Eleanor of Aquitaine In my opinion, no women appeared so dramatic over as Wu Zetian. She was powerful, she was heartless and cruel, and also she was the only empress in China. However, after some researches I did about Eleanor of Aquitaine, I found out that she also had a very dramatic and impressive life almost same as Wu zetian, and she used to be the duchess if Aquitaine and Poitou, queen of England, and “the grandmother of Europe”. Also, she brought a huge influence on the society at that time, too. The first influence she brought is that the under Eleanor’s ruling, Aquitaine became that European art center, also known as the “ the land of love” and “ the center of the world”. Eleanor’s father is the Duke of Aquitaine, which is known …show more content…
as William X, her mother was Viscount of Châtellerault, who is the daughter of Aimery I. Marriage between her father and mother, had been arranged by her grandfather William IX.
Science Eleanor was little, her father William X, made sure that she had the best education as possible as he could provide. She learned arithmetic, history and the constellations. Later, she learned domestic skills like the needle arts of embroidery, needlepoint, sewing, spinning, weaving and household management. She finished her learning by developing skills in dancing, conversation, chess, checkers, singing, and playing the harp. During her learning, she also learned to speak Latin, and good at music and literature. She also studied riding, hawking, and hunting. Also, during her growing up, she also influenced deeply by her grandfather – William IX. Her grandfather was a famous troubadour. With all these great education and influence from his grandfather, she became a very extroverted, lively, intelligent and open – mind …show more content…
lady. After she inherited the Aquitaine and Poitou, she decided to use her immense wealth to fund the rising artists in all areas, especially for troubadour, singing poets, romances court love stories writers, such as Mary de France, Chrétien de Troyes. With her help, the arts, literature, music and son on was bloomed everywhere in that time, important works in history also composed under Eleanor’s ruling. It is fair enough to say that under the ruling of Eleanor, the Aquitaine became that European art center. The second influence that Eleanor brought was her attitude towards to marriages and church.
During the High Medieval Period, people’s opinions and behaviors were controlled by the Church. Church believed that women should belong to men and they needed to be subservient to men. Women at that time seen as objects could be sold and bought by men. However for Eleanor, she controlled her own marriage and fate, she used to announce that she did not want to have the marriage with her husband anymore, which was her first marriage with Louis VII. After married to Louis VII, Eleanor became a birth machine to his husband; her husband wanted a boy to inherit his crown, but for open - mind Eleanor, she could not bear this - she wanted a husband who really loved her. As a result, their marriage became very fragile. When Louis decided to join the second Crusade, Eleanor decided to take part in too; also she contributed armies for that cause, and she decided to come with Lois to the battle, brought almost three hundred ladies with her. The church did not agree with the idea that Eleanor wanted to follow with her husband of joining the Crusade. No women at that time would challenge the Church, let along to let a woman join the battle. Eleanor showed how powerful and how rich she was to the world, and also the Church could not stop her. During the Crusade, Eleanor met her uncle Raymond, who sooner fell in love with Eleanor. The trip to Jerusalem was failed, and they return back to France.
After a while they back to France, the death of Raymond made Eleanor and Louis became strangers. Soon, Eleanor wanted to divorce with Louis by “ announcing to the Church that her marriage to Louis could not be legal in the eyes of God since they were cousins” (“Eleanor of Aquitaine”). The marriage ended up soon and Eleanor back to her place with all her property. At that time, Eleanor changed the way that people think a woman. She was a wife, a mother; also she was the queen of France, a leader. She showed the world how a woman could involve in political and she had the power that fought with the Church. Eleanor of Aquitaine impacted almost entire Europe in Medieval Period. Men saw her as an unusual beauty; I saw her as an open - mind, lovely, freethinking and extruded human, which was very unusual during that time. For most common women, they just sat at home, gave birth to their men, cook for their men; but Eleanor, she was out fighting, she had a very political mind to be a leader, she could fight with the Church, and she was quite different from other people. As we all known, she not only left a huge influence on Europe during the High Middle age but also impacted the process of the history.
While Eleanor was married to King Louis VII, Louis and Eleanor joined the second crusade and met up with Eleanor’s handsome uncle Raymond (Au, p.1). Louis began to notice Eleanor growing closer to Raymond (Au, p.1), so he forced her to go along with him to capture the Holy Land in Jerusalem, fearing an eventual love affair (Au, p.1). After the failed trip to Jerusalem, the pair went back to France, where Eleanor fell out of love with her husband. Even though the pope forbade them from dissolving the marriage (Goodman, 2013, p.3), she still found a way to divorce Louis, announcing that her marriage couldn’t be legal in God’s eyes since they were cousins (Au, p.1). Their marriage was annulled, and all of Eleanor’s property was then returned to her following medieval custom (Au, p.1). Hildegard of Bingen was the complete opposite in terms of how she went about achieving her goals, holding a religious authority’s opinion in the highest respect. Since Hildegard was especially concerned about sharing her visions because she lived in a period when the Church was torn apart by heresy, she didn’t want to do anything to label herself as a heretic (Hildegard of Bingen, 2015, p.1). With the permission of the abbot of St. Disibod, Hildegard began to write her vision down (Ferrante, 2014, p.1). Before she published it, it was approved by a papal commission named by Pope Eugene III, at the instigation of her archbishop, Henry of Mainz (Ferrante, 2014, p.1), and with support of Bernard of Clairvaux, who she had written to for advice (Delahoyde, Hildegard of Bingen, p.1). Eleanor always had her eye on the future, and didn’t allow her bad marriage with Louis to hold her back from further political influence. Just 2 months after she
Eleanor of Aquitaine (ca. 1122-1204) had a tremendous impact in the 12th century; Europe became a completely different place after Eleanor’s reign. She changed the way that women were seen and treated at that time. She ignored the traditional values and expectations people had towards women. Women were considered to be submissive and had numerous limitations. In addition, she greatly contributed to art and poetry.
The informational articles “Empress Theodora” by The World Almanac and “Elizabeth I” by Milton Meltzer it talks about two rulers who brought their kingdoms to their highest points. Both Empress Theodora and Elizabeth I impacted their respective kingdoms by making many changes during their reigns that improved conditions for their citizens.
In medieval history, women were mainly viewed as property. However little did men know that women had their own beliefs and desires. In Twentieth Century Interpretations of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Cecily Clark states, “Apart from the minor point concerning pronouns of address, her style bears no resemblance to her husbands” (Clark 36). Most women would agree with Clark in his saying that the only thing women have the same as their husband’s is their last name, which recently isn’t always the case.
The Chinese possessed strong beliefs about astrology, so when it was prophesised that a women ruler would soon ascend the throne word quickly spread throughout the common people. It was predicted that within 30 years this woman known as ‘The Prince of Wu’ would rule over China. Whether or not Empress Wu’s rise to power was due to ‘heaven ordained fate’, she fulfilled the prophecy and became China’s first woman ruler in the 7th century. Historians, scholars and common people alike have long debated Wu’s reign. She is commonly referred to as an evil usurper due to the way she took power. However whether she fully deserves this reputation is to be examined. As the only female Chinese ruler, Wu challenged traditional gender roles and legitimized herself as a leader at a time when women were not meant for such positions. Empress Wu came to power through self-determination and a remarkable gift for politics. Once on the throne, she kept her power by all means necessary, often those means being murder and betrayal. Some of her actions were undoubtedly cruel. However once she was established as an empress conducted a mostly peaceful and prosperous reign. Empress Wu was by definition a usurper of the Chinese throne however not necessarily an evil one. She was manipulative and ruthless yet brilliant and exceptionally gifted. Her rise to power through sheer determination is to be commended despite the harsh tactics she used along the way.
The Empress Dowager Tzi-his (1835-1908) was a unique ruler unlike any other China had ever seen. She is considered to be one of the most influential people in Chinese history, a rarity in the male dominated Chinese world. The empress dowager exerted great power over the Chinese empire and influenced the political structure in ways it had never been influenced before, making many great reforms that she believed would help the Chinese people.
Like many other women of her time Eleanor came from a long line of noble and royal blood. Her lineage can be traced back to the earliest kings of both England and France.(follow link to take a look at Eleanor’s very long family tree http://www.my-ged.com/db/page/scokin/12251) Her father William X was the son of France’s first troubadour, William IX and Eleanor’s early life was saturated with culture and learning. The court of her father and grandfather was thought to be the main culture center of the time. At age 15, with her father’s passing, Eleanor became the sole heiress and ruler of the largest duchy in France – Aquitane. Eleanor was then betrothed to Louis VII of France in order to unite their vast territories. In fifteen years however, Eleanor’s marriage and queenship were over. The pope on the pretext of close kinship ties annulled her unhappy marriage to Louis. At age 30 Eleanor had given up her throne and her daughters and returned to Aquitane to rule. Within a few years Eleanor was married to Henry Plantengent, the Duke of Normandy and ruler of the second most powerful duchy in France (second to her own Aquitane). In 1154 Henry was crowned King of England and Eleanor was now Queen of England, duchess of Aquitane and duchess of Normandy. Eleanor and Henry had eight children together, including Richard the Lionheart and John. In 1173, afte...
Marie de Champagne is the oldest daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen first of France and then of England. Known for her interest in poetry, music and the arts, Eleanor is "credited with the development of the rules of courtly love, and for their dissemination throughout the medieval society of France and England" (Patronage 1). Sharing a very strong mother-daughter relationship, "Marie is known to have shared many of her mother's views and ideas" (Patronage 1). Competing against each other in an "elaborate intellectual game," Eleanor and Marie "try to outdo each other in presenting situations which test the boundaries of courtly love" (Patronage 1).
Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine was a whole new breed of woman. She married, lavishly loved, ruled two countries and was her own woman, all from a young age. As a queen and mother of many, both biologically and to her people, she set examples of early independence of women by standing out among a world ruled by man.
Queen Victoria is ought to be the most important person in this era. Considering she was the queen crowned at age 18. Also ruling over the United Kingdom for 64 years, and this era was quite going through many changes to becoming modernized. She had influence from her early years; The Prime Minister and Her husband, Prince Albert. The taught her about being a ruler in a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch didn’t have much power but could influence decisions. Her personal life in matter is quite interesting.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful women of the Dark Ages. She was married to one the best kings of the Dark Ages, Henry II. Growing up, she was well educated and was raised in one of Europe’s most cultured courts. She gained a vast inheritance when her only brother and father died. Being the eldest of the siblings, at fifteen-years-old, Eleanor had become the most eligible heiress in Europe.
“I am not afraid… I was born to do this,” confidently stated the brave and courageous Joan of Arc on her feelings of leading an army into battle (Joan of Arc). From being born into an ordinary farming family in northeastern France to becoming canonized a saint, Joan lived a legacy. Her call to life a holy life from God and to lead France into many battles against England show her strong faith and trust in the Lord. The early life, uprising, downfall, and canonization of Joan of Arc are factors that summarize her extraordinary life. Her humility during the good times and her strength during bad times make Joan an admirable woman.
Catherine the Great was the most known Queen in Russia. The general history of Catherine the Great is unique because it left the lasting effect of the citizens of Russia upon the people that had better lives due to her. Catherine had said once, “Power without a nation's confidence is nothing.” With her as the Queen, the nation had confidence and still remembers her today ("Catherine the Great Quotes - BrainyQuote.").
Eleanor of Aquitaine was born in 1122 in Aquitaine to William X and Aenor of Chatellerault. During her time she was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women alive. She was crowned the queen of France on December 25, 1137, just fifteen years old. She was married to King Louis VII. Eleanor was said to have been very energetic and had a passion for hunting and poetry. She participated in the Second Crusade; she and 300 ladies and female servants dressed in armor and carried lances, despite not having done any fighting. She and Louis argued over how to fight the Crusade and Eleanor announced that she and Louis’ marriage was not valid in God’s eyes due to possibly being related through some family connections. However, Eleanor was still forced to carry on with Louis’ plans to reach Jerusalem rather than just recapture Edessa. The Second Crusade failed. Her marriage to Louis was annulled in 1152. Eleanor had bore him two daughters but no male heir. Because of this their marriage had been strained, and it didn’t help that rumors had been spreading of Eleanor having an affair with a fam...
When she was 15, she married Louis VII, the heir of the French throne. When she couldn’t give him a male child, King Louis VII ended the marriage. She regained Aquitaine. Soon after she married Henry II, king of England. When they got married, Henry II had more land in France then the king of France did. Although Henry II did own a lot of land, he did some things that did not make the archbishop Thomas Becket unhappy. He didn’t like how Henry II made priests under the authority of the royal