Langland's Piers Plowman Passus 6 Question

What might lines 302-318 in Passus 6 imply about social unrest?

The cynical implication that Langland gives when describing the state of the poor and the complaints they give is far from subtle. He accuses the poor of complaining for more, though they are given the basic necessities (as outlined by Passus 1, 20-25). He describes the beggars "would not eat bread that had beans in it" (6, 303) nor "drink half-penny ale in any circumstance" (6, 305). Or "unless he's hired at high wages he will otherwise complain" (6, 312) and "grows angry at God" (6, 316), "then curses kings...because they legislate laws that punish labouring men" (6, 317-8). 

Piers Plowman Response Question

How is the figure of thought, allegory, used in the selections from Piers Plowman that you have read? Why might this be an effective medium for the content of this poem?

Allegory is used fluently throughout Langland's work, both on a micro and a macro level. Langland uses allegory in both of these ways to make a moral lesson to his audience. He names different virtues as virtues as people, "Charity has proved a peddler and principally shrives lords" and, "Reason shall rule you all" and, "the captain of the castle is called Wrong". Later he assimilates Piers the Plowman with the figure of Christ. He describes Piers "appareled like a pagan in pilgrims' manner" and "as lowly as a lamb". Piers guides some noblemen to Saint Truth, "Conscience and Kind Wit...persuaded me to swear him I'd serve him forever". The medium of this allegory is quite powerful to his intended due to the strong socio-economic connotations that his society held with the idea of the lower class. The upper class and ecclesiastically-associated figures held such negative connotations, it would have destroyed the character of Piers.

Machiavelli's Prince Response Questions

2. How important is force in the rule of the State?
Machiavelli believes "there cannot be good laws where there are not good arms, and where there are good arms, there are bound to be good laws". Machiavelli also dissents with employing mercenaries as a government force saying, "any man who founds his state on mercenaries can never be safe or secure", because "they have no other passions or incentives...except their desire for a bit of money".

3. What seems to be Machiavelli's view of human nature?
Machiavelli holds an extremely cynical view of humans creating the "general rule" saying, "they are ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceivers, fearful of danger and greedy for gain". Therefore Machiavelli says that in order for the Prince to maintain control, he must be not loved nor hated, but solely feared by all citizens.

6. Contemporaries saw Machiavelli as a dangerous man. Does The Prince offer any ground for this opinion?
The opinions Machiavelli provides in The Prince certainly offer grounds for assuming Machiavelli as a dangerous man. Had Machiavelli achieved power in Italy, his reign according to his own advice to the Prince, would resemble what contemporaries would not know as Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy. The imperil government that intimidates, holds a strong nationalist army; that keeps a tight grip on its people, certainly would also resemble the frightening Roman tyrannical emperors contemporaries would have been familiar with, especially after the rise of democracy in 15th century Florence.

AP Euro History Multiple Choice Questions 1

1. c.
Christian Catholicism existed practically all over Europe before the Italian Renaissance. For this reason, and the fact that Italy had all the other advantages, religion was the exception for their reason for initiation of the Renaissance.

2. d.
Italian Renaissance society focussed on the development of the individual through education, adaption of classical antiquity, and religion, which is included in all the mentioned studies besides D.

3. e.
Renaissance humanism focussed on the opposite of all mentioned besides 'e.'. Though humanism is the deemphasis of scholasticism, it still appreciated it for what it was.

4. b.
Neoplatonists is the only group listed that is associated with a 'belief'-system.

5. b.
While the invasions from the French may have introduced the French to a new art culture, it only hindered the Renaissance art achievements.

6. a.
The Treaty of Lodi is the only event that crippled foreigner from seeing the Italian Renaissance by inhibiting their ability to enter the Italian peninsula.

7. d.
This choice was the only choice that is specifically an attribute to Renaissance art, most of the others could apply to other art movements as well.

Response Question from the Excerpt of Margery Kempe

1. How does the biographical information given about Margery Kempe in the introduction inform your reading of her accounts?

There are three very important biographical details outlined in Margery Kempe's introduction in the NAEL. Firstly, that she experienced a severe mental breakdown that may have precipitated her many recurring spiritual visions. Secondly, that she was never able to read or write and was illiterate, meaning she used a scribe to dictate her text and that all she knew of the Bible was from an oral tradition or her presumed visions. Thirdly, that she was the daughter of the mayor that, in addition to her proclamation of faith, may have protected her from contemporary accusations of heresy. These facts are very important in not only analysing the legitimacy behind her claims, but also the people she affected through them.

Response Question to Langland's Piers Plowman Passus 1

6. Compare and Contrast the nature of "Truth" in Chaucer's poem, and the "Truth" that is discussed in Passus 1 of Piers Plowman.

Both of these late Medieval English authors utilize Truth as a character in their literary works. They employ Truth as a God-like figure, perhaps even meaning to present God himself through this name. Truth, in both of these poems, is a being that you should please in order to, according to Chaucer, be "delivered, it is no fear" or in the case of Langland, "be certain that their souls will ascend to Heaven". The subtle difference between these two Truth's is that Langland's Truth reigns as not only salvation but also as supreme judgment ("Truth has determined their trespass in full."), where Chaucer only describes the former. Also, in Chaucer's poem, Truth seems to seek you out if you do good, whereas in Langland's writing, "Truth is the truest treasure on Earth" but it also something that must be pursued and sought out for.

Merriman's History of Modern Europe: Response Question the Fourth

5. Describe the various political structures of the city states.

Between the 14th and 16th centuries Italian city-states toggled between a set of approximately four definable government systems.

The most popular of these included oligarchical republics which were usually run by mercantile families. The most famous of these was Florence which was ruled by the Medici family for many decades. Others included Venice, Siena, and Lucca.

Despotic Republics functioned more politically usually held by one ruler. This was less popular form of government because it gave little power to the merchant class. Genoa, Bologna, and Perugia were famous for this government.

Inherited despotism consisted of one family ruling over a city over many years and generations. The most famous of these was the powerful Visconti family in Milan.

Papal power existed in all city-states but those who relied heavily on ecclesiastical governance were considered papal states. After the fall of merchantile families from urban power, the people relied heavily on the Pope's influence and financial salvation.

Merriman's History of Modern Europe: Response Question the Third

3. Explain the terms: "popolo grasso", "mediocri", and "popolo minuto".

Popolo Grasso referred to the high or upper class of Italian city-states. It literally means 'the fat people' describing both their figure and their bank accounts. These usually held most political power due to their financial power.

The Mediocri refers to the middle class, or at least whatever form of it Italian states had at that time. These people often worked in trade as merchants.

The lower class was referred to as popolo minuto, meaning 'little people'. These people had almost no socio-economic power whatsoever and often relied on papal power for survival.

Response Questions to Documents regarding Medieval Witchcraft

1. Why did the Church devote such energy to the destruction of witches?

The Church gained a sense of mass hysteria from the idea that not only was witchcraft harmful for a community and nation, but also from the notion that witchcraft was hard to detect and "spreads like an infection".

2. Why might the obstruction of inquisitors occur?

People who were aware of the mass hysteria and its effect on the justice system of the inquisitors grew to distrust the entire system. Thus, these people were likely to obstruct any "witch-hunt" behaviors.

3. Why might a person, as the young man described in The Ant Hill, make such a full confession of his witchcraft?

Sometimes, confession of witchcraft was a much easier way than receiving punishment. Once someone confessed, they were either spiritually helped or killed instantly, if they really wanted to hear a confession but the prosecuted didn't provide one, much prolonged torture usually occurred.

4.Why did authorities employ torture in cases of witchcraft?

Inquisitors found torture to be the most effective way of extracting confessions from the accused. Though the confessions may not be true, they at least would provide reason for unknown occurrences. 

5. What was the procedure followed by the inquisitor when torturing a suspect?

The inquisitor would revisit the accused person he had tortured to confirm a confession he achieved during the torturing process. This act assumes that the confession achieved from torturing was not always accurate, thus disintegrating the original purpose of torture.

6. What does The Witch Hammer suggest about cases of lying as evidence to secure a confession? 

The Witch Hammer implicitly states that if a person is found to be lying, even if all other evidence suggests their innocence, they may be assumed guilty. This follows from the reasoning that if Satan is the father of all lies, then those who make lies must be his disciples.

Response to Questions on Aquinas's view on War

1. How does Thomas prove the existence of God?

Aquinas outlines the fact that because God created everything and that we are his creation, we have a limited understanding of what is real. As 'finite' creatures, we cannot easily comprehend an 'infinite' being such as God.

2. What are Aquinas's views about war? What is just war?

Aquinas says that a war is not morally legitimate unless it is just. In order for it to be a just war it must fulfill three criteria:

1) It must be called by a sovereign authority.

2) It must be a just cause, that being, the enemy should be attacked on account of being at fault.

3) The declaration of war must be from a rightful intention.

3. What are the political assumptions Thomas makes in his discussion of war?

Aquinas not only assumes that people would be willing to begin war through an authority, but that also this authority follows a Christian code. He also does not account for non-national individuals who may desire their own form of justice.

4. How does Christianity limit war?

The criteria outlined by Aquinas in his work limit the excess amount of quarrelling that takes place, assuming that people would be following his criteria. Also, he promotes the avoidance of fighting war on holy day, unless it is completely necessary, yet still it still limits the amount of war that can be waged in any given  year.

5. Who do you think Thomas was trying to persuade with his book? What kind of audience would you have been suited for this method of argument?

Aquinas writes in such a high style and intellectual format that he must intend to write to a political or high-social audience. Also the subject matters he talks of in this section indicate that it called out politicians, though in other sections of the Summa Theologica, Aquinas could write to humanity, including the vernacular.

Reflection on the Second Stanza of Chaucer's 'Truth'

"Tempest thee nought al crooked to redresse

In trust of hire that turneth as a bal;

Much wele stant in litel bisinesse;

Be war therfore to spurne ayains an al

Strive nat dooth the crokke with the wal.

Daunte thyself that dauntest otheres deede:

And trouthe shal delivere, it is no dreade."

Chaucer uses great imagery in the language he presents to his audience. He contrasts the words of control and the trust in things "that turneth as a bal" with the benefits of "stant in litel bisinesse". Yet he also juxtaposes the chaos of a "tempest" when one tries to take control of life ; "spurning ayains an al" and the "daunting thyself" with the consequence of "trouthe shal delivere". That final line composes the resounding and comforting chorus throughout the whole poem, saying that by trusting in Truth, one shall be saved from earthly fears.

Merriman's History of Modern Europe: Response Question the Second

In post-Roman Europe, the fragmented states of Europe still held a degree of theoretical unity in that they all were bound by some universal religious and/or political authority. The question that is really to be asked is not who has this authority, but what does the theoretical authority mean in terms of legal power. By the 15th century, many western European fragment-states were governed by a local mercantile assembly. Though the assemblies had to submit to a 'national' law, the rulers had very little power over the people. The assemblies acted as political and legal buffers between national law and the common citizen. The mercantile assemblies held all socio-political institutions in the palm of their filthy rich hands. Rulers, both political and religious, needed to borrow money from these assemblies, and when withheld, accounted for a great deal of national economic damage.

Most of the common class were happy following local laws and paying local taxes as opposed to national. Thus, many of the common class remained unopposed to a suffering national government. The same applied to geographic divisions, nobles who offered land divisions were often more generous than a national counterpart, due to the fact that nobles received a direct service from peasants. Churchmen received a steady income from the universal Christian population. However, when the political rulers saw a need, and the Pope was to agree, church finances often tangled into a legal tax.

The Wife of Bath and Christine de Pizan: A Battle of Womanly Vice

Chaucer's Wife of Bath acts in all ways womanly yet none at all. Chaucer brilliantly composes his character to not only highlight the commonly associated vices of women, but also to demonstrate the fragile and angelic character traits. As promiscuous and loud the wife of Bath is, she possesses a strong desire of loyal companionship. In her story, she further demonstrates these two sides of her personality. When the young man is asked whether he'd prefer a wife who is beautiful and promiscuous or ugly and loyal, Chaucer (through the Wife of Bath) satirizes the restrictive misogynous view of "the two types of wife". Although to satirically prove a point, Chaucer admits truth in the stereotype he illustrates, the Wife of Bath holding a great deal of womanly vices.

On the other side of Medieval feminism, Christine de Pizan presents in her The Book of the City of Women a view of woman void of satire and vices seen in Chaucer's work. Here, Christine portrays herself learning about the role, rights, and capabilities of women from divine 'Reason'. She writes with the eloquence of classical Latin commonly associated with that of a man's oratory, also providing her character with the classical and traditional virtues often associated with philosophers.

However, de Pizan later wrote a book satirizing the view of women in her medieval societal context. The Querelle du Roman de la Rose presents women both as treasures to obtain through courtly love but also satirically as creatures of vicious seduction to be watched closely. 

Merriman's History of Modern Europe: Response Question the First

7. What were the reasons for agricultural growth after the Black Death?

The Black Death in Europe managed to reduce Europe's entire population to two thirds its original size. However, after the gradual demise of this plague had entirely taken place, Europe's population began to rapidly grow again. It grew so much in this period of time that it had far surpassed its original size. I propose the de-urbanisation, that is, the mass movement of peoples from cities to rural areas to escape contamination, provided enough physical room to support a growth in population once the Black Death ceased plaguing Europeans. Merriman speculates that this growth was due to agricultural growth. After the plague subsided "plots that had been abandoned were plowed once more" (1.15, Merriman). Consequently, the inflow of agricultural workers caused the progression of agricultural technology and politics, including the "three-crop system".