How to Create the Best Writing Online

How to Create the Best Writing OnlineThe best writing online happens when a person is able to engage the audience and keep them interested in whatever he or she is discussing. This may take the form of giving an outline of what you are about to write, describing in detail what you will be writing about, talking about the writer's viewpoint and background, using vocabulary appropriate for a discussion on the topic, using persuasive language and being succinct.When it comes to writing, you need to get used to thinking in writing and not just writing for a non-writing forum or an online discussion forum. You need to be able to write about what you know and how you think. To find out how to create a good atmosphere in your writing, you need to practice.You need to be willing to let your writing flow without focusing on any one aspect too long. In order to do this, you need to take the time to learn how to relax while writing. So, take time to relax while you are writing. Try some mind-bo dy exercises and if possible, ask a friend to read your writing so that you can see how relaxed your tone is.The next thing you need to do when writing online is to think about your audience. Think about who you want to have read your writing. You should never limit yourself to people you think are your target readers. It is necessary that you widen your view of people you can reach as well as the readers of your writing.When writing online, you need to be able to reach many types of people. This will allow you to be creative in your writing because you will not be limited to a specific segment of your audience. You should keep in mind that the type of writing will help you reach more people.You should understand that different people read things differently. Some will like something that is brief and organized while others prefer a shorter and more eloquent message. How do you write about a variety of topics? By being able to be more relaxed and creative in your writing, you will b e able to write about anything.You should also try to keep in mind that writing online requires a bit of skill. You should be able to organize your thoughts well and be able to manipulate your words while at the same time expressing your ideas clearly.Finally, writing for a non-writing online discussion forum requires a lot of patience and intelligence. If you fail to achieve your goals in a specific writing assignment, you may want to try a different writing style for a different audience.

A Competitive Strategy Of Wal Mart - 983 Words

A competitive strategy deals with the particulars of how the management team plans for competition and safeguarding their competitive advantage within the industry. Devising a competitive advantage is vital to the sustainability of an organization. Utilizing the low-cost provider strategy has been a very popular strategy for many organizations. This strategy is one form of competitive strategy that attempts to provide the lowest prices as compared to its direct competition. The low-cost strategy is appealing to a wide range of customers since many customers based their purchases on the price of the items. For example, the low-cost strategy is one that is most associated with the mega-retailer Wal-Mart. Because Wal-Mart’s strategy has been to focus on the low-cost aspects, it has pushed the retailer into becoming one of the major retail stores world-wide. The low-cost strategy has been a particularly successful strategy in Mississippi. With the unsteadiness of the economy toda y, most consumers are more conscious of the price factors. Along with the state of the economy as a whole, Mississippi has for many years been considered one of the most poverty-stricken states in America. However, it can also be viewed as Mississippi has consumers that value money and chooses to spend their money on necessary things rather than unnecessary things. According to Deuteronomy 15:7-8, â€Å"If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land thatShow MoreRelatedWal Mart s Competitive Strategy Essay1439 Words   |  6 PagesA company’s competitive strategy defines, relative to its competitors, the set of customer needs that it seeks to satisfy through its products and services. For example, Wal-Mart aims to provide high availability of a variety of products of reasonable quality at low prices. Most products sold at Wal-Mart are commonplace (everything from home appliances to clothing) and can be purchased elsewhere. What Wal-Mart provides is a low price and product availability. McMaster-Carr sells maintenance, repairRead MoreThe Five Competitive Strategies For Wal Mart1540 Words   |  7 Pages Five Competitive Strategies The five generic competitive strategies are low-cost provider, broad differentiation, focused low-cost, focused differentiation strategy, and best-cost provider strategy. According to the textbook, â€Å"a company’s competitive strategy deals exclusively with the specifics of management’s game plan for competing successfully† (Gamble, 93). The main objective of a low-cost provider is to achieve a lower overall cost than its main competitors and rivals by means of underpricingRead MoreCompetitive Strategies and Government Policies Paper on Wal-Mart1908 Words   |  8 PagesCompetitive Strategies and Government Policies Paper on Wal-Mart ECO/365 University of Phoenix Week 5, Learning Team Assignment March 18, 2013 Management has recognized the effect of changes in the real-world competitive environment and government policies on other industries and anticipates similar events occurring in their industry, so they ask you for a report considering the following points. Write 1,400 – 1,750-word paper of no more than in which you describe how each of the followingRead More1. Identify and Evaluate the Strategies That Wal-Mart Has Historically Pursued to Create and Sustain a Competitive Advantage.1587 Words   |  7 PagesDAVID BANJO MGT 4199 1. Identify and evaluate the strategies that Wal-Mart has historically pursued to create and sustain a competitive advantage. Answer: Wal-Mart’s pursuit and ability to sustain a competitive advantage has allowed the company to make use of many strategies. One of the strategies that Wal-Mart has made use of is the Expansion strategy. The company realized that building a new store will allow for increase market share value. The company opened new locations in the communityRead MoreToday, More Than Ever, The Ceo Of Wal-Mart Has To Undertake1177 Words   |  5 PagesToday, more than ever, the CEO of Wal-Mart has to undertake new products, organizational growth, the increase of competition, and a changing workforce due to technological developments. In response, the CEO must place Wal-Mart in a position to be responsive to changes. Part of putting Wal- Mart in the right place for change is dependent on the CEO ability to take advantages of the strategies recommended. For instance, Wal-Mart must exploit innovation and use technology to increase sales, also toRead MoreWal-Mart Stores Inc.: Dominating Globa l Retailing1218 Words   |  5 PagesWal-Mart Stores Inc.: Dominating Global Retailing The retail industry in the U.S. has become saturated, and the market is control by a few big retailers. They all offer very similar products, so the differentiating factor are usually quality and price. Competitive advantage comes from innovative strategic thinking, funds to buy other competitors, and impeccable execution. In addition, the global economic crisis has increase customers’ price sensitivity, and has put more pressure on retailers. Read MoreCompetitive Advantage Vs. Competitive Strategy1514 Words   |  7 PagesC. Competitive Advantage Related Theory Competitive strategy is the moves and methods that the firm has taken and is taking to appeal buyers, improve its market position, and to endure competitive pressures. The strategy is about what a firm’s capability to try to knock off competitors and attain competitive advantage, which can be offensive or defensive. There are three approaches to competitive strategy, which are low-cost leadership strategy where struggling to be the overall low-cost manufacturerRead MoreEssay on Walmart, Information System1629 Words   |  7 Pagessystems as a strategic tool to improve their competitive advantage. Choose one of these companies (Toyota or Wal-Mart) and prepare an essay of 1500 words on: a) how information systems are used strategically by the company to gain a competitive advantage b) discuss if it is possible for the company to maintain this advantage in the future. You are expected to use the competitive forces and/or value chain model in your analysis. In this essay, Wal-Mart was chosen to be the case to analysis. FirstlyRead MoreWal-Mart Case Study1723 Words   |  7 Pagesextent is Wal-Mart’s performance attributable to industry attractiveness and to what extent to competitive advantage? Wal-Mart is a company which operates in the service sector, more specifically in the â€Å"Discount, Variety Stores/Retail† industry. The company’s superior performance is demonstrated through the fact that it was America’s largest company (in terms of revenue) in 2002, and the reputation of the company is reflected in the opinion of â€Å"Fortune† who have identified Wal-Mart as one of theRead MoreSwot Analysis : Resource Based View Essay1540 Words   |  7 Pagessustained competitive advantage encompasses a firm’s wide range of resources such as organizational, social, and individual phenomena that are valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable and non-substitutable (VRIN). Therefore, it is crucial and vital for the relevant resources to possess all four of the VRIN attributes in order to be the firm’s sustained competitive advantage (Barney, 1991). Additionally, he also added that competitive advantage relies heavily on the chance of a competit or’s competitive duplication

Don t Blame The Eater Or Should We - 979 Words

Don’t Blame the Eater or Should we? You cannot watch your favorite shows without coming across an advertisement for a fast food restaurant. It happens so often that people get persuaded to try out the new items at these places, but what the advertisement is not providing are the nutritional facts. Most of what is being promoted on television is not healthy for anyone, but people get blinded by that because the food looks appetizing and it is so easy to access. For instance you cannot travel anywhere around the United States without passing a McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) or Pizza Hut (â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater†). These are the three most recognized food chains across the United States and they are also the same fast food restaurants that are causing major health problems within the community such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Some may say that it is not the restaurant’s fault that people are enduring these health problems because no one is forcing a person to eat the fast food which is true, but if these restaurants were not being promoted as much, people would not be so compelled to go out and eat that type of food. In David Zinczenko’s article â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater†, he talks about how we cannot blame people for what they are eating. I agree with Zinczenko up to a point, I cannot accept his overall conclusion that the consumer is not to be blamed for the food that goes into one’s body because children eat what is being placed in front of their face atShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of DonT Blame The Eater1078 Words   |  5 PagesZinczenko, the author of the article â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater† argue that consumers should not be blamed for what they eat when they become unhealthy because it is not their fault. On the other hand, Radley Balko, the author of â€Å" What You Eat is Your Business†, contends that it is the consumer s false because they are responsible for what you eat and it is thei r business. Other even maintain neutral and agree with a little on both sides. In my opinion, you cannot blame consumers for eating more and buyingRead MoreWho Can We Blame?1392 Words   |  6 Pages Who s to Blame? Have you been a victim of the so called â€Å" fast food obesity outbreak†? You re not the only one. In today s society this so called â€Å"fast food induced obesity† is a huge controversy concerning many countries today in time. The common culprits of the obesity issue is fast food, school lunch, and unhealthy food people consume at home. Who can we trust? Well many people believe that the consumer should not be responsible for their actions when it comes to consuming fast food,Read MoreMeat Is An Integral Part Of Many People s Lives Essay1248 Words   |  5 PagesWhat would happen if everyone on the planet went vegan? All the farm animals would gone that s what would happen. The farm animal populations are thriving today because of meat eaters like me. It may sound harsh, but if everyone stopped relying on meat then all the animal loving people can say goodbye to the little piggies and chickens they care for so much. There is nothing wrong with eating meat. I am sic k of people constantly trying to demonize meat like it s the spawn of satan. I feel as ifRead More`` Escape From The Western Diet By Michael Pollan Essay1641 Words   |  7 Pagesstruggle with their health. He believes that the processed food we consume gives us harmful deceases. Pollan urges us to listen to his words to avoid the western diet, he preaches that we should start eating healthier and to put more time and effort when it comes to buying food. Pollan provides us with his rules as well and claims that it will help us plot our way out of the western diet. Also, Pollan informs us that when it to the intake we tend to over eat, thus it becomes a huge threat to our healthRead MoreObesity : Childhood Obesity Epidemic1418 Words   |  6 Pagestakes away ones’ life. David Zinczenko wrote in his New York Times article, Don t Blame the Eater, â€Å"Kids taking on McDonald s this week, suing the company for making them fat.† The choices provided by fast food companies and combination of food contribute to the current high percentage of obesity in children. Crispy chips packed with carbohydrates, and fried chicken, brings about the thirst for a cold beverage, which we all know is an unhealthy mix of fats and liquids. But yet, they offer our kidsRead Moredont blame the eater1292 Words   |  6 Pagesobesity. In David Zinczenko’s, article â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater† he blames the fast food industry for the increase of health and obesity related problems. I completely disagree with Zinczenko that the fast-food industries are to blame. I think the reason for our obese nation is the lack of personal responsibility. The absence of personal responsibility is why Americans are obese and are at unhealthy weight levels. Some may argue that McDonalds is to blame for making them fat and there are limited optionsRead MoreAnalysis Of Michael Pollan And Don t Blame The Eater1156 Words   |  5 Pages Industry is about efficiency; ideally, turning the most profit from the least expense. Therefore, how can we trust an industry to make an ethical choice that will potentially hurt their business model? As exhumed by the articles â€Å"Escape The Western Diet† by Michael Pollan and â€Å"Don’t Blame The Eater† by David Zinczenko, the health care and food industries are not interested in suggesting we shift our diets towards a what they define as a â€Å"healthier†, more natural one, but rather they are set uponRead MoreEnough Blame From The Fast Food Industry1195 Words   |  5 PagesMercedes Porter Professor Prangley Summative Essay 1 December 2014 Enough Blame to Go Around The fast food industry is a thriving enterprise in America s economy these days. One can find a fast food vendor on nearly every block, says David Zinczenko in his article Don t Blame the Eater. The article explains the growing expanse of the fast food industry and the subsequent number of nutritional food businesses declining, there by leaving the fast food industry responsible to provide adequateRead MoreThe Effects Of Excessive Unhealthy Food Intake1327 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica’s top leading problems in the 21st century is caused by vast amounts of unhealthy food which leads to not only obesity, but other health related issues such as diabetes and other heart conditions. There are many fingers to be pointed at who to blame for this problem, whether it be government’s fault or just personal responsibility. Most of the problems faced by the United States, such as obesity and diabetes, are the consequences of excessive unhealthy food intake. So many people in t oday’s societyRead MoreThe New Year Essay3108 Words   |  13 PagesThe New Year is upon us once again, ready or not. This holiday seems to me the one that provokes the most thought and reflection, which is a good thing really. We all need to assess where we are in our journey of life and make adjustments. For the Christian, this is especially important. Ephesians 5:1-2 reminds us to Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. The

Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2 Analysis Free Essays

Romeo replies to Juliet’s speech by agreeing to disown his name â€Å"Henceforth, I never will be Romeo†. Shakespeare implies the danger that the lovers are in when Juliet points out â€Å"the place death, considering who thou art†. This creates tension for the audience, and demonstrates Juliet’s concern for Romeo’s safety – â€Å"If they do see thee, they will murder thee. We will write a custom essay sample on Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2 Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now † Romeo speaks metaphorically when he says â€Å"With love’s light wings did I o’erperch these walls†, suggesting there is no boundary to his love. Romeo claims to find the idea of his death preferable to a life without the love of Juliet, â€Å"My life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. † Juliet admits to be blushing â€Å"the mask of night is on my face, else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek† and asks, â€Å"Dost thou love me? † She goes on to express concern that she may have been too forward in her soliloquy asking him to forgive her for her foolishness â€Å"Therefore pardon me, and not impute this yielding to light love†. Romeo declares his love by â€Å"yonder blessed moon† using celestial references. Juliet responds by refusing to allow Romeo to swear by something so changeable â€Å"O swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon†. She fears that it is the way their love will be â€Å"Lest that thy love prove likewise variable†. Juliet encourages him to be genuine and to use a less traditional, more spiritual concept of love, reinforcing the idea that she is taking the relationship seriously. Juliet then tries to say goodnight â€Å"Sweet, good night. This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, may prove a beauteous flower when next we meet. † She then uses a rhyming couplet, â€Å"as sweet repose and rest come to thy heart as that within my breast. † Romeo expresses his wish to prolong their time together â€Å"O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied? † but they part as Juliet’s nurse calls her and they agree to meet again. â€Å"Stay but a little. I will come again† as they make a commitment to each other. Juliet, going against stereotype, suggests that they should marry, â€Å"If that thy bent of love be honorable, thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow†. This is very bold and, rather than taking her time as she suggests earlier in the scene, this is because she has realized Romeo has matured and is taking their relationship seriously. Juliet’s promise to Romeo to â€Å"follow thee, my lord, throughout the world† is full of dramatic irony and foreshadows the final scene of the play, when Juliet follows Romeo into death. The nurse calls for Juliet again who uses hyperbole â€Å"A thousand times good night! † which indicates that neither wants to leave and reinforces the message that their meeting must reach a conclusion for now. Juliet says, â€Å"Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud†. This is referring to the fact that the lovers must keep their love quiet and away from the family feud. Later, Juliet uses further hyperbole â€Å"’Tis twenty years till then† implying that it will seem a lifetime until they next meet. At the end of the scene, Juliet says one of her most famous lines â€Å"Parting is such sweet sorrow†. This is a very well known oxymoron and demonstrates that she cannot bear to leave Romeo. The scene ends on several rhyming couplets. In conclusion, this scene demonstrates Romeo and Juliet’s attraction to each other and their desire never to be parted. I feel it is very moving, and poetic albeit surreal that a maiden could be so frank in those times and that a couple could achieve such a depth of love in such a short space of time particularly against such a divide. It also sets the scene for the final tragic sequence ahead. How to cite Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2 Analysis, Essay examples

The Great Gatsby Essays (891 words) - The Great Gatsby,

The Great Gatsby In his novel The Great Gatsby, author F. Scott Fitzgerald had the main character Nick Carroway stand out as being overall, a decent person. Nick stands out especially when being compared to the other characters in the story. It is Nicks honesty with himself and toward others, his morality, and his unbiased, slow to judge qualities that make him the novels best character. The chain of events that occur in the story begin with Nick meeting Jordan Baker at Gatsbys party. It was this meeting that causes Nick to mention the topic of honesty. Nick learns about Jordans cheating in a golf tournament, and he realizes how dishonest Jordan really is. She was incredibly dishonest, (Page 58) Nick said, adding, Dishonesty in a woman is a thing that you can never blame deeply. (Page 59) Jordan seemed to contrast her own dishonesty with Nicks honesty. On the night of the party, Jordan leads Nick to say, Every one suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people I have ever known. (Page 60) He supports his words with his actions as a narrator, as well as his role as a character in the story. As the narrator, he was honest with himself, one example being Nick admitting to himself that Jordan was not only dishonest, but selfish and cynical as well, but he loved her regardlessly. As the novels main character, he was the only one that did not feel the need to mislead other people. All of the other characters would use an impressive, unreal facade in order to attract people and make a good first impression. For example, Daisy acted completely different around company from when she was with Tom. However, this happened while Nick would always let his honest, true character show through the entire time. Nick also seemed to be The Great Gatsbys only uncorrupted, unmaterialistic character. Every other character, including Gatsby himself, seemed to think that money could buy happiness. Gatsbys though process is a prime example of that: he thought that he could win over Daisy by impressing her with his extravagant parties. The fact is, Daisy, being materialistic herself, probably would have been won over, had she not been already married to a rich man. That materialism is what leads to the characters corruption. Gatsby was so materialistic that his morality was completely lost he was led to break the law, gambling and bootlegging, in order to satisfy his materialism. Nick however, went unaffected by materialism. Nick was moral, and had more values; he valued hard work. After all, the reason he moved to the East was in search of work as a bond salesman. When Gatsby asked Nick if he was interested in side money, which Nick believed was gained by illegal means, he refused because it would have been immoral. Also, as stated earlier, Nick did not feel the need to impress other people with what he owned, or with a high-culture personality. Because Nick was not materialistic like the other characters, he remained uncorrupted, and his morality was not lost in search of money and power. Finally, Nick was unbiased and slow to judge, making him the most reasonable and intelligent character, and showing that he is not naive like the others. Nick tells about his fathers advice to him, Whenever you feel like criticizing someone, just remember that all the people in this world havent had all of the advantages youve had. (Page 1) Nick then says, In consequence, Im inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up man curious natures to me, and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores. (Page 1) One example that supports his words is just before Nick met Gatsby, when he heard rumors about Gatsbys past. Jordans friend Lucille said, Somebody told me that thought he killed a man once. (Page 44) Lucille followed that statement with, Its more that he was a German spy during the war. (Page 44) The Gatsby rumors continued from there. However, Nick went unaffected by what he had heard if he believed it, he

Female Knights

Female Knights There are plenty of fierce women who have battled their way through history in politics and warfare. Although from an academic standpoint women could not generally carry the title of knight, there were still many women in European history who were part of chivalric orders and performed the duties of female knights without the formal recognition. Key Takeaways: Female Knights During the Middle Ages, women could not be granted the title of Knight; it was reserved for men only. However, there were many chivalric orders of knighthood that admitted women and female warriors who performed the role.Documented stories of women- primarily high-born- prove that they donned armor and directed troop movement in times of war. Chivalric Orders of Europe The word knight was not just a job title, it was a social ranking. For a man to become a knight, he had to be formally knighted in a ceremony, or receive an accolade of knighthood for exceptional bravery or service, usually in battle. Because neither of these were typically the domains of women, it was rare for a women to carry the title of knight. However, in parts of Europe, there were chivalric orders of knighthood that were open to women. During the early medieval period, a group of devout Christian knights joined together to form the Knights Templar. Their mission was twofold: to protect European travelers on pilgrimage in the Holy Land, but also to carry out secret military operations.  When they finally took the time to write down a list of their rules, around 1129 C.E., their mandates mentioned a pre-existing practice of admitting women to the Knights Templar. In fact, women were permitted as part of the organization during its first 10 years of existence. Lorado / Getty Images A related group, the Teutonic Order, accepted women as Consorores, or Sisters. Their role was an auxiliary one, often related to support and hospital services during times of war, including on the battlefield. In the mid-12th century, Moorish invaders laid the town of Tortosa, Spain, under siege. Because the towns menfolk were already off at battle fighting on another front, it fell to the women of Tortosa to set up defenses. They dressed in mens clothing- which was certainly easier to fight in- picked up weapons, and held their town with an array of swords, farm implements, and hatchets. In the aftermath, Count Ramon Berenguer of Barcelona founded the Order of the Hatchet in their honor. Elias Ashmole wrote in 1672 that the count granted the women of Tortosa numerous privileges and immunities: He also ordained, that at all publick meetings, the  Women  should have precedence of the  Men; That they should be exempted from all Taxes; and that all the Apparel and Jewels, though of never so great value, left by their dead Husbands, should be their own. It is not known whether the women of the Order ever fought in any battles other than defending Tortosa. The group faded into obscurity as its members aged and died out. Women in Warfare During the Middle Ages, women were not raised for battle like their male counterparts, who typically trained for warfare from boyhood. However, that doesnt mean they didnt fight. There are numerous examples of women, both noble and lower-born, who defended their homes, their families, and their nations from attacking outside forces. Margaret of Anjou directed troops during the War of the Roses. Hulton Archive / Getty Images The eight-day siege of Jerusalem in 1187 relied on women for success. Nearly all of the citys fighting men had marched out of town three months earlier, for the Battle of Hattin, leaving Jerusalem unguarded but for a few hastily-knighted boys. The women, however, outnumbered men in the city by nearly 50 to 1, so when Balian, Baron of Ibelin, realized it was time to defend the walls against the invading army of Saladin, he enlisted the female citizens to get to work. Dr. Helena P. Schrader, Ph.D. in History from the University of Hamburg, says that Ibelin would have had to organize these untrained civilians into units, assigning them specific, focused tasks. ... whether it was defending a sector of the wall, putting out fires, or ensuring that the men and women doing the fighting were supplied with water, food and ammunition. Most astonishing, his improvised units not only repulsed assaults, they also sortied out several times, destroying some of Saladin’s siege engines, and two or three times chasing the Saracens all the way back to the palisades of their camp. Nicholaa de la Haye was born in Lincolnshire, England, around 1150, and inherited her fathers land when he died. Married at least twice, Nicholaa was the castellan of Lincoln Castle, her family estate, despite the fact that each of her husbands tried to claim it as their own. When her spouses were away, Nicholaa ran the show. William Longchamps, a chancellor of Richard I, was heading to Nottingham to battle against Prince John, and along the way, he stopped at Lincoln, laying siege to Nicholaas castle. She refused to yield, and commanding 30 knights, 20 men-at-arms, and a few hundred infantrymen, held the castle for 40 days. Longchamps eventually gave up and moved on. She defended her home again a few years later when Prince Louis of France tried to invade Lincoln. Women didnt just show up and perform the duties of knights in defensive mode. There are several accounts of queens who traveled into the field with their armies in times of war. Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Queen of both France and England, led a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. She even did it while dressed in armor and carrying a lance, although she didnt personally fight. During the War of the Roses, Marguerite d’Anjou personally directed the actions of Lancastrian commanders during battles against Yorkist opponents while her husband, King Henry VI, was incapacitated by bouts of madness. In fact, in 1460, she defeated the threat to her husband’s throne by calling on the Lancastrian nobility to assemble a mighty host in Yorkshire that ambushed York and killed him and 2,500 of his men outside his ancestral home at Sandal Castle. Finally, its important to note that over the centuries, there were countless other women who donned armor and rode into war. We know this because although medieval European writers documenting the Crusades emphasized the notion that pious Christian women did not fight, the historians of their Muslim opponents wrote of crusading women battling against them. The Persian scholar Imad ad-din al-Isfahani wrote, a woman of high rank arrived by sea in late autumn 1189, with an escort of 500 knights with  their forces, squires, pages and valets. She paid all their expenses and also led them in  raids on the Muslims. He went on to say that there were many female knights among the Christians, who wore armour like the men and fought like men in battle, and could not be told apart from  the men until they were killed and the armour was stripped from their bodies. Although their names have been lost to history, these women did exist, they simply were not granted the title of knight. Sources Ashmole, Elias. â€Å"The Institution, Laws Ceremonies of the Most Noble Order of the Garter Collected and Digested into One Body.†Ã‚  Early English Books Online, The University of Michigan, quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A26024.0001.001?viewtoc.Nicholson, Helen, and Helen Nicholson. â€Å"Women and the Crusades.†Ã‚  Academia.edu, www.academia.edu/7608599/Women_and_the_Crusades.Schrader, Helena P. â€Å"Surrender of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187.†Ã‚  Defending the Crusader Kingdoms, 1 Jan. 1970, defendingcrusaderkingdoms.blogspot.com/2017/10/surrender-of-jerusalem-to-saladin-in.html.Velde, Francois R. â€Å"Women Knights in the Middle Ages.†Ã‚  Women Knights, www.heraldica.org/topics/orders/wom-kn.htm.

Defining the Middle Ages

Defining the Middle Ages One of the most frequently asked questions about medieval history is, When did the Middle Ages start and end? The answer to this simple question is more complicated than you might think. There is currently no true consensus among historians, authors, and educators for the precise dates- or even the general dates- that mark the beginning and end of the medieval era. The most common time frame is approximately 500-1500 C.E., but you will often see different dates of significance marking the eras parameters. The reasons for this imprecision become a little more clear when one considers that the Middle Ages as a period of study has evolved over centuries of scholarship. Once a Dark Age, then a romantic era and an Age of Faith, medieval times were approached by historians in the 20th century as a complex, multifaceted era, and many scholars found new and intriguing topics to pursue. Every view of the Middle Ages had its own defining characteristics, which in turn had its own turning points and associated dates. This state of affairs offers the scholar or enthusiast the opportunity to define the Middle Ages in the manner that best suits his own personal approach to the era. Unfortunately, it also leaves the newcomer to medieval studies with a certain amount of confusion. Stuck in the Middle The phrase Middle Ages has its origins in the fifteenth century. Scholars of the time- primarily in Italy- were caught up in an exciting movement of art and philosophy, and they saw themselves embarking on a new age that revived the long-lost culture of classical Greece and Rome. The time that intervened between the ancient world and their own was a middle age and, sadly, one they disparaged and from which they disassociated themselves. Eventually the term and its associated adjective, medieval, caught on. Yet, if the period of time the term covered was ever explicitly defined, the chosen dates were never unassailable. It may seem reasonable to end the era at the point where scholars began to see themselves in a different light; however, this would assume they were justified in their view. From our vantage point of considerable hindsight, we can see that this was not necessarily the case. The movement that outwardly characterized this period was in reality limited to the artistic elite (as well as to, for the most part, Italy). The political and  material culture  of the world around them had not radically changed from that of the centuries preceding their own. And despite the attitude of its participants, the  Italian Renaissance  did not spontaneously burst forth from  nowhere but was instead a product of the preceding 1,000 years of intellectual and artistic history. From a broad historical perspective, the Renaissance cannot be clearly separated from the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, thanks to the work of historians such as  Jacob Burkhardt  and Voltaire, the Renaissance was considered a distinct time period for many years. Yet recent scholarship has blurred the distinction between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It has now become much more important to comprehend the Italian Renaissance as an artistic and literary movement, and to see the succeeding movements it influenced in northern Europe and Britain for what they were, instead of lumping them all together in an imprecise and misleading age. Although the origin of the term middle ages may no longer hold the weight it once did, the idea of the medieval era as existing in the middle still has validity. It is now quite common to view the Middle Ages as that period of time between the ancient world and the early modern age. Unfortunately, the dates at which that first era ends and the later era begins are by no means clear. It may be more productive to define the medieval era in terms of its most significant and unique characteristics, and then identify the turning points and their associated dates. This leaves us with a variety of options for defining the Middle Ages. Empires Once, when political history defined the boundaries of the past, the date span of 476 to 1453 was generally considered the time frame of the medieval era. The reason: each date marked the fall of an empire. In 476 C.E., the  Western Roman Empire officially came to an end  when the Germanic warrior  Odoacer  deposed and exiled the last emperor,  Romulus Augustus. Instead of taking the title of  emperor  or acknowledging anyone else as such, Odoacer chose the title King of Italy, and the  western empire  was no more. This event is no longer considered the definitive end of the Roman empire. In fact, whether Rome fell, dissolved, or evolved is still a matter for debate. Although at its height the empire spanned territory from Britain to Egypt, even at its most expansive the Roman  bureaucracy  neither encompassed nor controlled most of what was to become Europe. These lands, some of which were virgin territory, would be occupied by peoples that the Romans considered barbarians, and their genetic and cultural descendants would have just as much impact on the formation of western civilization as the survivors of Rome. The study of the Roman Empire  is  important in understanding medieval Europe, but even if the date of its fall could be irrefutably determined, its status as a defining factor no longer holds the influence it once had. In 1453 C.E., the  Eastern Roman Empire  came to an end when its  captial  city of Constantinople fell to invading Turks. Unlike the western terminus, this date is not contested, even though the Byzantine Empire had shrunk through the centuries and, at the time of the fall of Constantinople, had consisted of little more than the great city itself for more than two hundred years. However, as significant as Byzantium is to medieval studies, to view it as a  defining  factor is misleading. At its  height, the eastern empire encompassed even less of present-day Europe than had the western empire. Furthermore, while Byzantine civilization influenced the course of western culture and politics, the empire remained quite deliberately separate from the tumultuous, unstable, dynamic societies that grew, foundered, merged and ​​warred  in the west. The choice of Empires as a defining characteristic of medieval studies has one other significant flaw: throughout the course of the Middle Ages, no  true  empire encompassed a significant portion of Europe for any substantial length of time.  Charlemagne  succeeded in uniting large portions of modern-day France and Germany, but the nation he built broke into factions only two generations after his death.  The Holy Roman Empire  has been called neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire, and its emperors certainly did not have the kind of control over its lands that Charlemagne achieved. Yet the fall of empires lingers in our perception of the Middle Ages. One cannot help but notice how close the dates 476 and 1453 are to 500 and 1500. Christendom Throughout the medieval  era  only one institution came close to uniting all of Europe, though it was not so much a political empire as a spiritual one. That union was attempted by the Catholic Church, and the geopolitical entity it influenced was known as Christendom. While the exact extent of the Churchs political power and influence on the material culture of medieval Europe has been and continues to be debated, there is no denying that it had a significant impact on international events and personal lifestyles throughout the era. It is for this reason that the Catholic Church has validity as a defining factor of the Middle Ages. The rise, establishment, and ultimate fracturing of Catholicism as the single most influential religion in  Western  Europe offers several significant dates to use as  start- and end-points for the era. In 306 C.E.,  Constantine  was proclaimed Caesar and became co-ruler of the Roman Empire. In 312 he converted to Christianity, the once-illegal religion now became favored over all others. (After his death, it would become the official religion of the empire.) Virtually overnight, an underground cult became the religion of the Establishment, forcing the once-radical Christian philosophers to rethink their attitudes toward the Empire. In 325, Constantine called the  Council of Nicaea, the first  ecumenical council  of the Catholic Church. This convocation of bishops from all over the known world was an important step in building the organized institution that would have so much influence over the next 1,200 years. These events make the year 325, or at the very least the early fourth century, a viable starting point for the Christian Middle Ages. However, another event holds equal or greater weight in the minds of some scholars: the accession to the papal throne of  Gregory the Great  in 590. Gregory was instrumental in establishing the medieval papacy as a strong socio-political force, and many believe that without his efforts the Catholic Church would never have achieved the power and influence it wielded throughout medieval times. In 1517 C.E.  Martin Luther  posted 95 theses criticizing the Catholic Church. In 1521 he was excommunicated, and he appeared before the  Diet of Worms  to defend his actions. The attempts to reform ecclesiastical practices from within the institution were futile; ultimately, the  Protestant Reformation  split the Western Church irrevocably. The Reformation was not a peaceful one, and religious wars ensued throughout much of Europe. These culminated in the  Thirty Years War  that ended with the  Peace of Westphalia  in 1648. When equating medieval with the rise and fall of Christendom, the latter date is sometimes viewed as the end of the Middle Ages by those who prefer an all-inclusive view of the era. However, the sixteenth-century events that heralded the beginning of the end of Catholicisms pervasive presence in Europe are more  frequently  regarded as the eras terminus. Europe The field of medieval studies is by its very nature eurocentric. This does not mean that medievalists deny or ignore the significance of events that took place outside of what is today Europe during the medieval era. But the entire concept of a medieval era is a European one. The term Middle Ages was first used by European scholars during the  Italian Renaissance  to describe their own history, and as the study of the era has evolved, that focus has remained fundamentally the same. As more research has been conducted in previously unexplored areas, a wider recognition of the importance of the lands outside Europe in shaping the modern world has evolved. While other specialists study the histories of non-European lands from varying perspectives, medievalists generally approach them with regard to how they affected  European  history. It is an aspect of medieval studies that has always characterized the field. Because the medieval era is so inextricably linked to the geographical entity we now call Europe, it is entirely valid to associate a definition of the Middle Ages with a significant stage in the development of that entity. But this presents us with a variety of challenges. Europe is not a separate  geological  continent; it is part of a larger land mass properly called Eurasia. Throughout history, its boundaries shifted all too often, and they are still shifting today. It was not commonly recognized as a distinct geographical entity  during  the Middle Ages; the lands we now call Europe were more frequently considered Christendom. Throughout the Middle Ages, there was no single political force that controlled all of the  continent. With these limitations, it becomes increasingly difficult to define the parameters of a broad historical age associated with what we now call Europe. But perhaps this very lack of characteristic features can help us with our definition. When the Roman Empire was at its height, it consisted primarily of the lands surrounding the Mediterranean. By the time  Columbus  made his historic voyage to the New World, the Old World stretched from Italy to Scandinavia, and from Britain to the Balkans and beyond. No longer was Europe the wild, untamed frontier, populated by barbarian, frequently migratory cultures. It was now civilized (though still often in turmoil), with generally stable governments, established centers of commerce and learning, and the dominant presence of Christianity. Thus, the medieval era might be considered the period of time during which Europe  became  a geopolitical entity. The fall of the  Roman Empire (c. 476) can still be considered a turning point in the development of Europes identity. However, the time when the migrations of Germanic tribes into Roman territory began to effect significant changes in the empires cohesiveness (the 2nd century C.E.) could be considered the genesis of Europe. A common terminus is the late 15th  century when westward   exploration  into the new world initiated a new awareness in Europeans of their old world. The 15th century also saw significant turning points for regions within Europe: In 1453, the end of the  Hundred Years War  signalled the unification of France; in 1485, Britain saw the end of the Wars of the Roses and the beginning of an extensive peace; in 1492, the Moors were driven from Spain, the Jews were expelled, and Catholic unity prevailed. Changes were taking place everywhere, and as individual nations established modern identities, so too did Europe appear to take on a cohesive identity of its own. Learn more about the early, high and late middle ages.