discussion response

Hi, I am needing assistance in writing two responses to a weekly discussion post. Here are the instructions listed below:

The material to be used for this week’s discussion is Readings: “The Development of the Medieval State.” You can find the readings in the Modules.

You also must respond to at least two of your classmate’s posts (at least 150 words for EACH response). 1.The responses to your classmates (150 words each) should be to posts from Question 1 and Question 2.

Remember, you are to contribute in a meaningful way to the discussions. Credit will not be given for a simple “I agree” type of posting. Your initial post should take place NO LATER than Wednesday evening during the week.

Response 1:
5. Remember that most literate people in the Middle Ages were clerics, so all of the documents were probably written by priests or monks. How might this have affected their account of events? Given what you’ve read and looked at, what actions would you now regard as the most significant in the creation of the medieval state?

The Middle Ages was a period where many of the powerhouse empires had already fallen apart or were barely holding it together. This era was filled with violence, poverty, greed and the illiteracy rate was extremely high for the common citizen but many of the respected religious officials could read and write. We have documented events from this era but I feel as though the conditions were a bit harsher than what has been documented. A priest or monk may paint the picture that this era being bad but a religious figure that may not be exposed to a lot of the hectic situations that surrounded them directly may articulate it in a better many due to their beliefs in hope and prosperity. I feel like human nature naturally tells you this is a place I shouldn’t be in and many probably felt like this so much of the information was provided by a second hand source. Additionally, the exact opposite could have been the case where events could of been articulated in a harsher manner as well by the second hand source as well. The main point I am getting at is the figures weren’t directly exposed to get a direct observation in most cases. With my interruption of the events pertaining to the literacy rate during the dark ages, I feel like the creation of Christian as a primary religion was huge. Many warlords and emperors converted to Christianity over a few centuries. At one time it was a negative blemish to be Christian but those personnel that were executed were so filled with faith and hope which caused the religion to be heavy talked about. Seeing and talking about someone being happily executed for their religion caused many people to convert to Christianity. These are my opinions on how the literary rate and Christianity flourished during the Middle Ages based on chapter 8-9 material.

Response 2:

3 .As for the rulers themselves, how would you compare the three visual depictions of rulers? Might any differences you see be explained by differences in functions of these depictions (the last one is a tomb sculpture)? Why might rulers wish to express certain aspects while they are still living, and make sure others are stressed after they’re dead?

A.The three visual depictions of rulers were paintings, statues, and tapestries. In the manuscript-illumination of Emporer Otto III where he is seated on his throne, he demonstrates power. King Harold of England was depicted sitting on his throne with Halley’s Comet showing men acclaiming him as the king showing his social status, and the tomb sculpture of Duke Henry was showing mortality. Some objects had other meanings as well, such as the crown’s points symbolizing the sun, and the crown of thorns symbolizing the domination and protection of the land. I believe rulers might emphasize certain aspects like how divine and guided by the holy spirit they are. During their living royal career to increase influence and overall approval, these portraits would emphasize how righteous and holy the ruler was; and they would continue to reign over the land and increase overall chances of remaining in power. The blessing of God validated the ruler’s decisions. If a ruler emphasized how fair, safe, and engaged with the general population’s issues he was, the more overall approval the ruler would get throughout the kingdom. Some aspects after death that a ruler might like to emphasize are that they are the pyramid of the vassals and that they received their power from God himself and the ruler is with Him. The ruler would more than likely prefer to be remembered as sacred, and would more than likely emphasize their connection and assimilation with God. The church had a major influence on the ruler’s image, and any art depicting God supporting the ruler, or the church being in support of what the ruler was accomplishing a positive image with sculptures, tapestries, and portraits helped support the overall positive influence of the ruler. These religious aspects would be more emphasized after death reaffirming the land that the ruler was of some divine blessing and vision. Visual representation before and after death was essential for maintaining a certain image of the rulers to maintain a rule cycle where they could continue to have rulers.