Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Vocational training

The Conflict Between King Henry II and Thomas Becket

However, he soon began excommunicating all of Henry’s supporters. Henry flew into a rage, shouting the famous phrase: “Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?” and four knights decided to satisfy the king’s wishes. These are the knights mentioned at the beginning of the text, who enter the Cathedral of Canterbury eagerly looking for Becket (line 8: “...furiously cried aloud, ‘Where is this traitor?’”). Already in the first paragraph, Roger of Hoveden designates them as “ignominious” and “satellites of Satan,” making his point of view inferable, and writes their names down so everyone knows they are guilty of the crime which is about to happen.

The Martyrdom and Sacrifice

Roger of Hoveden’s Chronicle (early 13th c.)

This is a bilingual edition of a fragment of the chronicle written in the early 13th century by Roger of Hoveden, an Anglo-Norman monk. It is written in the form of a letter to Pope Alexander, so it is full of religious expressions.

The Normans in England

The Normans took possession of England after William “the Conqueror” won the Battle of Hastings against Saxon king Harold in 1066, a date that marks the beginning of the medieval period in England according to most historians. They brought the French language to England and professed the Christian religion.

Feudalism in England

With the coming of the Normans, a very medieval concept was introduced - feudalism, which was a social system of dependence... Continue reading "Feudalism and Conflict in Medieval England" »

The Genesis of Magna Carta

King John's Reluctant Concessions

Though King John spoke of advising, he favored the barons only because he had no other choice after losing a civil war. The first and most important declaration was the liberty of the Church: from 1215 onward, the king was not to interfere with the Church. Pope Innocent III, with whom John had famously quarreled, played a significant role. Despite the king's assertion that his decision was voluntary (“of our own free will”), it is known he was forced to sign the Great Charter after a war with the Church and the barons.

Enduring Principles for Future Monarchs

The rules in this document applied not only to John but to all succeeding monarchs. This is why it reads “for us and our heirs... Continue reading "Magna Carta's Impact: Shaping English Constitutional Law" »

Magna Carta: A Foundation of English Law

The Magna Carta, or The Great Charter, written in 1215, represents a pivotal moment in English history. This bilingual edition presents selected fragments of the original Latin document. Drafted by the powerful classes of society and signed by King John of England, Magna Carta established rules that the feudal monarch had to follow. The use of the royal "we" in the text signifies the king's representation of an institution rather than a singular individual.

King John's Troubled Reign (1199-1216)

King John, brother and successor to Norman King Richard I of the Plantagenet dynasty, ruled England from 1199 to 1216. History often portrays him as a tyrannical and incapable monarch, whose reign was plagued by... Continue reading "Magna Carta: King John, Feudal Law, and Early English Rights" »

The Worcester Chronicle: 11th Century England

A Pivotal Historical Source

This fragment is from a bilingual edition of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, one of only two sources documenting English history from the Roman period to the Norman Conquest. It was originally written in Old English, the language introduced to England by Anglo-Saxon culture.

During the 9th century, King Alfred the Great promoted Old English as a literary and cultural language (Latin had, until then, been considered of higher value). He organized the Scholarly Circle, which began translating and writing in Old English for the first time. As a result, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was compiled: a historical chronicle written year by year, organized into annals, containing a vast amount... Continue reading "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: 11th Century England & Norman Conquest" »

Norman Rule and Saxon Degradation

The Irony of Daily Life in Norman England

The whole scene sets up a degradation of the daily life of a Saxon in Norman England, full of ironic humor.

Property, Forests, and the Ranger's Authority

On line 22, Gurth mentions the figure of the Ranger of the Forest. For the Normans, land property was much more important than for the Saxons. When they arrived in England, they reinforced the idea of property by identifying people in relation to their land, which can be appreciated in the names of the nobility (e.g., Simon of Montfort, etc.).

They reinforced private property, and forests were no longer common ground, as they used to be during the Saxon period, but were placed under the administration of Royalty and nobility.... Continue reading "Class Conflict and Linguistic Division in Norman England" »

Poetic Symbolism in the Restoration

Cannons and fireworks are described appearing in the sky and on earth, evoking thunder and lightning (verse 14). The final verses reference the biblical episode of God parting the waters for the Israelites: “So Israel passed through the divided flood...” (verse 15). This imagery mirrors how the King “divided the flood,” calming and renovating the storm surrounding the solemn moment of the Coronation.

The poem utilizes prosody, the specialized language of poetry, featuring rhyming couplets where every verse has a counterpart—such as verses 3 and 4 (“... dim / ... him”) or verses 7 and 8 (“... fear’d / ... appear’d”). This organization expresses balance and proportion, symbolizing the perfection... Continue reading "Charles II and the Restoration: Poetry, Politics, and Power" »

Source Reference: 27. Katherine Philips, On the Fair Weather just at the Coronation... (1661)

Katherine Philips's Occasional Poem (1661)

This text analyzes Katherine Philips’s poem, “On the Fair Weather just at the Coronation, it having rained immediately before and after.” Composed in 1661, this work is a prime example of occasional poetry—a genre written to commemorate a specific event. It celebrates the Coronation of Charles II, focusing specifically on the Parade of the King on his way to the Royal Palace to be crowned.

Historical Context: The English Restoration

Charles II is the central figure of the Restoration in England, a period spanning 1660 to 1685, during which the monarchy was recovered. England had previously been a Republic... Continue reading "Katherine Philips: Analyzing the Coronation Poem of Charles II (1661)" »

Mary's Perspective on Life and Death

In the fifth stanza, Mary presents death not only as positive but also life as negative. This is a typical Catholic move, to undersell earthly life in favor of eternal life after death.

Mary did have a turbulent life. She married a French Dauphin, and after his premature death, she married Lord Darnley, a womanizer and alcoholic who committed murder out of jealousy. Darnley was later found dead, and Mary married the prime suspect of the crime, the Earl of Bothwell. She was then chased by the Scots and imprisoned for 17 years, suspected of plotting to overthrow Elizabeth, until her execution.

In verse 19, we read: “my speedy death has shortened long annoy”; she would have spent more years in prison had she... Continue reading "Martyrdom and Release: A Catholic Interpretation of Mary Stuart's Execution" »