (approx. 6.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 34.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews the Jean Gimpel book about the industrial revolution of the Middle Ages, entitled "The Medieval Machine". The author of this paper maintains that Gimpel's work is especially timely, since Gimpel argued that America is going through the same things that Europe went through in the Middle Ages. The paper begins with a discussion of the themes of each of Gimpel's chapters. Then, the paper assesses Gimpel's writing style, calling it effective and engaging. Finally, the paper discusses Gimpel's thesis, concluding that it is compelling and convincing.
From the Paper
"Gimpel's thesis is that America is going through, today, the same things that Europe went through in the Middle Ages and that by studying parallel histories we can learn more about the problems faced today. Strangely and sadly, though, Gimpel does not believe that the United States' problems can be solved. In the preface she states that "the depression we have moved into will have no end. We can anticipate centuries of decline and exhaustion. There will be no further industrial revolution in the cycles of our Western civilization" [xi].This leads me to ask why this book is important and what was the purpose of it being written, if not for suggestions on making changes to better the situation? Perhaps the point is to merely understand the entirely of the problem for a societal perspective."
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The Early and High Middle Ages in Europe, 2002.
This report is intended to show the differences between two of the phases of the Middle Ages (medieval period) in Europe.
1,198 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 4 sources, APA, £ 28.95
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Abstract
The Middle Ages are sometimes assumed to be a monolithic period, but they can actually be divided into three distinct time frames: Early, High, and Late Middle Ages. This paper traces the progression through the Early and High stages of medieval development.
From the Paper
"The early Middle Ages, from approximately 600 to 1050, was basically a period of economic scarcity and intellectual darkness, except for a very few exceptions. During this time, Europe was plagued by a succession of invasions that it made it very difficult for any substantial growth or development to occur. While there were a few people at the very top who consistently had enough to eat, the more common state was one of near starvation, short lives, and unchecked disease.1"
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The Middle Ages, 2007.
The paper examines Morris Bishop's evidence of the vitality of the Middle Ages.
864 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 20.95
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Abstract
The paper looks at the dramatic period that was the Middle Ages, noting that the religious, economic, political, social and educational continuities and innovations of the period have been often unjustly dismissed by scholars. The paper looks at Bishop's discussion of how Roman and classical education re-asserted itself in the Middle Ages in the grammar schools while the old pagan rites did not fade away in the Age of Christianity. The paper also explores the rise to semi-respectability of women and the progression of certain disparate groups from tribal-hood to nation-hood. The paper concludes that Bishop's evidence of the dynamism of the age is convincing.
From the Paper
"The middle ages were the continuation of "Old Rome" in matters such as "race, language, institutions, law, literature, (and) the arts" (Bishop, 7). In almost the next breath, Bishop writes that the middle ages were a continuation of cultures such as the Franks and Saxons, the Greeks and Arabs, and - not least of all - of an ancient peasant culture (Bishop, 7). At the same time, it was a period which saw the rise of the Christian church in the West and the epoch bore witness to the rise of the Church's institutions - such as the pilgrimage, the system of penance, the emergence of the modern-day liturgy. As an added note pertaining to the Old Rome of the classical period, Bishop writes that the language and institutions of the Ancients survived even with the arrival of barbarian domination (Bishop, 12 and 15)."
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Mercenaries as an Outsider Group in the Middle Ages, 2001.
A look at the reasons mercenaries were considered outsiders in the Middle Ages.
2,460 words (approx. 9.8 pages), 3 sources, £ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at a combination of factors which show how the mercenary represented a distinct and separate group of outsiders in the Middle Ages.
From the Paper
"The mercenaries of the Middle Ages were an interesting group, one with a bit more power than the traditional outsiders we have studied. The soldiers of fortune, or Condottieri, of Italy, were by far the most powerful and close knit of these mercenaries. The way in which Italian city-states were divided, without a single large standing army, meant that these mercenaries, many of whom were veterans of the recently finished Hundred Years War, not only could find ready employment, but also could also basically come and go as they pleased. These masses of armed veterans were feared by the local people, and treated as foreigners, as many of them were, and outcasts by the civilian and authority populations. This led to the brothers in arms developing a sense of camaraderie and unifying force that is seen in the many groups that we have studied. The leaders of the city-states, even when employing the mercenaries for their own needs, took special care to separate these warriors from the city, even so far as sending out prostitutes to take care of the mercenaries needs, adding to the otherness of these warriors in the eyes of the local populations. These factors combine to truly make the mercenary a distinct and separate group of outsiders in the Middle Ages."
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Social Classes in Middle Ages, 2005.
A look at the relationship between the royalty, nobility, and the jesters in the High Middle Ages.
901 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 4 sources, MLA, £ 22.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the various social classes in the Middle Ages. It explains that the nobles lived off of the hard work of other people, who were considered as lower class. It looks at these relationships and also focuses on the role of the jester in the royal court.
From the Paper
"To cultivate their distinctiveness form others, the nobles practiced the chivalric code of ?dubbing to knighthood? (Craig 352). This ritual was practically a religious sacrament in that the ceremony began with a ?bath of purification, confession, communion, and a prayer vigil? (352). It was something that was to be taken very seriously. While chivalry is often associated with the knight in shining armor saving the damsel in distress, chivalry chief goal was to respect and honor militant qualities. In fact, Thomas Noble notes that ?military prowess as the most highly esteemed of chivalric virtues? (Noble 535). Furthermore, a knight that was not considered a good warrior by those who knew him was basically ?useless? (Craig 353). Other qualities that knights wished to attain were generosity and loyalty. Knights were allowed opportunities that many individuals in the High Middle Ages did not have. For instance, they most of them learned how to read and write. They were esteemed among the community. Regardless of the high standards and respectable nature of knights and nobility, noblemen were known to be philanderers. It is known that their illegitimate children ?mingled openly? (352) with their legitimate children. Many historians believe that the arrival of courtesy was an attempt to reform this type of behavior."
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Gender and the Middle Ages, 2005.
A look at how women were viewed in Europe during the Middle Ages.
1,780 words (approx. 7.1 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper uses literature to examine the way in which women were viewed during the Middle Ages and the conflicting nature of those perceptions. Through a review of Chretien de Troyes?s "The Knight with the Lion", Judith Bennett's "Medieval Life: Cecilia Penifader of Brigstock", and Jean Joinville's "Life of Saint Louis", the paper demonstrates that women of that era were viewed as either the embodiment of the mother of Jesus or the embodiment of Eve's sin.
From the Paper
"The act of the knights recounting their tales of valor began at the ?invitation of ladies, damsels, or maidens.? Thus, the acts of masculine and knightly valor shown are evidently inspired by a female-centered audience and for female approval rather than the male-centered universe of the court. Even the evident leader of the Arthurian court in Yvain?s world is not that of Arthur himself, but Arthur?s queen, who feels quite confident from her position of title to rebuke a ?seneschal? as she is above Kay in the court?s hierarchy of status, if not of gender. Differences of social status thus could transcend gender. Guinevere is not simply symbolically important, but is an effective political actor."
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