History of Medieval England - Thursday 6th Period: Discussion 6: The Magna Carta

[prof-methos.livejournal.com]

Methos is reading a frighteningly thick book. Be afraid. He looks up as people come in and sets it aside, ready to launch into discussion.



[[OOC: OCD threads are coming are up. Go postal. Homework this week is prepping for the trial.]]

Comments

DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[prof-methos.livejournal.com]

The Magan Carta was not the first document of its kind in England. Henry I was pressured into signing a similar agreement. But he was not effectively kidnapped and forced into it, and even though the Magna Carta was initially set aside, it kept coming up in people's consciousness. Is an absolute monarchy better or worse than a monarchy checked by an equally unelected oligarcy?

Re:

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"Depends on who the guy on the throne is and who the oligarchy is?" Cameron said. "If your monarch is corrupt and there's an oligarchy to balance him out, then at least you got some sort of counter balance."

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

"Worse," Elizabeth replied. "An absolute monarchy is just a inherited dictatorship. Perhaps even worse, because of instead of taking power forcibly, they believe that they have a right to it; such as the Divine Right of Kings.

Sticking with England, but a few hundred years later, Charles the first was an absolute monarch, believed in the Divine Right, was an awful king, and couldn't control his own country. And he got executed."

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[prof-methos.livejournal.com]

"But the action against Charles wasn't a democratic one, not completely. It was a faction of the duly elected House of Commons, but all they really did was replace a hereditary dictator with a theocratic one. And then, when Cromwell died, they invited the hereditary monarchy back."

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

"But they did that because Charles kept dissolving the parliaments, and trying to rule by himself," Elizabeth replied. "I wasn't saying that it was a democratic action. Just that an absolute monarchy is bad."

She paused. "Although, yes, Cromwell wasn't much better. But he did ban mince pies. That I approve."

Re:

[aka-vala.livejournal.com]

Vala was frowning, finally she gave up and asked: "Oligarky? Is that like Jaffa soldiers or something? Brave or otherwise? Because someone with absolute power can get pretty scary especially when it's over your brain and body too, and but a lot of people in the universe world seem to go for it."

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[prof-methos.livejournal.com]

"Oligarchy is when a limited number of non-elected people have control of the government, instead of just one. And as an example of absolute power in this era being scary... a noblewoman named Matilda de Braose accused King John of murdering his nephew. He locked her and her son up in a dungeon and let them starve to death. They found her teeth marks on his body."

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[aka-vala.livejournal.com]

"Ewww!" Vala said, glaring at him. "Cutting off hands? Starving people? What is with this class today?"

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[prof-methos.livejournal.com]

Methos grinned at her. "Welcome to the Middle Ages."

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[aka-vala.livejournal.com]

"Uh, this was a long time ago, and nowhere around here, right?" She may be having flashbacks and just wanting to be very, very sure...

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[prof-methos.livejournal.com]

"A very long time ago, and not anywhere around here," Methos assures her. "You, ah, didn't fall through Locker 327 with Zero, did you?"

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Way to bring up trauma, Dr. Pierson." Parker shakes her head.

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[swerval_zero]

Flames...on my face... "No, it's fine. Really. In the past." Wibble.

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker passes her a chocolate and glares at the teacher. "Yeah, four months ago. Good thing you run so well."

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[swerval_zero]

"The mallet helped." So did the chocolate.

Re: DISCUSSION 2: Magna Carta

[aka-vala.livejournal.com]

"Uh, no," she frowned. "But I've, um, heard about it happening a lot in other places. Far away places."

Re:

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"If you've got an absolute monarchy, you've got one person to keep replacing," Parker said slowly. "With an oligarchy, you've got a dozen to a hundred. Who still won't listen to anyone if they don't want to, but. Their scope of influence is reduced. I think I have to vote for that oligarchy. In theory."