... in the audience gives it a courtly tone. Poetry moves from the mead hall to the castle. 4. It shows the all-important position of the church in medieval life. People were vitally concerned with the salvation of their souls. Religious literature was more mainstream than today. 5. Didacticism--almost everything written had a moral purpose. 6. Oral--meant to be heard rather than read. Verse was the ... came to be known as the Carolingian Renaissance. His empire did not long survive his death. Even before the end of Charlemagne's reign the empire had stopped expanding. Despite its claim as ...

• Word Count: 3804
• Approx Pages: 15
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... and replace him. Central to this dilemma is the case of the English king and the Archbishop of Canterbury, but playing in the backdrop, on a much larger scale is the case of the German Emperor and the Pope. Overwhelmingly similar are the cases of Henry II and Becket compared to Barbarossa and Alexander III. Early Life through Chancellorship Thomas á Becket was born circa 1118 ... Adrian IV died in 1159 and was replaced by Alexander III, Barbarossa was intent on invading Milan and did so successfully. He controlled much of Charlemagne's old empire and sought to once again make the Papac...

• Word Count: 2829
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate