The Confessor as a failure Essay Example For Students

The Confessor as a failure Essay Edward made peace with the despot, designating him to be, on his death, the next heir to the English throne, even if Edward had sons. However, this piece of evidence suggested by Adam of Bremen is unreliable, as it is not corroborated by other sources. Therefore it is likely that his claim was invalid. Then in 1051, according to William of Jumii ges1, Edward promised William of Normandy the throne. The ASC2 does not mention Edward promising William of Normandy the throne. Therefore, it is possible that William of Jumiegess evidence should not be trusted, as he was a panegyrist, writing an encomium of William. The ASC (D) 3 supports William of Jumieges evidence by referring to William coming to England. William the faced baronial rebellion at the time and would not have come to England unless it was something as important as being promised the throne. Therefore, it could be argued that Edward was a failure, as he should not have promised William the throne if he had already promised Swein the throne and by doing this, this made the succession more complicated. After Godwine returned in 1052, Williams promise to the throne became less acceptable as Godwine did not wanted Norman king and the Witan would not accept William. We will write a custom essay on The Confessor as a failure specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Therefore this caused further complications to the succession, which could partially be blamed on Edward. According to William of Poitiers4 and William of Jumii ges5 and supported by Bayeux Tapestry6 and Guy of Amiens7, Edward sent Harold to promise an oath of his own free will to confirm Williams claim to the throne in 1064. However Barlow8 questions the trustworthiness of these accounts. Schama9, Stafford 9and Campbell10 support this view, as they believe that the Norman chronicles were retrospective propaganda. Eadmer11, believes that Harold was forced to swear the oath. Although, Eadmers account to some extent is unreliable as he depends on other peoples sources. Wace1 supports Eadmers view. If the Norman Chronicles are correct, then William had the most valid claim to the throne, but due to the unreliability of the sources and arguments given by Eadmer, this makes Williams valid claim only in 1051. This was a long time ago and was unaccepted by the Godwines when they returned in 1052. This shows Edwards failure as more complications were made to the succession issue. Due to Edward losing supporters in 1057, Edward did not know what to do. He became politically inactive and thought that his last choice who he wanted as king was Edward the Exile, who was in Hungary. Due to the death of Edward the Exile, this made matters worse. On Edwards deathbed, according to the ASC2 and Florence of Worcester3, Edward designated the throne to Harold. However, according to Barlow4, Edwards vision was not very good, and he was disillusioned and sick and could have said anything. The Bayeux Tapestry5 supports this view, by showing Edward pointing to a figure, which is understood to be Harold, but there is no explanation why he does this. Also Schama6 believes that it is unlikely Edward did this, as he would set aside the claim of his own great-nephew Edgar Atheling. However, if Edward did promise the throne to Harold on his deathbed, Edward has caused even more complications. Therefore it could be argued that on the short-term Edward did solve the succession issue, as he promised a number of people the throne, however on the long-term this made matters worse. The crisis of 1066 leading to the Battle of Hastings could be argued to be Edwards fault, as both William and Harold fought against each other, as they both believed that they had the right to the throne. .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 , .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 .postImageUrl , .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 , .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993:hover , .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993:visited , .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993:active { border:0!important; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993:active , .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993 .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u334c70307f7cd7a930416289b110b993:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Big Brother and The Weakest Link EssayAccording to Barlow7, Edward was the man responsible for the disasters of 1066. Towards the end to Edwards reign, he became politically inactive and according to Barlow1, he left matters to God, and there are no contemporary English sources that report any action of Edward in relation to the succession. Therefore this shows Edward as a failure as he gave up completely. Overall, to some extent Edward was a success. This is shown, as he was able to gain more supporters by adopting a Normanisation Policy, abolishing the Heregeld, and by paying off nine ships out of fourteen, all in 1051. He also maintained the peace however, this was all short-term success as Edward was not able to expel the Godwines in 1052 and due to this many of the Normans fled such as Robert of Jumii ges. Although Edward was able to control the Godwins at first on the long term he was not successful, as he was unable to prevent Harold from becoming over mighty. Finally, Edward was a failure with the succession issue, as he did not have a consistent approach, and he made the problem of the succession even more complicated. 1 Barlow, Edward the Confessor, Pg79, Longman, 1970. 2 R. Allen Brown, The Vita Edwardi Regis, Edward Arnold, 1984 3 Barlow, Edward the Confessor, pg. 133, Ailred based his book on Geneology of the kings of the English of the English. he defended his kingdom more by diplomacy than by war. Longman, 1970. 1 Barlow, Edward the Confessor, pg134, Longman, 1970 (Snorri Sturuson, King Haralds Saga, caps. 75, 77. ) 2 Barlow, Edward the Confessor, pg128, Longman, 1970. Barlow says that the Enconium Emmae was written between 1040 and 1042, and was hostile to Edward. Therefore, describing Edward having these desirable qualities probably shows reliability. In 1036 3 Barlow, Edward the Confessor, pg. 129, Longman, 1970. (The poem was in Chron.CD, 1065). Barlow also says that the poem also mentions other qualities of Edward that has not been mentioned before, such, as since being in exile, he was still determined, when he became king. This shows that Edward was not a failure. 4 Barlow, Edward the Confessor, pg. 105, Longman,1970. Barlow also says that he had opposed local connexions, refused advice offered to him, and routed opposition. 1 Barlow, The Feudal Kingdom of England, pg 49, Longman, 1999 2 The Anglosaxon Chronicle C, pg166 3 Stafford, Unification and Conquest, pg89 4 Schama, A History of Britain, pg. 77, BBC Worldwide Ltd, 2001. 5 Barlow, The Feudal Kingdom of England, pg. 48, Longman, 1999 6 Anglo Saxon Chronicle, C, pg 171 7 Edited and translated by Frank Barlow, The life of King Edward, pg 25, Oxford University Press, 1992. 1 Anglo Saxon Chronicle D 2 James Campbell, Anglo Saxon England, pg 222 3 Pauline Stafford, Unification and Conquest, pg 89 4 Frank Stenton, Anglo Saxon England, pg. 572, Oxford University Press, 2001. 5 Simon Schama, A History of Britain, pg. 81 Schama also includes, that he built, Norman Romanesque basilica, and Edward was also taking advantage of the movement that placed abbeys and monasteries under direct royal patronage. BBC Worldwide Ltd, 1992. 1 Edited and translated by Barlow, The Life of King Edward, 2 Barlow, Edward the Confessor, pg 202, Yale University Press,1997 3 Schama, A History of Britain, pg. 78, BBC Worldwide Ltd, 1992. 1 Barlow, The Feudal Kingdom of England 1042-1216, pg 45. Longman, 1999. 2 Stafford, Unification and Conquest, pg. 86, Stafford says, William of Malmesbury tells how Edward was so uncertain of his situation that he considered returning to Normandy and was only persuaded to remain in England by Godwine, who offered to bolster his security, and a similar thing is said by Florence of Worcester, according to Stafford. 3 Stafford, Unification and Conquest, pg 83 4 Anglo Saxon Chronicle D 5 Stafford, Unification and Conquest, pg 84 1 Pauline Stafford, Unification and Conquest, pg. 91 2 R. Allen Brown, The Vita Edwardi Regis, pg. 43-46, Edward Arnold 3 Pauline Stafford, Unification and Conquest, pg. 91. 4 Campbell, Anglo Saxon England, pg229. 5 Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England, pg. 572. Oxford University Press, 2001. 6 Campbell, Anglo Saxon England, pg. 229. .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 , .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 .postImageUrl , .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 , .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951:hover , .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951:visited , .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951:active { border:0!important; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951:active , .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951 .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf9b01b9ada207645e3b6c728bc607951:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: To what extent have the burden of duties and responsibilities catalyzed Gregor’s metamorphosis? 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