Tuesday, September 7, 2010

England: Questions on Monarchy in the Later Middle Ages

What does the reign of Henry II suggest about the future of English foreign relations?

Henry II was very cautious and he was constantly trying to seize control of another country at the most convenient point so he would not lose and only gain from it.  He began what would be Great Britain's imperialism.  Henry II pursued feudalism which established the guidelines by which England would react with surrounding countries, such as; France, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.  These guidelines would affect the countries for basically the rest of history.

Does the common conception of Richard as 'good' and John as 'bad' hold up to reality?

Richard was not necessarily good and John was not necessarily bad.  Richard was popular because he was a warrior king and he would risk his life to defeat an enemy.  John had an inability to trust in anyone other than himself, and he also displayed cowardice when it came the time for him to fight.  John always took the opportunity to "kick a man when he was down."  These things made Richard a more popular King, and John a less popular, disliked King.

How did the Magna Carta change the relationship of the Monarch and his subjects?

The Magna Carta tied Kings to the law of the land.  They could no longer find loopholes in the customs of feudal society.  The King was also tied to a council of twenty-five members that ensured he cooperated with the Magna Carta.

No comments:

Post a Comment