Who Should Have Been King in 1066 free essay sample

Who Should Have Been King in 1066? Introduction This essay is about who should have been king in 1066. Edward the Confessor died on 5th January 1066. The King of England was usually the son or another close relation of the previous king. Edward had no children or any surviving brother or sister. There were four people waiting to be the next king. They were Edgar Etheling, Harold Godwinson, William Duke of Normandy and Harald Hadrada. Only one of the four people could be the King of England at any one time. This essay will give you an insight into each of the characters. It will explain who they are, why they should have been king, and what I thought about them. Finally, I will conclude who I thought should have been king in 1066. The Four Possible Kings Edgar Etheling Edgar was Edward’s great nephew, the closest relation of Edward. He was born in Hungary in 1052, and was the last prince of the old West Saxons royal line when Edward the Confessor died on January 5th 1066. We will write a custom essay sample on Who Should Have Been King in 1066? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page At the time, it was decided Edgar was too young to inherit the throne, so it went to Harold Godwinson instead. Harold Godwinson became King Harold II, but was killed in the Battle of Hastings later that same year. The Witan Council chose Edgar as the next king of England. Edgar became king, but resigned only a few months later after he was forced to surrender by William the Conqueror. After abdicating, he went on to live a long life. Edgar should have been king because he was of royal blood and was the closest relation to Edward. He had a claim to the throne because he was a blood relative. Edgar was a direct descendant of Alfred the Great – the most respected of all Anglo Saxon kings. I thought Edgar was too young to be king, and also too young to lead England. He did not have the wealth, power or strength to be king. He was not considered strong enough to defend the realm from the Normans and the Vikings. Harold Godwinson Otherwise known as Harold of Wessex, he was one of the most powerful men in England, as Wessex was a very rich and important area. He was the son of Earl Godwin of Wessex. He had been an advisor to Edward the Confessor, and had proved himself to be a good leader. Harold and his family had established alliances with all the major nobles of England. On his deathbed, Edward is said to have promised Harold the crown. Harold Godwinson should have been king because Edward had promised the crown to him on his deathbed. He was the favourite of many English thanes who would choose the next king. In 1066, you didn’t have to be the closest relation to be king. Harold was the Earl of Wessex, one of the most powerful leaders in England. He was also the richest man in England. Harold claimed the throne of England was not based on being a blood relative, but he was Edward’s brother-in-law. I thought Harold was brave and courageous fighting for his country, and subsequently dying in the Battle of Hastings. Sadly, he didn’t always keep his promises though. He swore an oath to William Duke of Normandy in 1064, to support him to the claim of the English throne. He then went back on his word, saying he that had been tricked into taking the oath. William, Duke of Normandy William was Edward’s second cousin. He became Duke of Normandy when he was only seven years old. He ruled as the King of England from 1066–1087. In 1085, he commissioned the collection of the Domesday Book. When Harold broke the oath, William received religious and political backing from Rome, to start a Holy Crusade against Harold, who the Pope had excommunicated. On 25th September 1066, William of Normandy’s 7,000 soldiers landed in the South of England. They defeated King Harold’s army at the Battle of Hastings, and William became King of England. He rewarded his vassals from Normandy with the lands of many English nobles. William’s claim to the throne was based on the fact he believed Harold Godwinson had sworn a sacred oath of allegiance to him and his right to be king. He also justified his claim through his blood relationship with Edward the Confessor, as they were distant cousins. He claimed Edward the Confessor had designated him as his successor. I thought William had a compassionate side when he saved Harold from a shipwreck. He also helped Edward to protect his throne, by sending Norman soldiers to live in England and protect Edward. Sadly, he also had a ruthless side, ravaging great sections of England, after the English struggled to accept him as his king. Harald Hadrada Harald Hadrada was a very powerful man as he was already the King of Norway. When Edward the Confessor died in 1066, Harald claimed his father and his descendents had been promised the English throne by King Hardicanute, who ruled England from 1040-1042. In 1066 Tostig, the brother of Harold of Wessex went to Norway to meet King Hadrada. The two men agreed to invade England and in early September, around 300 ships sailed around the coast of England and did some plundering. When King Harold was told by a messenger that Hadrada had invaded with the intention of conquering all of England, he gathered his army. On 25th September, Harold’s army arrived in Yorkshire. He took Tostig and Hadrada by surprise at Stamford Bridge, and both Hadrada and Tostig were killed. Harold Hadrada’s claim to the throne was based on an agreement between his father and King Hardicanute, the Danish ruler of England. England was ruled by Norwegian kings right up to 1042, when the Saxon King Edward took the throne from them. There were a lot Viking families living in the north of England, who would have liked Harald being the King of England. I thought Harald was a very powerful man who wanted the throne of England like lots of other people. Harald wasn’t very strategic and failed to topple the Danish King Sweign II because of his lack of planning, which would ultimately be his downfall. At Stamford Bridge, he wasn’t prepared for Harold and his army and was killed. Conclusion I think Harold Godwinson should have been king after Edward the Confessor died because he was a strong political and military leader in his own right. He was the only Englishman and was promised the throne by Edward, his brother-in-law. Harold was the most powerful man in England. He wanted to unite the various factions in England to bring peace to the land. He thought a strong ruler was needed to bring an end to all the fighting.

Superstition And Witchcraft Resulted In Many Being Hanged Or Essays

Superstition and witchcraft resulted in many being hanged or in prison. In the seventeenth century, a belief in witches and witchcraft was almost universal. In Salem Massachusetts where the witch trials take place many people who are suspicious is accused of witchcraft and hanged. Arthur Miller wrote a play called The Crucible. It is based on the Salem witch trials. The Salem witch trials change many peoples lives and even led to death for some. The power of superstition and hearsay can distort from the truth. Four ministers of Salem joined Matther, and they spent a whole day in the house of the afflicted in fasting and prayer. The result of which was the delivery of one of the family from the power of the witch. A niece and daughter of the parish minister at Danvers were first afflicted. Their actions frightened other young people, who soon showed the same symptoms, such as loss of appetite and sickness. A belief quickly spread over Salem and throughout the state that evil spirits are being seen in Salem. Terror took possession of the minds of nearly all the people, and the dread made the affliction spread widely. "The afflicted, under the influence of the witchery, "admitted to see the forms of their tormentors with their inner vision" (Miller 1082). and would immediately accuse some individual seen with the devil. At times the afflicted and the accused became so numerous that no one was safe from suspicion and its consequences. Even those who were active in the prosecutions became objects of suspicion. Revenge often impelled persons to accuse others who were innocent and when some statement of the accused would move the court and audience in favor of the prisoner. "I saw Goody Osborn with the devil" (Miller 1060). The accuser would declare that they saw the devil standing beside the victim whispering the words in his or her ear. The absurd statement would be believed by the judges. Some, terrified and with the hope of saving their lives or avoiding the horrors of imprisonment, would falsely accuse their friends and relatives, while others moved by the same hopes, would falsely confess themselves to be witches. Many of the accusers and witnesses came forward and published denials of the truth of their testimony, to save their own lives. Mr. Paris in the Danver family, who was one of the most strong prosecutors of alleged witches, was compelled to resign his charge and leave the country. The acknowledgments of error and pleadings for mercy, could not restore the spirits of those who are hanged, nor make changes for the pains' others had suffered. The trick had prevailed in greatest desire more than six months, and it was not decreasing for more than a year. During that time nineteen had been hanged, and Corey Giles who is killed by the horrid process of pressing to death with stones because he would say if was guilty or innocent. He continued to say"more weight" (Miller 1113); until he died. In doing so, his family could keep his land. Others had been tortured or frightened into a confession of guilt or imprisoned. As one can see the power of superstition and the hearsay can distort the truth. The Salem witch trials were horrifying and it changes many peoples lives. The belief in witches did not end with the strange excitement. This strange episode in the history of Massachusetts astonished the civilized world, and made an unfavorable impression on others. --- Work Cited Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Ellen Bowler. ed. et al. Literature the American Experiance. Englewood cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1994.

General Musharraf and Engineered Democracy essays

General Musharraf and Engineered Democracy essays President Musharraf and Engineered Democracy "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." The period of the Musharraf regime in terms of the political scenario was clearly articulated by The International Crisis Group (ICG) that said that President Pervez Musharraf has been unilaterally instituting political and constitutional changes intended to ensure that generals retain the real power after the Oct 10 elections. In a latest report titled "Pakistan: Democracy needed not more military rule", the highly-reputed international group has noted that the Musharraf government is following the pattern of the country's previous military rulers of carrying out constitutional changes intended to ensure that "the generals retain the real power and any democratic transition falters before it begins." I believe that to get things going their way, the Musharraf government had started playing its cards from the very beginning. Probably, they realized that the international community was not going to stand a military regime in a country of geo-strategic importance for an extended period of time. Musharraf had to plan early, plan well and in the process stay well ahead of his adversaries. After the military coup, General Musharraf sent out a clear message to all by proclaiming himself as the Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan that he was clearly in control, and was here to stay. He started with suspending the 1973 constitution and promulgating the PCO. The judiciary was made to re-take the oath under the PCO, and Justice Irshad Hassan Khan was made the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, following the refusal of the senior judges of the Supreme Court, including Chief Justice Ajmal Mian, to retake the oath under the PCO. By installing the Chief Justic...

Free Essays on The First American Industrial Revolution

The First American Industrial Revolution Industrial Revolutions occur with the invention of new machinery that facilitates working conditions and in turn will change a nation’s way of life. A series of sub revolutions take place and the final outcome is drastic. The first American Industrial Revolution is no different; it will forever alter the United States economy between 1815 and 1850. An economy once based solely on agriculture will totally change and become one based on industry and trade of finished goods. Profit drives everything, so basic economic forces take place and 3 ways to increase profit appear. In order to increase profit more buyers are needed, a cheaper way to produce and a way to make more products are needed. Hamilton’s economic plan, as well as the Federalist and Republican plans, is successful in generating cash for the economy. The profits are coming from bonds issued to US citizens and taxes on imported goods that are also being made on United States soil thus promoting national sales over international sales. This is the very beginning of the first of 4 sub revolutions the commercial revolution. The war of 1812 made the nation aware of a need for better roads to transport troops and materials to defend itself. Most U.S. investors turned to international markets to invest. The idea of getting Americans to invest in America was born; this would help the economy and ensure success because effort would be placed in ventures money is involved. Madison, Henry Clay, John Calhoun had the idea of economic nationalism invest in America first and this is their plan. Institute a new National Bank the first bank was only to be in place for 20 years and after the time elapsed it was never renewed. The benefits were far too great to be overlooked. Protective tariffs were increased on more items these are taxes on imports that compete with products made in our country. To provide an improved and safer Nation, inter... Free Essays on The First American Industrial Revolution Free Essays on The First American Industrial Revolution The First American Industrial Revolution Industrial Revolutions occur with the invention of new machinery that facilitates working conditions and in turn will change a nation’s way of life. A series of sub revolutions take place and the final outcome is drastic. The first American Industrial Revolution is no different; it will forever alter the United States economy between 1815 and 1850. An economy once based solely on agriculture will totally change and become one based on industry and trade of finished goods. Profit drives everything, so basic economic forces take place and 3 ways to increase profit appear. In order to increase profit more buyers are needed, a cheaper way to produce and a way to make more products are needed. Hamilton’s economic plan, as well as the Federalist and Republican plans, is successful in generating cash for the economy. The profits are coming from bonds issued to US citizens and taxes on imported goods that are also being made on United States soil thus promoting national sales over international sales. This is the very beginning of the first of 4 sub revolutions the commercial revolution. The war of 1812 made the nation aware of a need for better roads to transport troops and materials to defend itself. Most U.S. investors turned to international markets to invest. The idea of getting Americans to invest in America was born; this would help the economy and ensure success because effort would be placed in ventures money is involved. Madison, Henry Clay, John Calhoun had the idea of economic nationalism invest in America first and this is their plan. Institute a new National Bank the first bank was only to be in place for 20 years and after the time elapsed it was never renewed. The benefits were far too great to be overlooked. Protective tariffs were increased on more items these are taxes on imports that compete with products made in our country. To provide an improved and safer Nation, inter...

Joe dimaggio's life and significance in his era Research Paper

Joe dimaggio's life and significance in his era - Research Paper Example In 1936 DiMaggio joined New York Yankees and he played for them till 1951 (Anonymous. â€Å"Life Story†). Yankees managed to win nine championships by using the leadership and class of DiMaggio. He is the only player who was an important part of four world champion teams and eventually these were his first four fulltime seasons (Anonymous. â€Å"Life Story†). This is an incredible record in the history of North American sports. DiMaggio’s skills were incomparable and to honor his potentials he was chosen as the most valuable player of the American League. To his fans he was known as â€Å"Joltin’ Joe†. Broadcaster Arch McDonald used to call him ‘Yankee Clipper’ for his gracefulness in the ground. In his career DiMaggio scored 361 home runs. Furthermore there are 389 doubles and 131 triples under his name. There were almost 4529 put-outs that involved DiMaggio. In the year 1954, DiMaggio was given place in the ‘National Baseball Ha ll of Fame’ (Dennis Gaffney. â€Å"Joe DiMaggio†). Off the field DiMaggio was not as successful as he was inside the field. As a person he was known to be a shy individual. Dorothy Arnold (Oomph Girl) was his first wife, but their marriage crumbled after three years. He took retirement in 1951 and worked as a commentator, but unfortunately he was not liked very much. Then he worked as a coach as well as vice president of Oakland Athletics (Dennis Gaffney.

Five key factors to team effectiveness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Five key factors to team effectiveness - Essay Example This article will firstly give brief explanation of team and teamwork, and try to find out some key conditions of developing effective team through collating early literature. The focus will be in the scope of human resource management even though much research discussed team combining consideration of organizations and leadership etc. The characteristics of effective team will be assessed and continually some issues will be arisen and viewed as challenges for managers examining. Debates also arise in the parts of the autonomy and reward. Finally the conclusion will mention the required change in the managers' roles in a changing environment. A team is a group of people assigned a task or a set of tasks to accomplish and often 'granted autonomy over how to accomplish their assignment' (Baron & Kreps, 1999). Harris and Harris define teamwork as 'a work group or unit with a common purpose through which members develop mutual relationships for the achievement of goals/tasks' (Tarricone & Luca, 2002). Combining the concept of autonomy, the definition of teamwork is chosen here for providing a simple, conceptual notion to discuss work teams with various purposes and types in business environment context. Since team-working has been widely ... Study has identified effective teamwork as one of the underlying elements of businesses with high performance. In other words, successful corporations 'rely on teamwork as an essential basis for everyday operations (Tarricone & Luca, 2002).' Therefore, the characteristics of effective team-working have been drawn and listed in tremendous amount of research. The conditions included in this article are listed and discussed next. 1. Mission clarity Some studies list the mission clarity as one of the necessary conditions (Sundstorm, Meuse & Futrell, 1990; Gustafson & Kleiner, 1994; Natale, Libertella & Rothschild, 1995; Borrelli, Cable & Higgs, 1995; ) or the most important one (Davis & Scase, 2000) while discussing effective team. Mission clarity means all team members fully and clearly perceive the purpose, goal and task. Purpose is that team members need to know why they are gathered to form a team, which means team formation (Gustafson & Kleiner, 1994). Goal is the target which members need to achieve, and it includes the match of short-term objectives and long-term strategies. Task contains deciding what should be done and assigning work. 2. Rewards and recognition Rewards occur while team tasks or goals are accomplished and the achievement appeals to be significant for the team or organization. Rewards may contain praise for team success, pay, time off and promotion etc. These outcomes are 'bestowed by people other than group members', and they 'do not include any benefits derived from within the group.'(Shea & Guzzo, 1987) Recognition is that 'individual contributions to the team and team contributions to the

God and Mephistopheles Essay Example for Free

God and Mephistopheles Essay In the prologue of Faust, Mephisto entered into agreement with the Lord. What are the terms of the agreement, and how does he go about attempting to win? What exactly does achieve in the process? In the beginning of the tragedy there is a dialogue between God and Mephistopheles. Mephistopheles says that people can’t use their mind in the right way. God argues and gives an example of Faust’s serving to Him and to people. Then Mephistopheles asks permission to put Faust on any trial because he wants to prove that Faust will fail. He obtains such permission but God is sure that Faust will feel the right way and that he will be saved. So, the struggle for Faust’s soul begins. As Faust is anxious about finding the highest sense of life, Mephistopheles wants to show the delights to Faust. They deal that if the scientist wants a moment to stay forever, he will be Mephistopheles’ servant. He tries to tempt him with the help of beautiful women Margaret and then Helen, but Faust can’t get a full happiness with them. The author reveals this idea by Helen’s words while her disappearing: â€Å"Alas, the ancient word proves true for me, as well: That joy and beauty never lastingly unite. † Mephistopheles also tries to arouse Faust’s desire to glory and worship but these attempts have no success. Finally Faust wishes the moment to stay forever, but Mephistopheles doesn’t win. It happens when he is building dam in order to help the people who suffer from floods. This wish is altruistic and that’s why Faust is saved. He finds the highest sense of life in common action that is necessary for everybody and that is realized by everybody. Outline some of the themes in Faust, and explain one briefly. In my opinion, it is possible to outline such themes of the tragedy as struggle between good and evil that occurs at global and private levels, the failure of the human ambitions to control and to change the nature and the natural phenomenon, the eternal search of the highest sense of life. The last theme is the main one of the tragedy, because Faust is anxious about getting absolute happiness. The temptations that Mephistopheles proposed to Faust couldn’t bring real and lasting joy. It means that people can hardly be happy when they rely on the things that pass soon as feeling in love and using the power upon people and glory. Feeling in love is wonderful, but it doesn’t guarantee the happiness. People are selfish and they do harm to their nearest very often. The example of the relationships between Faust and Margaret confirms this thought, because the main character’s selfish desire was a reason of Margaret death and the murders of her mother, child and brother. So, the idea of serving to people is contrasted to the selfish wishes of people. Faust was saved because his final deed was philanthropic. By the example of Faust Goethe shows us that a person always feel deep inside what is right and what is wrong but unfortunately it doesn’t mean that everybody finds the true sense of life. Compare and contrast the uses and/or criticism of religion in Hamlet and Faust. The Hamlet’s problem contains more philosophic and social aspects than religious ones. He struggles with the time he lives in and tries to improve it but he fails. Unsuccessful attempts of changing the world that doesn’t fit with Hamlet’s ideals results his fatalism and the final events of the tragedy. Hamlet doubts in the right of the events of global concern and that’s why his attitude towards religion is also doubtful. In his main monologue Hamlet supposes that death is a means of solving the problems of life. This thought doesn’t fit to the Christian ideas which had to be close for him. To my mind, the ideas of â€Å"Faust† are opposite to the ones of â€Å"Hamlet†. Goethe develops the plot of the tragedy with the help of such characters as God and Mephistopheles that demonstrates the authors’ persuasion that people are ruled by the supernatural essences. The fact that Faust is working on New Testament’s translation also reveals the idea of constant interaction between people and God. Goethe thinks that serving to people and serving to God are equal virtues. The fact that Mephistopheles couldn’t win the agreement also confirms the religious idea of constant victory of good. The main characters of the world literature’s masterpieces Hamlet and Faust are compared with each other frequently. Their personalities are alike because both of them try to struggle with the world order and challenge the destiny. Faust is going to know all the secrets of nature and his way to improve his own life and the whole world is scientific. What about Hamlet, he broadens the tragedy of his family to a global scale that’s why his thoughts about injustice concern not only his uncle but the human’s life. The first of act of Hamlet reveals that the ghost of his father assigns Hamlet an ambiguous duty. What are these duties, and using the text effectively, explain the one you think Hamlets satisfied? In the first act Hamlet knows from the Ghost of his father that he was killed and the Ghost asks him to revenge to Hamlet’s uncle for this murder. Though, the most important thing while revenging is to keep the soul innocent: â€Å"But, howsoever thou pursuest this act, Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive Against thy mother aught†¦Ã¢â‚¬  To my mind, Hamlet couldn’t execute such necessary conditions. Finally he revenges to Claudius, but as a result not only Hamlet’s mother died. Ophelia, Laertes, Polonius also became victims of the revenge. In the beginning the Hamlet’s soul doubted about the ways of the vengeance and he suffered a lot from these doubts, but the view of warriors has a great influence on him. The warriors are going to fight because of the land that their ruler doesn’t want to rent. The fact that twenty thousands of people are going to die because the honor of the king is wounded makes him decide that his thoughts and actions should be bloody and ruthless. He can’t keep his soul clear because, to my mind, his fault for the deaths of people that are close to him finally destroys his conscience.