3-4+Lauren+B.

SCARLET AND MINIVER entries

**MARCH 24, 2012**


 * Eleanor and Louis were betrothed later than most nobility in the 12 century. Eleanor because of her father's pride and Louis because he was not originally in line of succession of the thrown. Eleanor's father never thought to betroth her because he didn't thought ahead, "that the fair Eleanor was saved because her father and her grandfather thought that they would never die" (Konigsburg 20). Her father was blinded by pride to foresee that he would be weak or even dead in the future. Louis was never betrothed because he was born the second son ,and if his brother Phillip had not broken his neck, he would have become a monk. Both Louis and Eleanor were not betrothed due to special circumstances. **




 * Eleanor has made many selfish and wrong decisions that have effected her and many others for the worst. One example is when she goes against Louis orders when she is riding in the front line of the crusader's caravan. She decides that the plains are too dull and orders the men to make camp in a valley below rather in the safer, more sensible plateau. "come, Geoffrey of Racon, we will camp on God's green earth tonight. I sear that Heaven sucked all the juice of life from this plain because he didn't want man on it" (58). In response to her decision, the crusaders and Louis were put in a vulnerable position where they were ambushed by the Turks. Many lives were lost, an innocent man was almost hung, and her husband almost died because of Eleanor's foolish desires. **


 * MARCH 27, 2012 **


 * Divine Justice is the judgement ‍‍of god that determines a person's fate. Like karma, your actions decide your destiny. Abbot Bernad thinks that Geoffrey died via Divine Justice because he had sinned. After the second crusades, Geoffrey imprisoned Loui's steward because he was constantly attacking his lands and he couldn't retalliate because Louis was off at war. "It is a sin to keep your king's steward in chains"(Konigsburg 81) Since Geoffrey was bad he had a bad fate and died. If Divine Justice does exist a person's decisions and/or actions change his/her life and the lives of others because how a person acts is judged in the court of God and those decisions affect all those people around the person. ‍‍ **



‍
 * Henry wanted Thomas Becket, hi‍‍s steward, to become the Archbishop of Canterbury. However, Eleanor and Matilda were opposed to the idea. Henry wanted Becket to become Archbishop because he wanted to unite Church law and English law together. He thought that Tomas would be loyal to him and help him with his goals. Eleanor and Matilda on the other had thought that Thomas would change his loyalties as soon as he gets the position ****. "Thomas will do whatever job is set before him, and he will do it well. Too well. He will always give his best to the higher sovereign. And ,Henry, my son, as much as I love you, you are no match for God. Thomas will choose to serve God rather than you" (116). ****In the end Thomas does in fact end up siding with the Church, which was in most cases Eleanor's ex-husband, Louis of France. **


 * APRIL 2, 2012 **

**Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry Plantagenet had very different teaching methods. While Henry made his son run errands, Eleanor let her son make important decisions. One example is when Henry is mad at his father for not letting him rule, "Young Henry saw how his mother taught Richard the ways of the ways of the Aquitaine, how she allowed him to make decisions as well as to do the routine, and his anger at his father grew." (Konigsburg 104). Richard was affected by his mother's teaching methods because he became a strong and able leader of the Aquitaine. Young Henry was affected by his father's teaching methods because he grew angry that he did not have a chance to rule along side him like Richard did with Eleanor.** **Both women and men have been affected by the establishment of the rules of courtly love. Established by Eleanor of Aquitaine and her daughter, Marie of Champane the courts of love were created to raise women's status and to instill the idea of romance in the hearts of men. This system set up "laws" on how to treat a woman and men could come to court and be juged on their actions and wheather or not their love was true. For example, knights could come to the court and confess thier love of a lady and judgement would be given, "The jury would read form the book of Rules of Courtly Love. Penalties-some songs or some being pelted by roses-were given" (134). Men and women are still affected by the rules of courtly love today. This can be seen most often when a man is dating or married to a lady. He might hold the door for her or he could help her sit at a table.**