1-2+P.J.+M.

Friday, March 23, 2012- Wiki Post #1: Proud Taste for Scarlet & Miniver
 In E.L. Konigsburg novel, //A Proud Taste for Scarlet & Miniver//, Eleanor is in need for a husband. When her father, William Duke of Aquitaine, suddenly reaches death, the families' land is all hers. She was the "richest orphan in Europe". With the fighting for land, William of Aquitaine knew that his daughter would need a husband, but one in particular, Prince Louis. Louis would get the land and Eleanor would get the name. " William knew his daughter needed a husband, and that is why he had to send messengers to his king. William of Aquitaine wanted his daughter Eleanor wed to the King's son, Prince Louis. With Eleanorwould come land. With Louis would come a title. A good marriage. A marriage of pomp and pocketbook " (15). William of Aquitaine and Eleanor's grandfather, William the Troubadour, never thought that they would ever die and for that reason, Eleanor never was be trothed when she was younger. William thought that if he would never die that he would have all the land and wealth, and Eleanor wouldn't need a husband because she shared the power. This shows that Eleanor's family is cocky because they never know what could happen. Louis father didn't betroth him a younger age probably because he was being selfish and knew that he would wait to find someone who is rich with land to wed his son. It was selfish on both families part to have their children forced to marry someone without having their child say, but that must be what they did back in the 12th century.

Throughout the novel, //A Proud Taste of Scarlet and Miniver,// by E.L. Konigsburg, the character's decisions and actions have changed their life so far. Louis, Prince of France, decided to challenge the Pope. He thought that he, the prince, should appoint the bishop instead of the Pope. With this, the Pope advised Abbott Bernard to deal with Prince Louis. When Abbott Bernard came to tell Louis that he was working for the Devil an that he must remove his bishops, Louis ignored him and refused. With Abbott Bernard furious about Louis's behavior, he excommunicated Louis from the church.  " Abbott Bernard came to see Louis to him that he was working for the devil. Louis paid no attention. Abbott Bernard demanded that Louis remove his bishops. Louis refused. Abbott Bernard excommunicated Louis " (36). Louis's decision to go against the Pope resulted to excommunication. This means that Louis is not allowed to pray, receive communion, an d entry to God's kingdom. Another decision made by a character that changed their life was by Eleanor. Eleanor, Queen of France, went on the Crusade with her husband, Prince Louis. When Eleanor decided to camp in the valley where Louis did not, almost resulted a danger. Eleanor didn't tell Louis where she was camped and thought that he would eventually look down at the valley and find them. While looking for Eleanor, Louis and his men didn't see the Turks coming to attack. Eleanor's decision to camp in a different valley almost resulted Louis and his army to die. Even though they survived, they would of had a better advantage and wouldn't be so exhausted after the sneak attack. Many of the character's decision in this story have somewhat changed their lives or the lives of others.



 When someone does something bad, it most likely that Divine Justice, or karma will come around and something bad will happen back. In the novel, // Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, // Divine Justice teaches a lesson to one of the characters. Geoffrey the Fair was a witty and self-righteous person. He wanted his son, Henry, to be recognized as the Duke of Normandy, but held a prisoner captive until the king would approve his title. As time went on, Geoffrey never let the prisoner go and Abbot Bernard excommunicated him from the church. At court, Geoffrey released the prisoner and Abbot Bernard took away Geoffrey's excommunication.  " A fever killed my husband as he and Henry were returning from court. Abbot Bernard said that it was Divine Justice, but I don't think it was. If Geoffrey were the sinner Abbot Bernard believed him to be, why would he die //after// he had been restored to the church ? " (Konigsburg 84).

Coming from court, Geoffrey the Fair had died. Abbott Bernard declared it to be Divine Justice that killed him, even after the ban from the church was just lifted. Although he was relieved of doing something bad, it doesn't mean he did something good. Divine Justice relates to our essential question( To what extent can a person's decisions and/or actions change his/her life and the lives of others) because karma could be for something good or something bad. A good decision could lead to something good in your life or the lives of others. A bad decision could lead to something bad in your life or the lives of others. Be careful and think because if its not the right thing, Divine Justice could come around and not be so pleasant.

 In the book, // Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver //, King Henry II chooses an archbishop that Queen Eleanor and Mother Matilda don't support. King Henry chooses Thomas Becket, a trained priest and Henry's first thought when it comes to important work. Eleanor wanted Henry to pick her as his chancellor and not Thomas Becket. Eleanor feels this way because both Louis, her ex-husband, and Thomas were in priesthood, and Louis was only in priesthood to have an entry in to heaven and she doesn't know if Thomas is doing the same. Mother Matilda feels that Thomas Becket is not a simple man and thinks his hospitality was as popular as the royal court. " Thomas Becket saw the priesthood as a way to satify his ambitions to get someplace here on Earth. Louis is a man of lofty birth with plain tastes; Becket is a man of plain birth with high taste " (Konigsburg 98). On the other hand, King Henry II really enjoys Thomas because he has high standards and he knows that Thomas will put all his effort into the king's orders. The outcome could possibly be that Thomas is just acting all "goody two shoes" when really he has something up his sleeve. King Henry's choice of chancellor might not have been Eleanor and Mother Matilda's first choice, but he is // the // king and you never question // the // king.

Monday, April 2, 2012- Wiki Post # 3: A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver
In the story, Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver, King Henry and Eleanor have different methods for raising their children. King Henry is not a very good mentor to Young Henry, while Eleanor lets Richard experience the life of a true King. Richard has always been one step ahead of Young Henry, even though Young Henry was older than Richard, Richard the lion heart was stronger, good-looking, and first in line when it came to the throne. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">" <span style="color: #7a7ae1; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Queen Eleanor introduced Richard, who was to have the Aquitaine, to her people. Richard traveled with his mother wherever she went. He took part in every ceremony. He sat by his mother when she held court and when she collected taxes. He learned everything about government at her side <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">" (Konigsburg 139) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Queen Eleanor took Richard under her wing to give him the experiences that a ki<range type="comment" id="464366">ng would have. She enjoyed showing him the ropes and was a good mentor to Richard. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When we think of Richard as the king to be and a perfect candidate for the job, wouldn't Young Henry, being the second child, have higher standards and a promised crown? Well King Henry treats his son more of a servant then a heir and won't let him participate in any functions, like Richard. <span style="color: #7a7ae1; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">" Young Henry was supposed to learn government from his father, but King Henry was a different kind of teacher. After he had finished conquering Ireland (for John), he had Young Henry accompany him as he traveled throughout England. But the jobs he gave Young Henry were more those of an errand boy than those of a prince. I was often in the difficult position of trying to explain that father to son. And vice versa<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">" (Konigsburg 139). <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Young Henry wants to be observant and understand what the meaning of a true king is, but King Henry won't give him that chance. King Henry seems to care more about John, who doesn't qualify in Eleanor's book, more than his first son. The differences with King Henry and Eleanor's methods of raising their children has influenced their children lives. Richard, who was raised by Eleanor, soon became the King of England and looks like Eleanor did her job right. On the other hand, Young Henry felt that he was his father's errand boy and wanted to have something that showed that he was the king of England. Young Henry then died and the title was given to Richard. Throughout this families tale, they have been experienced ups and downs, but most importantly they always stood by each others side.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Courts of love a "game", created by Marie of Champagne, that has laws that men must be polite, neat, regard his lady-love as someone about earthy temptation, as someone to protect, pretty much to be a gentleman. The "courtly love" relationship //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> was not between husband and wife //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, not because the poets and the audience were inherently immoral, but because it was an idealized sort of relationship that could not exist within the context of "real life" medieval marriag es. Most of the audience was mostly made up of the queen, her duchess and ladies of her court. Historians believe that courtly love has a useful reasoning, providing a model of behavior for a class of unmarried young men that might otherwise have threatened social stability. "<span style="color: #7a7ae1; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Courts of love were a great success; they quitted the riotous behavior in Poitiers then, and they are still responsible for the fact that men open doors for ladies and stand when a lady walks into a room "(Konigsburg 135). Without the Courts of Love, there might not be any gentleman in this world. It is important to have mature qualities like a real gentleman and being polite and respectful really depends on how you were raised. It is most likely if a "guy" wants to impress a girl, he needs to act courteous and loyal, like if a couple was on a date. Mostly that is wear you are going to see a guy act is most polite. It was important for the Courts of Love to happen because what would this world do with gentlemen.

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