Advantages Of William The Conqueror

Was Philip II of Spain a successful absolute monarch during his rule? Many people believe he had what it took to be absolute monarch, but there were several constraints he faced as a ruler in Spain. Philip II was known for building one of the largest empires from creating effective domestic and foreign policies to gain leadership of his kingdom instead of the local authorities in charge, but he did face problems while ruling the kingdom. His addressed many of these policies, such as the policy against the Turks, but there were also many policies that were humiliating to his rule in power. Philip II faced many problems, some of them as a result of his policies and some of them were to fix his problems while in power.

One can see an example while looking back on Henry’s youthful experiences. Before taking oath as king, Henry was involved with some scrupulous characters. He would

Although he was victorious in both of them, his troops were exhausted and did not have sufficient energy to perform at their best. At the beginning of the battle, he managed get a good advantage - he positioned his troops on top of a hill, making it difficult for William to get to his army and attack him. However, towards the end of the battle, William set a trap to draw Harold from his strong position – and he fell for it. Once they were on even ground, Harold’s exhausted troops could not counter the attacks from William’s well-trained and nourished army.

While Richard left England to oversee the progress of his foreign war, Henry and the other nobles began plans to take Richard's kingdom. This was a crucial mistake on Richard's part. By not taking care of issues on the domestic front, Richard's followers and soldiers grew increasingly weary of his ability to lead and be an effective king, eventually siding with Henry. Henry proceeded to capture Bristol Castle, a stronghold of Richard's and began his plans on being ordained future king.

However, Edward did something very odd—he promised the crown to William, Duke of Normandy—a cousin through Edward’s mother, Emma. This perplexingly odd promise was made even stranger when, according to the Bayeux Tapestry, Harold was shipwrecked off the coast of Normandy and brought to stay at the court of William. There he supposedly swore an unbreakable oath, giving William his loyalty and support in his path to the crown. He returned to England. Yet when the king died, his dying words seemed to be appointing Harold “protector” of England, which was interpreted as “king”. So Harold was named the king, breaking his supposed promise to William. Furious, William invaded England. Freshly crowned, Harold was not only dealing with this Norman threat, but also an invading Norwegian Viking army, led by Harald Hardrada, who, like William, also believed he had a claim to the throne. Harold easily defeated Harald’s forces at the Battle of Stamford Bridge (near York), but then was forced to drive his tired, bedraggled army to Hastings to confront the invading Norman troops. There, at the famed Battle of Hastings, William became William the Conqueror, decisively defeating the English, killing Harold, and winning the crown.

Arguably the most important factor in the exertion of power over the English was the ability by the Normans to act militarily. The warlike attitude of the Normans, combined with the religious aspects that will be discussed later, provided them with a ready and capable army with which to support William’s claim to the throne. The early years of William’s rule, after the 1066 defeat of Harold, emerged as a sort of military occupation within England by the Normans. These years were crucial in the Norman advance within England. When William came to England he arrived with a large support of military men and much of these supporting military men remained in England because of their military duties. This army aided William not only in the initial battle against Harold, but later as well, through their

Both William II and Henry I were strong soldiers like their father and fought in their wars alongside their soldiers. [1][2] Different historians believe each to be the better solider. Most Historians believe Henry I to be the stronger swordsmen, but we must remember that most of the sources found are written with a very biased view, leaning towards Henry I as he was a religious man, unlike William II. The fact of who is the better swordsman is one that can never truly be discovered.

Richard was the third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and he was given the duchy of Aquitaine, his mother’s inheritance, at the age of 11 and was enthroned as duke at Poitiers in 1172. Richard possessed precocious political and military ability, he won fame for his knightly prowess, and quickly learned how to control the

A defining feature between these two men’s fate is Richard’s dependence on good fortune through divine intervention, whereas Henry and Machiavelli rely on free will, what they themselves can do to manipulate the situation. Richard calls upon God to defend him, thinking that he can manipulate God’s will to fit his desires, “angels fight, weak men must fall, for heaven still guards the right” (III.ii pg 409) This idea of unearthly abilities that allow him to manipulate nature itself, even England is stupid and shows how incompetent he is. Compared to Henry in this play, he is someone who wants to serve England, not how England can serve them; in other words what you can do for your country. Machiavelli states that “so long as fortune varies, and men stand still, they will prosper while they suit the times, and fail when they do not”, Richard in all ways fills this statement, his reliance on fortune seals his fate in the end (Machiavelli 148). Shakespeare shows this antiquated idea to show how much England needed a change of leadership and rule, the end of medievalism and the rise of Machiavellianism.

Harold went north to meet the invaders at Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, where he won a victory over the Viking army. The winds William had been waiting for turned favorable and he set sail with his massive army. News of his landing at Pevensey was told to Harold, who responded by hurrying south to meet him, giving his exhausted army no rest. If Harold had rested and reorganized his army, the outcome of the battle and English history could have been very different.

I am very persistent. Once I set my mind to something, I strive for it until I achieve it or it has proved impossible for me to obtain my goal. It was once my goal to join the Army. Although I was overweight, I worked until I made the correct weight limit and kept trying to join until they told me I couldn't join because I had eczema as a child. I believe that I should always try my hardest and do my best as much as possible in every situation.

Despite the support from The Witan, Harold’s claim to the throne is problematic due to an oath. It is believed that Harold had made an oath to William Duke of Normandy, that he would help secure the throne for William upon Edward’s death. William profoundly believed that he would be the new King of England upon Edward’s death. It never occurred him that he would have to conquer England, in the words of Howarth. William’s relation to Edward, the promise Edward allegedly made, and Harold’s oath was security to William. The Norman’s angst against Harold as

Through his time at war as well as some other major events that happened during his life, Richard came to be known as the “Lionheart.” One of these events would be the revolt against his father in 1173. It is believed that Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard’s mother, manipulated her sons (Richard, Geoffrey, and Henry III) to revolt against their father. Seeking protection from Louis VII, Henry III abandoned his father and left for the French court, shortly followed by his two brothers. After a short amount of time, the brothers had attracted the support of many barons through bribing them with money and land. After a successful beginning to the revolt, Henry II marched his army of over twenty thousand soldiers to face the rebellion and recaptured Dol and subdued Brittany. Henry II attempted to make peace with his sons at this point, but as they had promised Louis VII, they declined. Henry II continued to capture more cities and returned to England with five hundred soldiers and his prisoners, including Eleanor and his sons’ wives and fiancées. After Henry II defeated Louis VII, a treaty was made and Richard was specifically excluded. This rebellion against his father resulted in less generous terms, where Richard was given control of two castles in Pitou, instead of four castles in Aquitaine, and half the income of Aquitaine, instead of half of the income of the duchy. Eleanor was also to remain a

Richard II is an authoritative and greedy king of England, and he is living in a period of transition that medieval knights who are swearing total loyalty to a king has been disappearing and an aristocracy starts to gain a power for their own good. However, Richard II keeps believing the power of kingship, and he also is too confident himself. He overestimates his authority and power; furthermore, he ignores the periodical change. Therefore, he speaks confidently how firm his position as king is to the people in Wales, but his attitude changes when he suffers a defeat by Henry Bolingbroke that he

It is in this scene that we witness the weakness of a king but the strength of a man. Richard stops the fight from happening, again with great ceremony. "Withdraw with us; and let the trumpets sound" (I.iii.130).