In Medieval times, and today, everyone thinks differently. What exactly do people think? Everyone thinks about something every second. “What should I wear tomorrow?” “Is this the right thing to do?” “Wow, I love her skirt!” In different parts of the world and social classes, the rich think and plan in the future, but the poor think and act in the present.
In the Medieval times, there was an upper, middle, and lower class. The upper class was the class of kings, knights, and noble men. These people made up a very wealthy class, and they were in control of all the power. Because these people were so wealthy, they were always looking for a way to get more. At that time, wealth meant power, and power was a status that a lot of people wanted. Most of the time, wealth and power are what these people thought about. The kings lay taxes upon people in order for him to gain more wealth. (http://www.canterburytales.org/canterbury_tales.html). The king wouldn’t get the wealth right away, but he did this so that in time he would be richer than he already was. The rich would plan ways to get more wealth long before it actually was in front of them. These people think about money and power so much, because they know how it feels to be on the upper side of things, and never want to experience being poor.
The lower class was the poorest group of people in England. They got bossed around by their lords and did anything they said. Besides the king, “every man owned something to a stronger man.” (http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/middleages/feudal.html). The peasants did not really own anything. In order to farm or own a business, the man would have to go to the lord and beg for the right to do so. Once the farmer got permission to own land and farm, there were high taxes placed on the profit made from the crops. This gave the lower class little room to gain extra wealth. In order to survive, the poor people would have to buy the necessary things that helped the family live. Because this group of people had such a hard time living, there was no time to think about the future. They had to make decisions at the time the peasants were faced with problems. The lower class had to make decisions then and there that would impact how they would live for a while. In order to survive, the peasant people would have to take actions in the present that would impact them in the long run. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/taxesjlem.html).
Present day, we still have an upper and lower class. In some parts of our world today, there is not a big difference between upper and lower classes, but as a whole it is very easy to tell. In wealthy parts of the United States and other countries, many people there plan long in advance for the future. People have bank accounts set up for their children to go to college, life insurance for when they die, and even a savings account for when times might get tough. In the poorest areas around the world it is a completely different story. These people are much like the peasants in the Middle Ages. They need to make decisions everyday that may influence if they will survive or not. It is a tough decision to buy a mule to help farm and not eat that day, or eat and not be able to make their own food. These type of people are faced with these challenges every day, and it is a majority of what they think about. (http://www.helium.com/items/1005880-comparing-upper-and-lower-class-societies).
In the Middle Ages, the wealthy people thought about how to get richer quick and fast, but the lower class thought about how to get enough to survive that day. This happens every day in our society today. There are some that can think about what the most expensive thing they want for Christmas is, and how much they are going to spend on the new pair of shoes they decided they wanted two days ago. In other parts of the world, daily thoughts are how they are going to find food, and where they will be in five years. Thought is a powerful thing, and even though its around us every day, we don’t always see it.
"Chaucer's Canterbury Tales ~ Presented by ELF." Chaucer's Canterbury Tales ~ Presented by The Electronic Literature Foundation. Web. 04 May 2010. .
"Choose a Guide." Web. 04 May 2010. .
"Comparing Upper and Lower Class Societies - by Pileated - Helium." Helium - Where Knowledge Rules. Web. 04 May 2010. .
"Feudalism." Web. 04 May 2010. .
"Medieval Sourcebook: The Taxes of the Kingdom of Jerusalem." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 03 May 2010. .
Picture From: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mono_pensador.jpg
Nice job pulling in primary sources.
ReplyDeleteIn the section comparing contemporary America to the Middle Ages, you might be more specific with your sources -- ie find official stats on savings, insurance, education, etc. The Helium article is a bit too general. Always go for the source material.