Three Part DBQ

Part I: Historical Background on the War of the Roses

Henry V (ruled 1413-1422)

Henry V ruled from 1413-1422 and was a member of the House of Lancaster. He was crowned at the age of 26 and spent most of his reign campaigning in France. Henry left the crown to his infant son to Henry VI.

Henry VI (ruled 1422-1461)

Henry VI was the son of King Henry V. He was crowned king of both England and France when he was an infant. He suffered illness and then the throne was take up by Richard, duke of York.

Edward IV (ruled 1461-1470)

Edward was proclaimed King in 1461. Edward had Henry VI executed. Both of his sons were murdered in the Tower of London. He fought alongside his father his father at the Battle of Ludford.

Edward V (ruled 1483)

Edward V was 12 years old when his father died in 1483. Edward was declared illegitimate by Parliament because the marriage of his father to his mother was declared illegal. He lived until he was 13 years old.

Richard III (ruled 1483-1485)

Richard III is the younger brother of Edward IV. He became duke of Gloucester at age nine. He was killed by Henry VIII at the battle of Bosworth field.

Henry VII (ruled 1485-1509)

Crowned king in 1485, Henry was the first ruler from the Tudor Line. He became head of the House of Lancaster. He defeated the Yorkist army at the Battle of Bosworth where Richard II was killed.

Part II: Richard III: Fact and Fiction

Why did Shakespeare portray Richard III the way he did?

Shakespeare portrayed Richard with a hunchback to seem mean and old. Richard was also represented by Tudor writers with a hunchback. Richard committed many horrible crimes on his way to receiving the crown, and Shakespeare shows how nasty he really was.

With regard to the history of Richard III, what is meant in distinction between "Traditionalist" or "Revisionist" source? What is meant between "Lancastrian" and "Ricardian"?

Traditionalist: A traditionalist is someone who adheres to authority. A traditionalist source has information about religious truth derived from divine revelation and received by traditional instruction. In regards to Richard III, a traditionalist kept the same descriptions of Richard and talked about him in the same way. Shakespeare's interpretation of Richard III is a traditional source.

Traditionalist. (2009). Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/traditionalist

Revisionist: A revisionist source reevaluates and restates the past based on new standards. A person who is a revisionist advocates doctrines, theories, or practices from an established authority of doctrines. In regard to Richard III, a revisionist source is one that described Richard in new ways with different descriptions. It is an orthodox view on what happens in history.

revisionist. (2009). Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/revisionist

Lancastrian: A Lancastrian source is one that pertains to the family of Lancaster. The House of Lancaster was not in favor of Richard III and spoke about him in a harsh way.

House of york. (201-). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_York

Ricardian: A Ricardian source is one that defends Richard III and tries to disprove previously made descriptions and assumptions about him.

Lancastrian or Ricardian?

The first passage is Lancastrian. Part of the passage such as this: "This doone, Richerd, whose mynde partly was enflamyd with desire of usurping the kyngdom, partly was trubblyd by guyltynes of intent to commyt so haynous wickednes (for a guiltie conscience causeth thoffendor to have dew punishment alway in imagination before his eyes)" describes Richard with predefined explanations.

The second passage is Ricardian because Horace Walpole is describing how ridiculous descriptions of Richard III were. Walpole begins his writing with "With regard to the person of Richard, it appears to have been as much misrepresented as his actions." He continued to explain interpretations of Richard. Walpole also writes, "What feature in this portrait gives any idea of a monster? Or who can believe that an eye-witness, and so minute a painter, would have mentioned nothing but the inequality of the shoulders, if Richard's form had been a compound of ugliness? Could a Yorkist have drawn a less disgusting representation?" Walpole is trying to explain a different view on Richard III.

Part III: The Battle of Bosworth Field

Richard III

(in the voice of Richard, as if he were still alive)

I am the son of Richard

Duke of York

And the son of Cecilly,

Duchess of York[1]

I am the only king from the north,

The last of the Plantagenets.

And the last king of England

To die in battle.[2]

I’m thought to be,

By others, not by me,

That I am a hunchback, a deceitful man

And that I claim power wherever I can

It is also said that my left shoulder

is higher than my right,

My back is crooked,

And I am quite an odd height.[3]

My appearance is inaccurate

As are some of my actions

But aside from all that,

I would soon be in a bloody battle against Henry Tudor, that old rat.[4]

My enemy was ashore

August 11, 1485

And it would soon be time

For me to fight for my life[5]

It was then the eighteenth of August

And Henry Tudor reached Litchfield

It was there where he was welcomed

And so I decided, would I take a hard stand or would I yield?

I sent a plea for help

And York city received it

But only a small contribution of eight men was sent,

so my army would soon take a hard hit[6]

I was 32 years old

And fighting the hardest battle of my life

And I soon found out that it would be the last battle

That I would ever fight.[7]

[1] Wikimedia Commons. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/WarRosesFamilyTree.png>.

[2] "The Battle of Bosworth." Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://www.richard111.com/The Battle of Bosworth Page.htm>.

[3] "Richard III." Richard III Society - American Branch. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://www.r3.org/bookcase/more/moretext.html>.

[4] "Richard III Society--Horace Walpole, Historic Doubts." Richard III Society - American Branch. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://www.r3.org/bookcase/walpole/walpole4.html>.

[5] "Chronological Outline of Events." Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://www.richard111.com/chronological_outline_of_events.htm>.

[6] "Chronological Outline of Events." Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://www.richard111.com/chronological_outline_of_events.htm>.

[7] "The Battle of Bosworth." Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://www.richard111.com/The Battle of Bosworth Page.htm>.

Henry Tudor

I am the first Tudor king of England.

And along with only Richard III,

A surviving heir to the house of Plantagenet[1]

My father is Edmund Tudor,

Earl of Richmond,

And my mother Margaret Beaufort.[2]

I would rather have

Peace than war,

But in regards to war,

I have been a winner.[3]

The seventh of August

Is when I anchored in the first inlet

And I first took over

Dale Castle

I did not want anyone

To support Richard III

For no man under the sun

In his right might would.[4]

I fought against Richard

At the Battle of Bosworth Field

Where he was killed

And I lived on

The crown was then

Delivered to me

And we rode to Leister

I was as happy as I could be

Richard was laid to rest

In a place called Newark

And It became obvious

That he just couldn’t face the test

The fighting was brought to an end

Things were looking better

And making we could make an amend.[5]

I became king

And was told by many

That I was worthy

To be a leader

When the war was over,

I found my bride,

Elizabeth

And so the Yorks and Tudors were side by side[6]

[1] "Tudor Monarchs - Henry VII, One." EnglishHistory.net. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/henry7.html>.

[2] Wikimedia Commons. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/WarRosesFamilyTree.png>.

[3] "Primary Sources: The Obituary of King Henry VII, 1509." EnglishHistory.net. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://englishhistory.net/tudor/hobit.html>.

[4] "Chronological Outline of Events." Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://www.richard111.com/chronological_outline_of_events.htm>.

[5] "Richard III Society- Ballad of Bosworth, Text." Richard III Society - American Branch. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://www.r3.org/bosworth/ballad2.html>.

[6] Wikimedia Commons. Web. 26 Sept. 2010. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/WarRosesFamilyTree.png>.