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Medieval Towns: Crafts and Guilds, 2005.
A review of an article by Gervase Rosser about the economic and work culture dynamics of medieval communities.
2,373 words (approx. 9.5 pages), 6 sources, MLA, AU$ 104.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews Rosser's article about how medieval crafts and guilds functioned in a society in medieval England. The paper also talks about Rosser's effort to rebut many of the generalizations, myths, and factually incorrect views that are currently or previously held by scholars and historians of the medieval era.
The Emergence of Guilds and Their Impact on Workers and the Economy
The Rise of the Guilds in Social Power and Community Prominence
Were Guilds the Historical Framework for the Genesis and Evolution of Formal Organizations?
The Decline of the Crafts and Guilds
Weird Things about Medieval English Life and Times
Biographical Sketch of Gervase Rosser
From the Paper
"Rosser goes to enormous lengths to make clear why he is explaining the misconceptions and misunderstandings with reference to how life in the working world of Medieval England really took place. Rosser is a writer of obvious skill when it comes to deep scholarly thinking; he is a writer who more often than not takes the intellectual high road. But Rosser also apparently realizes that the reader may not be able to climb every step of the way with him on his scholarly ascent, so he takes brief moments to define his terms in more lay-friendly language."
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British Coastal Towns, 2004.
An extensive analysis of the urban character of British coastal towns, with a focus on the towns of Hastings and Clacton On Sea.
16,537 words (approx. 66.1 pages), 38 sources, MLA, AU$ 360.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the exigencies of mass tourism have completely changed the nature of many small coastal towns in the United Kingdom. The paper contends that the study of Britain's coastline is a relatively undocumented subject in urban design theory, but the issue is becoming increasingly important as coastal and seaside towns reinvent themselves in an effort to cope with these changing tourist patterns. This paper examines two coastal community case studies, Hastings and Clacton On Sea, in relation to their urban development from small fishing villages to popular resorts with an objective to discover why one coastal town develops differently from another. The paper includes illustrations, graphic analysis and various other existing research sources to appreciate the existing situation and explores the unique characteristics of coastal towns. The study's findings and summary of the research are provided in the conclusion.
Table of Contents
Abstract
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Review and Discussion
Background and Overview
Coastal Towns in the United Kingdom
Impact of Tourism on Coastal Towns
Chapter 3: Macroanalysis of Coastal Developments in the United Kingdom
Chapter 4: Microanalysis of Coastal Development
Hastings
Clacton On Sea
Chapter 5: Findings and Conclusion
Findings
Conclusions
References
From the Paper
"The study of Britain's coastline is a relatively undocumented subject in urban design theory, but is becoming increasingly important as coastal and seaside towns reinvent themselves, time and again, to cope with changing tourist patterns. According to Page (1995), "As historic towns gain tourist potential, historic quality gains market value. A new urban society is emerging, seeking leisure, culture and a high-quality environment, and cities are moving from being industrial centres of production to becoming centres of consumption (Page 1995). For historic towns faced with limited financial opportunities, cultural tourism is seen as a significant economic alternative and the attached commercial value is turning the past into a product of the present. Today, historic towns and quarters are competing to attract tourism, and previously unknown locations are appearing on the heritage market (Orba?l?, 2000 p. 38)."
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Outsiders of the Medieval Imagination, 2001.
A discussion of Medieval spirituality and imagination that guided Medieval people's belief system and differentiated between conformer and non-conformer.
5,055 words (approx. 20.2 pages), 7 sources, AU$ 184.95
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Abstract
A look at the Medieval imagination. The author discusses the idea of spirituality of the Medieval people that considered outsiders as non-conformists, or people that were viewed as sub-human (people with abnormalities etc.) and used the imagination to differentiate between the real and the spiritual world.
From the Paper
"The idea of an outsider is present in all medieval works, this is a society of conformists and those non-conformists were all looked upon as outsiders; but what about the idea of outsiders that come not from the community but from another invisible world altogether. The idea of monsters have existed from ancient times, and even to the modern day with bogey men, but in the middle ages we find a plethora of monsters of all shapes and sizes. One need only look in the elaborately illuminated bestiaries of the medieval period to discover creatures from every realm of the imagination, from the saintly unicorn to the demonic dragon. These creatures, widely influenced by pagan mythology but with their own Christian twists, served an important part of the concept of the medieval persons concept of otherness. If the limit of otherness was not defined by only the human spectrum there was no limit to the amount of difference that a medieval person could differentiate between themselves and those seen as sub-human, such as Jews, heretics, and lepers."
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Medieval Societies, 2005.
This paper discusses some works of medieval literature that focus on medieval warrior societies.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 91.95
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Abstract
This paper studies Chretien De Troyes "Arthurian Romances", Seamus Heaney's "Beowulf" and other medieval literature that focus on medieval warrior societies, particularly concepts of heroism, ethics and spirituality as illustrated in the works.
From the Paper
"Medieval societies during the era of Beowulf and the Arthurian Romances were undergoing transformation from pagan illiterate societieswhere codes of conduct governed social relations and together with reason brought happiness. The warrior societies described in Chretien de Troyes' "Arthurian Romances" and Seamus Heaney's "Beowulf" along with other literature of the medieval era, show the ideals of reason and code of conduct as the foundation of human happiness. The character of Beowulf clearly expresses this ideal."
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Italian Cities in Medieval Europe, 2002.
This paper examines why Italian cities in medieval times developed at a faster rate than other European cities, becoming the richest in medieval Europe, possibly the world.
1,354 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 8 sources, APA, AU$ 65.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the reasons behind the huge development of medieval Italian cities in relation to the rest of Europe. These factors include: Their superior organization, military history, geographical advantages in terms of trade and commerce and the unique form of government dividing the country into city states.
From the Paper
"Medieval times saw an expansion in city life all across Europe, but nowhere more so than in Italy. As early as the tenth century, Italian towns, though still inferior to those in the East, had become far larger than those in other Catholic European countries. From 1100-1250, the population of many Italian cities grew considerably, rising from around 5,000-6,000 people to between 30,000-40,000. This was because of a number of factors, most notably the commercial revolution and explosion of trade, which Italy was in a unique position to exploit, due, among other things, to her history and geographical location."
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"Medieval Women" by Eileen Power, 2001.
This paper reviews the book, "Medieval Women" by Eileen Power, which pieces together the often-fragmented histories of medieval women using a variety of primary sources.
750 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 1 source, AU$ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, according to Eileen Power in ?Medieval Women?, early social notions regarding the nature of women and their role in society were created by the two most powerful classes of the age, the Church and the aristocracy, and only later were modified slightly by the urban middle class, which rose to prominence in the later Middle Ages. The author points out that, in the area of home and marriage, Power uses letters, wills, and household inventories to support her depiction of women. The paper relates that, because the proportion of women to men was greater within the noble ranks, many women were unable to wed; therefore, for them, monasticism was the only alternative to marriage.
From the Paper
"A considerable portion of the book is spent discussing various facets of the medieval lady?s life and when the bourgeois and peasants are discussed she often presents them in contrast to the noble woman. Many accounts of medieval women nobility often present only one view of their experience, depicting either a fanciful and luxurious life or the bleakness of being regarded as chattel. Fortunately Power draws from the writings of Christine De Pisan, one of the rare women of the Middle Ages to earn a living solely through her writing, to address the way in which the romanticized chivalry of the age overshadows the reality of their existence."
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Medieval Weapons, 2002.
A discussion of medieval weaponry during the period of approximately 480-1487 A.D.
1,876 words (approx. 7.5 pages), 7 sources, MLA, AU$ 87.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the most common types of weapons used in combat by medieval fighters from 480-1487 A.D. It evaluates what they were made of, their uses, how deadly they were in combat as well as different tactics used in battle at the time. Medieval weapons served two important purposes. Some of them, such as armor and shields, existed to protect the wearer, others existed solely to do bodily harm and were extremely deadly. Razor sharp swords could slice a man in halfor sever a limb whereas arrows could kill, mutilate or set wooden buildings and thatched roofs on fire in an instant. Lances could kill a man, or remove him from his horse for the foot soldiers to deal with. Siege weapons could lay utter waste to a town ? decimating the people within. Medieval weapons were created to cause havoc and they did. They were early weapons of destruction and they served their purpose well.
From the Paper
"The hauberk was central to the armour a knight wore. It was usually knee length, and slit on the front and back to allow the rider to sit on a horse. It would be worn over a padded undergarment. This mailshirt weighed about 25 pounds. There was also a hood made of similar material worn underneath the mail helmet. Later in the twelfth century, a type of mail mitten was developed to protect the hands, and a long "surcoat" or "coat armour" was added over the mailshirt for additional protection, especially from the hot sun. Chausses, or mail leggings were also added, and developments in the thirteenth century led to the "great helm" a large helmet with a flat top protecting the head and some of the neck."
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Medieval Art and Architecture, 2004.
An analysis of medieval art and architecture.
1,526 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 73.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the notion that architects and artists working in medieval Europe borrowed ideas from all the cultures surrounding the Mediterranean or coming across the central European mountain ranges. The paper presents examples of this cross-culturalism, with a focus on Islam being the most influential of the cultural donors to medieval art and architecture. The paper contends that, although these examples do not definitively trace any single aspect of Islam into Western ecclesiastical art, they do serve as an indication that it is impossible to consider any medieval art, no matter how isolated we think Europe of the Middle Ages must have been, without considering the very substantial trade, not to mention wars and incursions, that made the traditions of one culture available to the others.
From the Paper
"In addition, the precursors of Islamic art and architecture?elements that continued to inform their vision throughout their expansion into Spain and later, via their export to ?corporate? Europe by returning Crusaders?cannot be surgically removed from any consideration of so-called Islamic influences on medieval European art and architecture. Rather, they must be viewed as a substrate that upheld the Islamic vision by virtue of continuous adherence in the society in which Islam was born, and therefore as an unbroken line into the monastic traditions of medieval Europe. It was, moreover, the monastic tradition that formed the bedrock on which all other medieval art and architecture achievements were based; the monasteries were the repositories, after all, of the learning that would otherwise have been lost."
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Medieval Romantic Literature, 2004.
An exploration of the element of the medieval in Keats, Tennyson, Carlyle and Ruskin.
3,653 words (approx. 14.6 pages), 10 sources, MLA, AU$ 146.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the literary works of Keats, Tennyson, Carlyle and Ruskin, focusing on the medieval element in their works. The paper analyzes how John Keats and Alfred Tennyson captured the essence of the medieval in their work, returning to a time that was simpler but just as exotic. The paper presents Thomas Carlyle and John Ruskin, who also refer to medieval aspects of society to enhance and emphasize their messages about society. The paper contends that these writers build on themes that are familiar to us, explaining that their references allow us to make connections that might otherwise be lost in the barrage of descriptions.
From the Paper
"The notion of the medieval romance has inspired literature for generations. The magic of the Arthurian romance can be traced to Celtic origins, which adds to it appeal when we look at it through the prism of post-medieval literature. The revival of the medieval romance can be viewed as an opposition against modern and intellectual movement that became vogue in modern Europe. These romances often emphasized the human emotions rather than the human intellect and a return to more classical traditions. Poets and writers in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries did not want to feel the oppression from the constraints of their time. Instead, they looked beyond the intellectual to a more mystical and emotional realm. They wanted to achieve another level in their writing--one that allowed them to stretch their imaginations and their knowledge. The medieval aspects that we find in literature from this era accentuates a different type of thinking and writing that desired to be different yet familiar."
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Medieval Philosophy, 2002.
This paper discusses Scholasticism and medieval culture.
1,170 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 58.95
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Abstract
This paper examines 11th and 12th century Scholasticism and the role it played in medieval culture. The author focuses on understanding scholasticism, scholasticism influences. Discusses the beginnings of scholasticism, the medieval cosmology, question of the universal, the "Book of Sentences", the translation of the work of Aristotle, and major philosophers of the medieval period.
From the Paper
"In the Middle Ages, there was a philosophy and theology of Western Christendom known scholasticism (scholasticism, 1993). Almost any accomplished philosopher at this time was also a theologian. This was evident in the way they included theological writings in many of their philosophies. Although the Middle Ages had several scholastic philosophies, the basis of ?all scholastic thought was the conjunction of faith and reason (scholasticism, 1993).? The greatest philosophers were able to rationalize and understand faith by the use of reason. Through this reasoning, philosophies not related to theology were developed and taught by these ?medieval thinkers (scholasticism, 1993).?"
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"Medieval Stereotypes and Modern Antisemitism", 2005.
A review of the book "Medieval Stereotypes and Modern Antisemitism" by Robert Chazan.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, AU$ 64.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how in "Medieval Stereotypes and Modern Antisemitism", Robert Chazan addresses the complexities of modern antisemitism within a broader historical context. It looks at how he notes in his introduction, that critical analyses of antisemitism and anti Judaism in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries confidently rooted these prejudices within the complex political and religious relations of medieval Christian Europe. However the Nazi Holocaust of the twentieth century compelled a radical revision of these earlier assumptions with many commentators arguing that modern antisemitism must be dissociated from the anti Judaism of medieval Europe.
From the Paper
"In Medieval Stereotypes and Modern Antisemitism Robert Chazan addresses the complexities of modern antisemitism within a broader historical context. As he notes in his introduction, critical analyses of antisemitism and anti-Judaism in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries had confidently rooted these prejudices within the complex political and religious relations of medieval Christian Europe. However, the Nazi Holocaust of the twentieth century compelled a radical revision of these earlier assumptions, with many commentators arguing that modern antisemitism must be dissociated from the anti-Judaism of medieval Europe (Chazan ix-x). "
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Reflexivity of Medieval Drama, 2005.
A look at reflexivity (self-reflection) in medieval drama and, in particular, in the plays, "Mariken van Nieumeghen" and "Man's Desire and Fleeting Beauty".
1,554 words (approx. 6.2 pages), 3 sources, MLA, AU$ 74.95
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Abstract
This paper explores reflexivity in the medieval morality plays, "Mariken van Nieumeghen" and "Man's Desire and "Fleeting Beauty". The paper explains how both are reflexive in that they are both examples of a play-within-a-play: the play enacted within the play reflects the town's morality and quality of living as a whole.
From the Paper
"Reflexivity is central in Dutch plays much like that of the York Pageant Cycle. Drama often served as a self-reflection for the city and its social norms and conventions. When reading the plays with cultural performance in mind, often the ideological multilayeredness is revealed. There is no one reason why the play was produced, and the play is reflexive of the city it was produced in more ways than one. Some Dutch morality plays were designed to instruct audiences in the Christian way of life and church attitude toward death. They differed from the cycle plays by not drawing from biblical stories and characters."
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Medieval Epic Literature, 2008.
Looks at gender ideals in medieval epic literature as presented in "Beowulf", "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales".
1,435 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 68.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the medieval masculine and feminine ideals are very well represented in three major texts of English literature: "Beowulf", "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales". The main heroes and their female companions in these three texts share very important features, both physically and psychically, which indicates that there is a pattern in medieval literature regarding the essential characteristics of a virtuous individual. The author contends that the main necessary features for the male hero are honor, prowess, valor and purity of heart; however, the female characters, who are also very virtuous, pure and extremely beautiful, are passive characters that serve only as instruments to men's actions.
From the Paper
"The male ideal briefly sketched above is complemented by the female ideal of such characters as Wealhtheow, King Hrothgar's wife in "Beowulf", or Guinevere, King Arthur's wife. Both are perfect beauties and virtuous, gentle persons. However, they are no more than icons, without a real importance. Although Wealhtheow seems to play a role in the poem as she makes two speeches in important moments of the action and performs ritualistic acts, she is actually just an instrument in the very masculine world of the epic. Women do no play a role as such in the medieval society, although they can have some value as emblems for purity and beauty."
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"The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe", 2002.
A review of "The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe", edited by George Holmes.
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 1 source, AU$ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper is a book report on the book "The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe", edited by George Holmes and containing six essays on different aspects of the history and culture of the medieval period in the Mediterranean region and in Northern Europe.
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"The Canterbury Tales" and the Medieval Church, 2002.
This paper discusses Chaucer's bitter description of the medieval church as a thoroughly corrupt institution.
1,475 words (approx. 5.9 pages), 3 sources, AU$ 70.95
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This essay looks at Geoffrey Chaucer's take on the Middle Ages in "The Canterbury Tales". The author discusses how Chaucer views the medieval church, the clergy, and the corruption through his writings, particularly through his characters of the monk, the pardoner, and the prioress. The paper focuses a great deal on the workings of the Christian church during medieval times.
From the Paper
"In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer paints an interesting picture of the medieval church. The Christian Church provided leadership for the people of Western Europe . Saint Augustine was not the most diplomatic of men, and managed to antagonize many people of power who had never been particularly eager to save the souls of the Anglo-Saxons who had brought such bitter times to their people. When Augustine died, Christianity had only an unstable hold on Anglo-Saxon England. The Roman Empire had fallen, and ?although the people of Europe no longer honored one ruler, they gradually began to worship the same God.?
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Women in Medieval Europe, 2004.
A look at the difficulties of finding reliable historical information about the lives of women in medieval Europe.
1,584 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 74.95
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Abstract
A discussion of the lack of source material available when exploring the lives of women in medieval Europe. It focuses on the book by Emilie Amt, "Women?s Lives in Medieval Europe". It explains that most of the material available was written from a male perspective and that a true history of these women's lives is hard to come by.
From the Paper
"Out of necessity, history or an ?aggregate of past events,? must be built primarily on written materials. Oral histories and storytelling can provide input on a specific period of time. Yet, one can only assume that that the facts are altered through the generations from one tale relating to another. Of course, no one can assume that everything or even almost everything that is written is true. Just look at the variety of materials on the Internet to clarify that! However, some written materials are accurate, or nearly so, and give historians a place to start."
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