The norman conquest, Appunti di Inglese

Scarica The norman conquest e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! The Norman conquest •In 1066 William, Duke of Normandy conquered England after the battle of Hastings. •The Normans were Vikings who had settled on the north coast of France a century and half before. •They spoke French. •William I the Conqueror introduced into England the feudal system. •The Norman conquest brought to England a refined civilization and the French language . •Old English was spoken by the common people. French was spoken by the upper classes and Latin was the language of the Church, culture, government and law. The clash between Crown and Church •In the Middle Ages the power of the Church was immense. •Its structure was similar to the feudal system, with the Pope at the top and below him the bishops and the priests. •Henry II wanted to reduce the power of the Church. •Under his reign there was the first clash between the Crown and the Church. • He promulgated a code of laws, the Constitutions of Clarendon, by which clergymen had to be tried by the king’s court first and then by the bishop’s court. •The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket , opposed the king and fled into exile. He was murdered by four of the King’s knights in Canterbury Cathedral. He was made a martyr and saint and his shrine in Canterbury was visited by pilgrims from all over the world. Richard the Lion-Heart •Richard I succeeded his father. •He was known as the Lion-Heart for his courage. •He took part in the Third Crusade. •When he came back from Crusade, he went to France to defend his possessions and there he was killed. Magna Charta and Parliament •John I, called the Lackland because he lost Normandy and most of his French territories, succeeded his brother Richard I. •His policy of heavy taxation encountered firm resistance by the feudal nobility, the citizens of London and the clergy. •He was obliged to sign the Magna Charta, a code of laws which is seen as the base of all future rights of the English. •During the reign of Henry III was created the first Parliament( from the French parler meaning ‘discussion’). •It was composed of noblemen and high clergy.