The Women Troubadours (Option B)

In the book, The Women Troubadours, author Meg Bogin states that “Throughout the Middle Ages women were the pawns of men.”  In the book Bogin uses several examples to defend her claim.  During the Middle Ages the focus was almost always on men and little attention was directed to women.  Bogin starts out by saying that men had almost all the power, “only in the most exceptional cases did [women] have any say in their own destiny” (page 10).  During the Middle Ages one of the most important roles of women was to produce male children.  If a woman failed to do so she could be divorced from her husband, without any legal protection, and possibly even be sent to a convent (page 11).  At the beginning of the Middle Ages women were not allowed to own land or inherit (pages 22-23).   According to the rules of inheritance, money and property were to be passed down through all of the sons before the daughters, regardless of age.  Eventually women were allowed to own land but, according to Bogin, most women were hesitant to go against such a longstanding tradition (page 22).  When comparing the Middle Ages to current times, there have been several significant improvements in the treatment of women, but perfect equality still has yet to be achieved.  Nowadays women can decide who they want to marry and are able to inherit anything.  In the United States we have laws against discriminating against someone because of their sex.  Even with all of the advances in the treatment of women there are still some setbacks.  In my sociology class I learned that on average for every dollar men earn working, women only earn 72 cents for doing the same exact job.  Women are also expected to do most of the household work and childrearing, even if they have a full time job.   There have been tremendous developments in the treatment of women since the Middle Ages, but even today there is still room for improvement.

The Song of Roland (Option B)

The Song of Roland would have been an ideal story to tell to Crusaders on their way to Jerusalem and there are several reasons why the Crusaders would find this story so enjoyable.  First of all, it is a beautifully written epic poem that can be appreciated by almost anyone.  It would have been an entertaining way to pass the time on the long journey to Jerusalem.  Aside from the entertainment value, most Crusaders would have found The Song of Roland interesting because it was relatable to the situation that they were in.  Many of the Crusaders may have found it helpful to hear a story about other men going through a similar situation.  Some of the Crusaders may have been nervous about what they were about to experience and the story of Roland could have calmed their nerves.  The poem would have calmed their nerves because it validates that the fight for Christianity is right and just.  The Crusaders probably would have liked the fact that when Roland died, he was taken up to heaven by the angel Gabriel and the angel Michael (pages 19-20).  The Crusaders were told that they were guaranteed a place in Heaven if they died during the Crusade, so hearing this story probably would have solidified their beliefs about that.  Those who were in charge of the troops could have taken the opportunity to use The Song of Roland as propaganda to rally the troops and get them excited about the cause.  This story would give the Crusaders hope because in the end the Christians won and forced the defeated Moslems to convert to Christianity (page 21).  The poem also could have acted as reference point for the way the Crusaders should conduct themselves.  For example, in laisse 88 Roland explains how it is a knight’s duty to be brave and fight heroically (pages 9-10).  As evidence provides, The Song of Roland could be seen as more than just a story about a heroic battle to the Crusaders who were headed to Jerusalem.