Williams Rufus, the second Norman king in England, did not strike a chord with his contemporary chroniclers and writers of history. Instead, he was portrayed as just about everything a monarch should not be. This changed in later centuries, but once his image had been set by eleventh and twelfth century writers, many others just drew on them, manifesting the negative picture that existed of William Rufus and reinterpreting it only in nuances.
It is not the subject of this essay to retrace and follow this picture throughout the ages, although the conclusion will come back to this point. Instead, the focus here will be on two medieval writers who wrote about William Rufus, Eadmer and Henry of Huntingdon. A short passage will deal with their backgrounds and the key features of their work, so far as they are relevant to their attitudes towards William Rufus. The main body will look at passages written about William Rufus, taking into account the rhetoric and language involved, comparing where they differ and where they have similarities. The focus here will be a critical one, highlighting contradictions within and between the texts. Finally, the conclusion will again question both Eadmer’s and Huntingdon’s motives, and try evaluate the use of their accounts of Williams Rufus.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Eadmer and William Rufus
- Henry of Huntingdon and William Rufus
- Anselm and the King
- The Wider Picture
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay explores the portrayals of William Rufus, the second Norman king of England, by two medieval writers, Eadmer and Henry of Huntingdon. It examines their historical context, writing styles, and motives for depicting William Rufus in their works. The essay compares and contrasts their accounts, highlighting contradictions and similarities. * The portrayal of William Rufus by Eadmer and Henry of Huntingdon * The historical context of their writings * The rhetorical and linguistic strategies employed by the writers * The motives behind their depictions of William Rufus * The relationship between their accounts and the broader historical narrativeZusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The essay begins by introducing the historical context surrounding the portrayal of William Rufus. The author explains that while William Rufus was widely criticized by his contemporaries, this negative image continued to influence later historical accounts. The essay then focuses on two medieval writers, Eadmer and Henry of Huntingdon, who wrote about William Rufus. Both writers were part of the ecclesiastical community, but with different backgrounds and perspectives.
The essay explores Eadmer's account of William Rufus in the Vita Anselmi, emphasizing the conflict between the king and the archbishop, Anselm. Eadmer presents a strongly negative portrait of William Rufus, highlighting the king's harsh treatment of the church and his homosexuality. However, the essay also examines the complex relationship between William and Anselm, noting that the king eventually appointed Anselm as Archbishop of Canterbury.
The essay then turns to Henry of Huntingdon's Historia Anglorum, contrasting his initial more favorable portrayal of William Rufus with his later criticisms of the king's actions. The author highlights Henry's use of rhetoric and language to shape his narrative, comparing and contrasting his depiction of William Rufus with Eadmer's account.
The essay then examines the conflict between Anselm and William Rufus, focusing on the issue of simony and Anselm's refusal to pay a large sum of money to the king. The essay analyzes both Eadmer's and Henry of Huntingdon's accounts of this conflict, exploring their motivations and biases.
The essay concludes by exploring the broader historical context of William Rufus's reign and how both Eadmer and Henry of Huntingdon used their accounts of the king to shape their broader historical narratives. The essay notes that both writers were deeply invested in promoting particular moral or religious agendas, and their depictions of William Rufus served those agendas.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The essay focuses on the historical and literary contexts of the portrayal of William Rufus, with keywords such as: William Rufus, Eadmer, Henry of Huntingdon, Vita Anselmi, Historia Anglorum, Anselm, simony, Norman England, medieval history, historical narrative, rhetoric, and language.- Quote paper
- Nicholas Williams (Author), 2006, The Portrayal of William Rufus in the "Vita Anselmi" and Huntingdon’s "Historia Anglorum", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/127228
