Fear of Nobility Essay example

Submitted By namulniram
Words: 722
Pages: 3
Open Document
Jozzann Buchanan
6/10/14
EUH 3193
Tovah Bender

The Black Death left the medieval society grief-stricken with many deaths. In a morbid way, the deaths of their loved ones may have dramatically improved the lives of peasant survivors. Half or more of the laborers were dead so the demand for them increased. They were then able to bargain for higher wages and enjoyed the benefits. However, the landlords ended on the losing side. The lack of laborers caused their farms to start deteriorating and the available ones charged too much and left the services of the landlords quickly. Ordinances were passed to control the workers. The fear these documents show are the nobility losing their authority and money, it was justified by their deteriorating lands and the lack of laborers.
The Ordinances reflected the fear of the nobility losing their authority and money. In all three Ordinances, there was a law associated with binding the worker to a lord. In the Ordinance of The Cortes of Castile, he commanded that all laborers continue to work on the same estates and serve for the set salaries.1 Then in the Ordinance from the City Council of Siena, they ordain that everyone is bound to render to their said lord and pay an amount of money to the city in the name of their lord.2 In the final Ordinance, it is commanded that the laborers be bounded to serve the lord and take only the wages provided.3 If various Ordinances have common laws dealing with keeping the laborers bounded, then that means the nobility are losing control over them. These Ordinances would not contain the bound laws, if peasants were staying with their lords. The landlords are also losing money and are commanding them to accept the wages offered. The creations of these laws are the underlying fear that the nobility are losing authority and money.
The deteriorating lands caused by the lack of laborers, justified the fear of the nobility’s loss of money. Sir Edmund Welles fretted over the turmoil of his manor. His farm was neglected and failing because few people were tending it. His tenants did not turn up to perform their established labor services, and he could not replace them because of the unreasonable wages that were demanded.4 A lot of workers were needed in order to make the farm profitable. They failed to show up, which causes the Lords farm to fail and he looses money. This shows that the deteriorating lands were justifying the fear of money loss. It would lead the people in power to come up with these laws to protect their wealth.
The lack of laborers is the main factor that justifies the fear of the nobility’s loss of authority and money. There was a lack of workers because too few were seeking work and far too many jobs for them to do. They didn’t want
Show More

Related Documents: Fear of Nobility Essay example

French Revolution Dbq

in this class included merchants, judges, and small factory owners. The clergy and the nobility were at the top of the hierarchy. They only had around 480,000 people, but were the wealthiest and most influential. Beginning in the late 1700s, France had begun to go…

Words 1224 - Pages 5

Henry IV Of France: The Rise Of Absolutism In France

believe absolutism is good. Lastly, the parliamentary power and the nobility overall effected the rise of and fall of absolutism in France and England. Underneath Louis XIV of France, absolutism reached its pinnacle point with the establishment of patronage. Unfortunately, in England, the absolute monarchy never reached full potential due to the English Parliaments’ overarching power. Louis the XIV of France ruled with the nobility underneath his control. Using a secret police force to eliminate potential…

Words 462 - Pages 2

Hero Unit Essay

great courage [ and ] nobility". They also wrote that "she fought her battle stoically and courageously." He also adds that he use to look up to athletes. This article doesn't really explicate itself, but the reader can understand that heroism is built on great courage and nobility, and that you can have someone as your hero because of that. In Matthew Winklers' TedEd on "What Makes a Hero?", he incorporates a quote once said by Joseph Campbell, "In the cave you fear to enter lies the treasure you seek…

Words 486 - Pages 2

Antigone: Sophocles and Tragic Hero Essay

must be some one of noble stature and in a higher status then most, such as a king or some type of nobility. By Aristotles definition, Creon would have been the tragic hero. He fits the build for Aristotle’s definition. Creon is a powerful man. Though he is nobility is more of a status that was past down to him. He was not a noble man, in fact it took the suiced of his wife and son on top of the fear of God to really consider his ways, but, even then he was more concerned with his self pitty than…

Words 347 - Pages 2

Tale of Two Cities Essay

Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities The French Revolution began due to the huge amount of pressure put upon the Third Estate in the latter 18th century. Their first act of rebellion was gathering mobs of their fellow man to protest and overthrow the higher nobility classes. In Charles Dickens’ historical fiction novel, A Tale of Two Cities, the author delivers many examples of the mobs brutal behavior and self-destructive nature during the French Revolution; Dickens’ tone suggests that the violence of the Revolution…

Words 1419 - Pages 6

The Progressive Identity Struggle of A. Square Within the Confines of Flatland Essay

nor too superior. His own sense of identity, as well as his perception of its other inhabitants, is heavily influenced by the nobility and the laws that govern Flatland. As the story progresses and his boundaries are opened up to higher dimensions, the text promotes that A. Square’s identity progressively shifts from being a mere follower under the rule of Flatland’s nobility to attempting to become a power-hungry leader of his own. The higher powers of Flatland strongly influence A. Square’s perception…

Words 1627 - Pages 7

Macbeth's Indecisiveness

personality. Macbeth’s aspiration to kinghood entrails within a path of destruction and treachery; this very idea of a medium of violence to obtain nobility is a conflicting notion in which Macbeth’s mind is torn between. He wishes a status and repute of a nobleman, present in his predecessor, Duncan; but simultaneously views the path to such nobility through a malevolent lens Evil is a central theme in the tragedy,…

Words 551 - Pages 3

Punishment In The Elizabethan Era

poetries... Flooded the era, numerous numbers of world-class artworks were passed on for the future generations to admire and study; It was the worst of times, crimes, inhuman punishments, witchcraft, the black plague.. these were many’s the worst fear and nightmare. It was the Elizabethan Era, Known as the golden age of English history, but yet, it’s also a very VIOLENT time. Horrifying crimes were met with brutal punishments. Unlike the treatments that prisoners receive in today’s society such…

Words 653 - Pages 3

Satire In Candide

According to Dictionary.com, satire is defined as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices. In the modern world, satire is a fixture of Western life, seen everywhere from the Simpsons to Last Week Tonight. Satire brings out the flaws in humanity and amplifies them so that audiences can see the hypocrisy of their actions, but this is done in a humorous way to facilitate the audience’s acceptance of criticism. Countless people have written…

Words 1345 - Pages 6

French Revolution Quiz Honors Key Essay

Explain three major problems with life under the Ancien Regime. King had completed power; people over taxed; church had too much power; nobles to rich; decadent court, etc. 5-7. List and define the three estates. First – clergy Second – nobility Third – everyone else (peasants) 8. What was the peasants’ main problem with the Estates General? The vote was determined via house, so the first two houses would always vote down the third, thus the peasants have no say. 9. What happened on July…

Words 479 - Pages 2