Eleanor of Aquitaine In my opinion, no women appeared so dramatic over as Wu Zetian. She was powerful, she was heartless and cruel, and also she was the only empress in China. However, after some researches I did about Eleanor of Aquitaine, I found out that she also had a very dramatic and impressive life almost same as Wu zetian, and she used to be the duchess if Aquitaine and Poitou, queen of England, and “the grandmother of Europe”. Also, she brought a huge influence on the society at that time, too. The first influence she brought is that the under Eleanor’s ruling, Aquitaine became that European art center, also known as the “ the land of love” and “ the center of the world”. Eleanor’s father is the Duke of Aquitaine, which is known …show more content…
Science Eleanor was little, her father William X, made sure that she had the best education as possible as he could provide. She learned arithmetic, history and the constellations. Later, she learned domestic skills like the needle arts of embroidery, needlepoint, sewing, spinning, weaving and household management. She finished her learning by developing skills in dancing, conversation, chess, checkers, singing, and playing the harp. During her learning, she also learned to speak Latin, and good at music and literature. She also studied riding, hawking, and hunting. Also, during her growing up, she also influenced deeply by her grandfather – William IX. Her grandfather was a famous troubadour. With all these great education and influence from his grandfather, she became a very extroverted, lively, intelligent and open – mind …show more content…
During the High Medieval Period, people’s opinions and behaviors were controlled by the Church. Church believed that women should belong to men and they needed to be subservient to men. Women at that time seen as objects could be sold and bought by men. However for Eleanor, she controlled her own marriage and fate, she used to announce that she did not want to have the marriage with her husband anymore, which was her first marriage with Louis VII. After married to Louis VII, Eleanor became a birth machine to his husband; her husband wanted a boy to inherit his crown, but for open - mind Eleanor, she could not bear this - she wanted a husband who really loved her. As a result, their marriage became very fragile. When Louis decided to join the second Crusade, Eleanor decided to take part in too; also she contributed armies for that cause, and she decided to come with Lois to the battle, brought almost three hundred ladies with her. The church did not agree with the idea that Eleanor wanted to follow with her husband of joining the Crusade. No women at that time would challenge the Church, let along to let a woman join the battle. Eleanor showed how powerful and how rich she was to the world, and also the Church could not stop her. During the Crusade, Eleanor met her uncle Raymond, who sooner fell in love with Eleanor. The trip to Jerusalem was failed, and they return back to France.
While Eleanor was married to King Louis VII, Louis and Eleanor joined the second crusade and met up with Eleanor’s handsome uncle Raymond (Au, p.1). Louis began to notice Eleanor growing closer to Raymond (Au, p.1), so he forced her to go along with him to capture the Holy Land in Jerusalem, fearing an eventual love affair (Au, p.1). After the failed trip to Jerusalem, the pair went back to France, where Eleanor fell out of love with her husband. Even though the pope forbade them from dissolving the marriage (Goodman, 2013, p.3), she still found a way to divorce Louis, announcing that her marriage couldn’t be legal in God’s eyes since they were cousins (Au, p.1). Their marriage was annulled, and all of Eleanor’s property was then returned to her following medieval custom (Au, p.1). Hildegard of Bingen was the complete opposite in terms of how she went about achieving her goals, holding a religious authority’s opinion in the highest respect. Since Hildegard was especially concerned about sharing her visions because she lived in a period when the Church was torn apart by heresy, she didn’t want to do anything to label herself as a heretic (Hildegard of Bingen, 2015, p.1). With the permission of the abbot of St. Disibod, Hildegard began to write her vision down (Ferrante, 2014, p.1). Before she published it, it was approved by a papal commission named by Pope Eugene III, at the instigation of her archbishop, Henry of Mainz (Ferrante, 2014, p.1), and with support of Bernard of Clairvaux, who she had written to for advice (Delahoyde, Hildegard of Bingen, p.1). Eleanor always had her eye on the future, and didn’t allow her bad marriage with Louis to hold her back from further political influence. Just 2 months after she
Eleanor Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884 in New York, New York. While her parent were alive she lived in Italy with them. He father was Elliot Roosevelt, he was a junior partner at a real estate firm. He had alcohol and narcotic issues. Her mother was Anna Rebecca Hall, she was a popular debutante and elite figure. She died when Eleanor was almost 10 and Eleanor was an orphan until she was given to her maternal grandmother. Eleanor Roosevelt was the oldest of her siblings, Elliot and Gracie Hall Roosevelt. Growing up she received private tutoring since she was wealthy. She was taught grammar, arithmetic, literature and poetry. Later, she was also taught German, French, Italian, composition, music, drawing, painting and dance. Although she was not taught on subjects like politics and history, geography and philosophy, her instructor informed her a limitedly exposed her to it. She was raised as Episcopalian, and she kept that as her religious affiliation. This religion is a form of Catechism, which is Catholic, which is the religion that most people were during the time she lived. When she was about 20 years old, instead of returning to the United States from England where she received her schooling but she became involved in the social reform movement during the Progressive Era. After a while, she moved to New York and became a teacher. She was 20 when she married Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was 22. They got married on March 17, 1905. They had one daughter and five sons. They were fifth cousins once removed. After she got married, she fulfilled her duties as a wife and a mother...
The informational articles “Empress Theodora” by The World Almanac and “Elizabeth I” by Milton Meltzer it talks about two rulers who brought their kingdoms to their highest points. Both Empress Theodora and Elizabeth I impacted their respective kingdoms by making many changes during their reigns that improved conditions for their citizens.
The Empress Dowager Tzi-his (1835-1908) was a unique ruler unlike any other China had ever seen. She is considered to be one of the most influential people in Chinese history, a rarity in the male dominated Chinese world. The empress dowager exerted great power over the Chinese empire and influenced the political structure in ways it had never been influenced before, making many great reforms that she believed would help the Chinese people.
The Chinese possessed strong beliefs about astrology, so when it was prophesised that a women ruler would soon ascend the throne word quickly spread throughout the common people. It was predicted that within 30 years this woman known as ‘The Prince of Wu’ would rule over China. Whether or not Empress Wu’s rise to power was due to ‘heaven ordained fate’, she fulfilled the prophecy and became China’s first woman ruler in the 7th century. Historians, scholars and common people alike have long debated Wu’s reign. She is commonly referred to as an evil usurper due to the way she took power. However whether she fully deserves this reputation is to be examined. As the only female Chinese ruler, Wu challenged traditional gender roles and legitimized herself as a leader at a time when women were not meant for such positions. Empress Wu came to power through self-determination and a remarkable gift for politics. Once on the throne, she kept her power by all means necessary, often those means being murder and betrayal. Some of her actions were undoubtedly cruel. However once she was established as an empress conducted a mostly peaceful and prosperous reign. Empress Wu was by definition a usurper of the Chinese throne however not necessarily an evil one. She was manipulative and ruthless yet brilliant and exceptionally gifted. Her rise to power through sheer determination is to be commended despite the harsh tactics she used along the way.
Like many other women of her time Eleanor came from a long line of noble and royal blood. Her lineage can be traced back to the earliest kings of both England and France.(follow link to take a look at Eleanor’s very long family tree http://www.my-ged.com/db/page/scokin/12251) Her father William X was the son of France’s first troubadour, William IX and Eleanor’s early life was saturated with culture and learning. The court of her father and grandfather was thought to be the main culture center of the time. At age 15, with her father’s passing, Eleanor became the sole heiress and ruler of the largest duchy in France – Aquitane. Eleanor was then betrothed to Louis VII of France in order to unite their vast territories. In fifteen years however, Eleanor’s marriage and queenship were over. The pope on the pretext of close kinship ties annulled her unhappy marriage to Louis. At age 30 Eleanor had given up her throne and her daughters and returned to Aquitane to rule. Within a few years Eleanor was married to Henry Plantengent, the Duke of Normandy and ruler of the second most powerful duchy in France (second to her own Aquitane). In 1154 Henry was crowned King of England and Eleanor was now Queen of England, duchess of Aquitane and duchess of Normandy. Eleanor and Henry had eight children together, including Richard the Lionheart and John. In 1173, afte...
Since birth, her father and grandfather were humungous influences in her everyday life. Her father was William X, Duke of Aquitaine and her grandfather was the infamous William IX, otherwise known as William the Troubadour. Her grandfather is known for his poetry, singing and entertainment, giving him the title as the earliest known Troubadour. Her mother, Aenor de Châtellerault, dying when Eleanor was just eight years old, was a big behavioral enforcer when Eleanor was young. Yet, once her mother died, Eleanor and her sister Petronilla had little restrictions in their young lives. Around the time her mother died, they had many activities passing throughout their exciting childhood. Sewing, playing instruments, singing and dancing, embroidering and even horseback riding, which was typically a boy’s pastime, was done often. She would go on tours with her father, which consisted of traveling around the duchy of Aquitaine, greeting the citizens of their beloved duchy, and delivering good will and good services. Though it was unusual of women to be famous at the time, little Eleanor was more than loved by all who inhabited Aquitaine. The entertainment and personality of her grandfather, and her close relationship with her father, as well as the liveliness that the throne radiated throughout the duchy and in her childhood, contributed to her outgoing, outspoken personality, which was very taken note of though all of her life...
Lü Zhi (241–180 BC), commonly known as Empress Lü and Empress Dowager Lü, was the empress consort of Emperor Gaozu (256–195 BC), the founder and first ruler of the Han Empire. The consort earned her title by bearing Liu Ying (210–188 BC), who would later become Emperor Hui of Han. As such, Lü Zhi was the first woman to assume the title Empress of China, a title for which there had been no prior precedence. The later death of her husband in 195 BC resulted in the empress holding her power as a dowager, or a widow with a title from her late husband. Since Lü Zhi did not hold formal power through an office, and instead wielded a ceremonial position in the ruling household, her ability to manipulate the court without legal ramifications was amplified, and due to both her age and her sway over the ...
“I am not afraid… I was born to do this,” confidently stated the brave and courageous Joan of Arc on her feelings of leading an army into battle (Joan of Arc). From being born into an ordinary farming family in northeastern France to becoming canonized a saint, Joan lived a legacy. Her call to life a holy life from God and to lead France into many battles against England show her strong faith and trust in the Lord. The early life, uprising, downfall, and canonization of Joan of Arc are factors that summarize her extraordinary life. Her humility during the good times and her strength during bad times make Joan an admirable woman.
Catherine the Great was the most known Queen in Russia. The general history of Catherine the Great is unique because it left the lasting effect of the citizens of Russia upon the people that had better lives due to her. Catherine had said once, “Power without a nation's confidence is nothing.” With her as the Queen, the nation had confidence and still remembers her today ("Catherine the Great Quotes - BrainyQuote.").
Eleanor of Aquitaine was born in 1122 in Aquitaine to William X and Aenor of Chatellerault. During her time she was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women alive. She was crowned the queen of France on December 25, 1137, just fifteen years old. She was married to King Louis VII. Eleanor was said to have been very energetic and had a passion for hunting and poetry. She participated in the Second Crusade; she and 300 ladies and female servants dressed in armor and carried lances, despite not having done any fighting. She and Louis argued over how to fight the Crusade and Eleanor announced that she and Louis’ marriage was not valid in God’s eyes due to possibly being related through some family connections. However, Eleanor was still forced to carry on with Louis’ plans to reach Jerusalem rather than just recapture Edessa. The Second Crusade failed. Her marriage to Louis was annulled in 1152. Eleanor had bore him two daughters but no male heir. Because of this their marriage had been strained, and it didn’t help that rumors had been spreading of Eleanor having an affair with a fam...
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful women of the Dark Ages. She was married to one the best kings of the Dark Ages, Henry II. Growing up, she was well educated and was raised in one of Europe’s most cultured courts. She gained a vast inheritance when her only brother and father died. Being the eldest of the siblings, at fifteen-years-old, Eleanor had become the most eligible heiress in Europe.
Queen Victoria is ought to be the most important person in this era. Considering she was the queen crowned at age 18. Also ruling over the United Kingdom for 64 years, and this era was quite going through many changes to becoming modernized. She had influence from her early years; The Prime Minister and Her husband, Prince Albert. The taught her about being a ruler in a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch didn’t have much power but could influence decisions. Her personal life in matter is quite interesting.
When she was 15, she married Louis VII, the heir of the French throne. When she couldn’t give him a male child, King Louis VII ended the marriage. She regained Aquitaine. Soon after she married Henry II, king of England. When they got married, Henry II had more land in France then the king of France did. Although Henry II did own a lot of land, he did some things that did not make the archbishop Thomas Becket unhappy. He didn’t like how Henry II made priests under the authority of the royal
From a feminist perspective, Empress Cixi can be considered a role model. In a society where women were not considered equals, Cixi became extremely influential, and controlled what many women today cannot. Though she could not truly take advantage of her power as openly as a man would have, she did not let her gender hinder her.