Due Friday 12/9 7:30 am.
For those unable to attend - read either "Sovereignty, Supremacy and the Origins of the English Civil War" or "THE AMBIVALENCE OF ABSOLUTISM: STATE AND NOBILITY IN 17TH CENTURY FRANCE AND ENGLAND." Both are located with the other online resources. Identify the author's thesis and key arguments. Evaluate the effectiveness of the argument(s) put forth. (work on your critical evaluation skills)
1/2 to 1 page. Due Tuesday am.
48 comments:
After watching Baba Brinkman’s “The Rap Canterbury Tales,” it is hard not to appreciate the skill and effort with which Baba transforms Chaucer using his surprising and original method of storytelling. Taking advantage of his skills as rapper and as a self-described literature nerd, he turns several of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Tales, as well as the older stories of Beowulf and Gilgamish, into highly-entertaining, condensed performances.
As he describes during his performance, what Baba is attempting to do is to find a middle ground to satisfy both the intellectual “purists” and the entertainment-seeking “tourists.” Using material drawn straight from Chaucer and translations of Beowulf and Gilgamish, he combines it with a plethora of pop culture references (as well as the occasional sly references to his other works on Darwin and evolution) to make the stories understandable and relevant to a younger audience. The overall effect is fabulously entertaining, and does a wonderful job of bringing the stories to life. Special emphasis is given to the ultimately human traits that are as prevalent in today’s culture as they were in Chaucer’s day: sex, violence, greed, power, etc. They help to connect the audience to the stories, helping with understanding and entertainment.
While Baba’s work may not be considered entirely “scholarly,” that is probably not the intended point. Using modern language and culture to convey Chaucer’s plots, Baba takes artistic license to abridge and bend the stories to fit his performance. Both his accounts of Beowulf and Gilgamish, for example, only give the first portion of their respective plots. One could not study the nuances of Chaucer or the particulars of Gilgamish or Beowulf through this performance, but the central idea, that of making the stories accessible, is done admirably. Each story he tells is fun and memorable, and provides an alternative view of classical literature.
Baba’s “The Rap Canterbury Tales” cannot replace the actual writing, but it is definitely a worthwhile interpretation to take a look at. He gives the audience a taste, but to go further and really understand the writing, as Baba puts it, “You’ll have to read it.”
I thought Baba Brinckman’s approach to Chaucer was certainly a peculiar one. He transformed what could have been a rather uninteresting lecture into a lively and entertaining rap show. I think this was a very intelligent idea because it appealed to us, the younger audience. Like Brinckman told us, when most people hear of someone rapping “The Canterbury Tales” they may think of it as a foolish gimmick. However, when the show started those thoughts were far from true. Baba represented Chaucer’s tales with a modern twist that made it very understandable for us. He used references from present day movies, songs, and celebrities to represent the characters from the original Canterbury Tales. I think his approach to Chaucer was more effective than most lectures because it was fun and easy to listen to but we also understood what he was talking about at the same time.
Baba told Chaucer’s story and presented the idea of “tourists” vs. “purists”. He told of how the purists may think that a rap of “The Canterbury Tales” may not do Chaucer’s tales justice because of how scholastically complicated and how intelligent they actually are. The tourists, he said, are the ones who just want to “watch the movies” but do not read the books. They are more interested in the social aspect of the tales than the academic aspect. I think Baba’s rap did do “The Canterbury Tales” justice. Though he may not have used such intelligent words to project Chaucer’s ideas, what matters most is that the audience understands the concept that Chaucer would want his audience to receive from his stories. Baba told us of how he was a “literature nerd” and I think that is very apparent in his rap. Even though it was a rap, he used his previous knowledge about Chaucer’s tales to project his ideas. He used a combination of modern representatives and classic themes to tell the stories that we heard and learned from.
I think people today do not appreciate good literature as much as they used to. Even though we watched a rap of “The Canterbury Tales” I think it did help us appreciate Chaucer’s original stories. Baba made raps that were inspired from Chaucer and that shows us how intelligent of a man Chaucer was. I think it is incredible that Baba can take such intelligent stories and turn them into remarkably fun stories. Not to say that Chaucer’s stories weren’t fun when he wrote them but they were more difficult to understand and Baba did a great job explaining them to us and keeping us interested. I would say the overlal experience was very successful and entertaining.
I wasn’t expecting to leave the Soho Playhouse liking the performance as much as I did. I think Baba did a wonderful job. It probably isn’t as scholarly as expected to be but that’s what I enjoyed about it. I didn’t feel like I was learning during the performance but afterwards I understood Chaucer’s work a better. I also really enjoyed Baba’s use of current events in his raps, because it shows that he changes his raps often and it shows all his hard work and dedication to put on a great show.
I believe his work is a very modern way to show appreciation of Chaucer’s work. He took rap, something most teenagers have at least some experience with and a classic play, where teenagers might not be as experienced with and combined them to make and educational yet entertaining show. I think Baba made Chaucer proud. Without Baba people might have thought of Canterbury Tales as just another play we have to read for school but know its an interesting play because Baba analogies will be with us to help guide us while we’re reading.
I would have to say seeing Baba perform was interesting and even though I was skeptic about seeing the rap I ended up really enjoying it.
Maggie Kulpa
The first thing that comes to mind when someone hears that they are going to see someone rap the Canterbury Tales is that it won't be entertaining or done well. People are often times very skeptical over Baba Brinkman's performance before seeing it. Once one enters the playhouse and begins to listen to his raps they being to see that Baba is both intelligent and artistic.
Most of the time today, people will be skeptical or dislike any type of rap. They complain that it is not music nor should it be listened to. Baba has taken this opinion and crushed it for most people. Like Chaucer, he has taken something so low and pitied and turned it into a scholarly piece of art. In his raps he tells Chaucer's and other's stories with depth and simplicity. He makes it entertaining and pleasing to almost any audience, teens to adults.
In his show he describes both the "tourist" and the "purist". These categories place people under whether or not they would actually come to see his show. The "purist" hears the title and turns around saying that he is not scholarly in anyway. The "tourist" will go see it just to see it, they do not care whether it is scholarly or not. In the case of most people that go to see his show they walk in as more of a "purist", not wanting to see it out of fear of it being bad and not anywhere near Chaucer's works. They often times, however, leave as a "tourist" realizing that although it may not be Chaucer word for word, it is definitely worth going to.
Baba has done a good job making a rap into a scholarly and intelligent form of literature/music. In his simple yet entertaining lyrics and pictures, he helps the listener understand writing that they would otherwise not even pick up off of a book shelf.
Baba Brinkman certainly has a unique approach to Chaucer's Tales. I can safely say I have never heard of old English tales being rapped before. Yet, I'll admit, it was quite a fun experience, despite generally hating rap music. However, I can see why Brinkman's collage professors shot him down on this idea--it isn't exactly what one would call scholarly. However, that is, I believe, only from a viewer's standpoint,seeing as Brinkman must have a very in death and complete knowledge of the Cantrbury Tales to compress the original works into four minuets of lyrical rap, a process of which he says takes him about four hours just to write. On the other hand, to the viewer, the performance is purely for entertainment value, with only the main ideas, updated of course, coming through from Chaucer's original works. Yet, for the modern 'tourist' as Brinkman puts it, this kind of performance is ideal. Today's audience is only interested in history, or anything for that matter, if it entertains them. And Brinkman's performance was very entertaining, with its strategical use of modern meets historic slide showing, offering up huge scores of humor to accompany the rhythmical and dj beat. By making references to modern day celebrities, words, and vices, Baba showed that maybe the old tales are worth reading after all. Being a nerd who has read a few Canterbury tales herself, such as the wife of bath, I was happy to see him sticking generally to the story, while modernizing to keep everything contemporary. But perhaps the thing I appreciated the most was his advice at the end of the show--"Go read!"
Personally I think Baba Brinkman had a wonderful performance of his modern take on Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. The show was nothing like what I expected which was a pleasant surprise. Baba Brinkman used his rap skills to transform Chaucer’s work into something interesting and easy to understand. As well the fact that he rapped it made it appealing to our young group of people. He was able to take the old English, which is so difficult to understand, and made it enjoyable to listen to and easy to follow. Along with that, the references to modern events, celebrities, movies and politics, furthered my understanding of the stories because I could relate them to things I already know. I think this unique approach to Chaucer was very successful, effective and enjoyable.
Baba Brinkman’s work was not entirely “scholarly” but it did not need to in order to be a successful show. It was clear that he spent much time reading and interpreting The Canterbury Tales before creating his raps. He explained through his intentions of satisfying both ‘purists” and “tourists”. This means that he couldn’t stray too far away from the actual stories while trying to make them modern and relevant. Baba Brinkman was successful in this by using many modern examples to explain old stories. I enjoyed his performance very much, and it made me interested in these stories more so than I would have been if I had only read them. Overall, Baba Brinkman was successful in portraying his modern appreciation of Chaucer to the audience, in a fun and interesting way.
I have to admit that upon hearing the words “Rap Canterbury Tales”, I almost burst out laughing. I entered the theater with correspondingly low expectations, but was shocked and awed by the sheer genius Baba Brinkman used to convey the messages of the Canterbury Tales. He brilliantly turned the Middle English, that turns many off to the idea of Chaucer, into a fluent and modern interpretation of the many tales. It was upon leaving the theater that I realized that I had been taught the major themes of the Canterbury Tales just by listening to a few rap songs. While not scholarly in an orthodox manner, Brinkman was able to demonstrate to the audience not only the major themes to be learned from the Canterbury Tales, but also presented them in a method similar to the vernacular in medieval times. The vernacular of Chaucer’s day was equally as vulgar and blunt as most rap songs tend to be. In rapping these tales, Baba Brinkman put these seemingly bland tales into a context that was intriguing and entertaining.
I personally enjoyed his profound use of modern references in his presentation. It not only made the presentation increasingly enjoyable, but helped put the events of the Canterbury Tales into a much more clear perspective. It was also able to convey his vast knowledge of the Canterbury Tales as well. It’s one thing to read the stories written by Chaucer, and another thing to understand them; but it’s something incredible to understand a story so much that you can convey its inner meanings and themes to an audience with relative ease. Not only did Brinkman inform his audience of the details of the tales however, but in conveying these themes in such an unorthodox way, he showcased his mastery of the book, as well as his own creative genius. This show serves as a prime example of the brilliance of Chaucer, and the relevance he still has over 600 years later.
Baba Brinkman took a very interesting and most youth would most likely agree with me when I say more entertaining approach to Chaucer's masterpiece in "The Rap Canterbury Tales." If one enters the performance with an open mind, I believe it would be nearly impossible to not appreciate Brinkman's methods in telling these stories. What allowed him to be successful in utilizing this delivery was not only his evident lyrical skills as a rapper, but also the deep knowledge he has obtained through extensive study of literature. Brinkman was successful in finding the balance he spoke about between the "tourists" solely interested in entertainment and the "purists" who seek intellectual stimulation. By resisting the temptation of the tourists' side, Brinkman certainly was able to keep the scholarly value in his performance. Perhaps Chaucer's tales were presented in somewhat simplified terms, but it was merely in order to make them comprehensible for the general public. The recent transition into the mainstream of his medium, rap, also contributes to the scholarly merit in his performance.
Not only is Brinkman's work relevant to a modern appreciation of Chaucer, I believe it is essential. At the very least, individuals like Baba Brinkman need to continue to convert Chaucer's work into more modern mediums. If the masses are further exposed to these classics, a more widespread appreciation of them will most likely ensue. To me, rap appears to be the perfect style of delivery. It allows or special emphasis on the particularly relatable themes of the Canterbury Tales such as greed and sex.
Baba Brinkman’s approach to Chaucer’s Canterbury tales is an approach that has never really been taken before. To transcribe something from a bunch of old English stories from the 14th century into a modern day rap song is really unheard of. Some may think that rapping isn’t necessarily “Scholarly” but I think that in it’s own way, Baba’s work can be considered scholarly. He first had to get a complete understanding of each of the stories that he recreates. This probably meant reading and reading over the texts of the original as well as translations. Next, to provide an entertaining and interesting show for the “tourists” as he called them, he needed to connect that story to modern day events and culture while keeping the original story line and ideas intact and accurate for the “purists.” All of this he did while rhyming and reciting his re-creation to a the beat of a rap song. For the work he put into it and how unique it was it can very easily be considered a scholarly show.
I do think that Baba’s show is relevant with regard to a modern appreciation of Chaucer’s work. I think the Rap version that Baba has created presents to us a modern day perspective of the events described in the 14th century book and connects those events to the morals and values of today. It allows us to better understand the stories of Chaucer because of that connection. Overall his show was pretty good, it was funny and entertaining while still being informative and interesting.
When I first heard I was going to see the rap Canterbury tales, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I pictured a guy reciting Chaucer’s words really quickly, and everyone in the theatre not being able to pick up what he said. However, Baba’s approach to the rap Canterbury tales was the opposite of that. I enjoyed the performance because I was able to relate to his modern version of the tales. His reference to modern day rap songs and celebrities turned the Canterbury Tales into an analogy I could understand.
I do believe Brinkman’s approach to the Canterbury Tales was scholarly. First off, it takes a lyrical genius to be able to take the main themes of the Tales and create a rap that people can relate to and encompasses the general idea (not to mention one that rhymes). Secondly, aspect that made his work scholarly was the fact that he studied who his audience was, and tried to appeal to everyone. He realized there were the tourists, who were only there for entertainment, and the purists, who want to hear a rap that is an accurate depiction of the Canterbury Tales. After realizing this, it is apparent Baba put in a tremendous amount of time crafting his raps so they appealed to both the purists and the tourists. Therefore, his work proves scholarly because he kept all the relevant themes of the Canterbury Tales, but was able to tell the stories/themes in modern day language which kept the tourists entertained.
I also think Baba’s work is relevant to a modern appreciation of Chaucer. Baba clearly spent many hours reading and interpreting the Tales, and picked out the themes in the stories, such as sex, trickery, and greed. He then took these main themes of the story and was able to express them in modern ways by using references to rap artists, pop culture, and a catchy beat.
After seeing “The Rap Canterbury Tales,” I’m astounded at how well Baba Brinkman did. Going into the show, I was very skeptical thinking that the rap would most likely be something like Middle English with a hip hop beat. I was entirely wrong, and I’m quite glad that I was, Baba’s show was both entertaining and informative, and I had a lot of fun watching it.
To rap something as dated as the Canterbury tales must be incredibly difficult. I was amazed at how well he was able to summarize the stories while rapping. I have a hard enough time making up rhyming poetry in Literature class, so taking Middle English and translating it into our common language today was a great feat. As for the “scholarly merit” of the show, I think it was definitely informative. Going into the show, I honestly couldn’t have told anyone anything about the Canterbury tales besides who wrote them and what the general format was. After seeing the show, I understand three of the many stories told by Chaucer and I have found ways to connect the themes to current literature.
Also, Baba’s approach to the Canterbury tales from a rap perspective was definitely hard to understand without having seen the show. Most people don’t understand his reasons for using rap as a way of explaining the stories. However, his comparison between Chaucer’s use of the vernacular and his own rap lyrics made a lot of sense. To present a story as old as the Canterbury tales takes a lot of work. To merely read the stories would put the audience asleep in seconds. By rapping the stories, Brinkman presents a new view of them with connections to current events, which makes them much easier to understand and pay attention to.
Overall, I think Brinkman did a great job with his Rap Canterbury Tales. I found them both informative and fun to watch, and his references to current people, like Charlie Sheen, made both the crowd and I laugh. As skeptical as I was at first, I definitely enjoyed the show.
Rap is definitely a genre of music that I was never really a fan of. I can even admit to writing it off as an illegitimate art style. The past year or two however I've been much more open to rap and have accepted it as a true art form. I realized that rap is both musical and extremely poetic. Seeing the show at the Soho Playhouse definitely confirmed my opinion on rap as being legitimate art. I believe Baba Brinkman definitely lived up to the craftsmanship of The Canterbury Tales and did so in a very similar way to Chaucer.
As Brinkman explained, a large majority of people nowadays don't feel that rap has any literature or musical merit. The same however back in the age of Chaucer was said about the Vernacular language. It was seen as a young fad that people were getting into similar to how rap is portrayed in our society. So Baba's approach was not only scholarly but done in the same method as Chaucer, by breaking away from the status-qou. He made it clear that in the future rap might be seen as a classical art form just as the Vernacular language is now. Brinkman told the same stories in a language we were much more familiar with and could enjoy, the same way people would enjoy Chaucer's original stories written in the vernacular. Chaucer's stories were merely translated into rap.
Brinkman did an outstanding job introducing all of these ideas in between each story and really gave you an appreciation for both Chaucer and Rap artists in general. Most importantly however, I left the theater genuinely wanting or read The Canterbury Tales or even Beowulf. I was genuinely surprised at how much I enjoyed myself. Great Show!
Baba Brinkman's "The Rap Canterbury Tales" was not at all what I was expecting. I assumed the show would simply be Geoffrey Chaucer's words spoken faster and put to music. However, this was definitely not the case. As Baba Brinkman introduced and rapped each story, it was easy to follow and very relatable to a young adult audience. It kept everyone entertained through the use of pop culture icons and other references that the teenage population is familiar with. Baba Brinkman combines his rapping abilities and his knowledge of literature to create a student friendly rap show that communicates the main points and themes of Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales," as well as "Beowulf."
During his performance, Baba made a very interesting point. He pointed out that Chaucer's writing style- the vernacular- was the unpopular choice in his time period, much like slang in todays society. The vernacular was of the lower class and the uneducated. Rap is often associated with slang, serving as a solid foundation for a modern day version of "The Canterbury Tales" to be performed. Brinkman also took into account the differing viewpoints of the "purists," individuals who are interested in the original texts, and the "tourists" who seek only entertainment rather than knowledge. He had to consider these two opinions while creating his show, and come up with something that would satisfy both the purists and the tourists. He does this by combining the original words of Chaucer with todays celebrities and popular culture. He focuses on something we are all witnesses to- human characteristics. In Brinkman and Chaucer's work, human nature is highlighted and given special emphasis in each tale, using references that the high school audience would know and be able to connect with.
Although the show was ultimately entertaining, it also had educational benefits. Allowing students to view "The Canterbury Tales" from a different, more interesting, perspective, opens the door to a deeper understanding of the time period. However, the experience is not entirely centered around education. Baba uses Chaucer's works, but also modifies what he wants to fit his performance. He allows the audience to get an idea of what the stories are about, but then closes the show by encouraging his audience to read and get the full story for themselves. Although it is not completely scholarly, Baba Brinkman's "Rap Canterbury Tales" is a creative interpretation of classical literature.
Baba’s performance of the Canterbury Tales was a genius work of art. It combines two aspects of art: literature and hip hop music. By adapting these two art forms, Baba created a performance that was suitable for people of all ages. While an older person might ignorantly disregard rap based on what they hear on the radio, he or she would probably be interested in the Canterbury Tales or literature in general. A younger person such as my classmates and I are much more interested in hip hop music than literature. By attracting both audiences simultaneously, this epic performance by Baba is worthy of much praise.
Baba’s approach to the Canterbury Tales was certainly scholarly. It combined two art forms into one performance that was about the Canterbury Tales by Chaucer. Baba retold the Canterbury Tales using a more modern approach by using “hip hop language.” Because of this approach, I left the theater with more appreciation for Chaucer than I would have if Baba had given us a lecture. His approach is definitely good in capturing the attention spans of young audience members such as me.
Baba actually told the Canterbury Tales through poetry. Why? Because hip hop music really is poetry. When you look at artists who don’t sell out such as Common, Nas, or Mobb Deep you realize that their lyrics are poetic. This concept is often not understood by casual radio listeners. Thus, it is true that Baba combined hip hop, poetry, and literature all into one performance.
Personally, I thought Baba Brinkman's approach to Chaucer was nothing short of genius. He made the stories both interesting and relatable to our culture today. I am certain that the way he presented these stories will make them last in my memory for a much longer time than if I had read them alone or we had talked about them in class.
However at the same time I do think a good amount of the scholastic integrity was lost in Brinkman's interpretation. While my classmates and I were able to understand the main message and story from the raps, I don't feel as though we were able to get a glimpse of what the actual text is like and how much artistry went into it. At the same time I think that most of it would probably be over our heads anyways and attempting to read and understand his works would be a largely frustrating experience.
Overall I feel as though Brinkman left us with a great appreciation for the lessons and themes that Chaucer portrayed in his writings and a sense of how revolutionary some of his stories were for the time. I also left with an enormous amount of respect for Brinkman and his ability to be innovative and extremely intelligent all at the same time.
After watching Brinkman's performance "The Rap Canterbury Tales"I was extremely impressed. When I first heard about the show I wasn't expecting much, but Baba quickly changed that with his entertaining performance.
I think Baba's performance was scholarly and I can't see how someone could disagree. He not only retold the historical tales of Gilgamesh, Chaucer, and Beowolf but he put them into a modern interpretation. This shows that he has not only studied these stories and texts but that he has an incredible understanding of them. It takes a true scholar and artist to be able to not only read these historical texts and understand them but fully interperate and modernize them.
Baba's work is very relevent to the modern appreciation of Chaucer. Like I said earlier, one of the things he does best is translate Chaucer's work into something people today can understand. I think he does the work of Chaucer justice. I've looked at the normal "Canterbury Tales" and I can barely understand a word of it, however, after seeing Baba Brinkman's performance I can truely say I know what happened in the stories he told. By putting it in terms the people of today can comprehend, he ensures that Chaucer's works will never die and he passes them on to a new generation. To me this makes him more shcolarly than most other historians. It doesn't help kids to teach them a text in a dialect they don't understand, but by putting them in modern terms Baba makes sure that kids can understand the tales, therefore teaching them to people in a fun, entertaining, interesting, unique, and comprehendable way.
When I first heard of Baba Brinkman's “The Rap Canterbury Tales”, I was both intrigued and skeptical. Upon being exposed to the first few lines of “The Canterbury Tales” I thought to myself it would be impossible to put this to rap and make it interesting and understandable. The reason I thought this was because I believed he would just rap the lines directly out of the book. Much to my enjoyment, he did not. Brinkman created a piece of art by doing this performance and his method may not be one hundred percent scholarly but I don't think that was his purpose.
When talking about his goal of doing this show he spoke of how usually there are two divisions of people. The “purists” who would not consider this performance scholarly because they would see it as noneducational and a travesty to portray Chaucer this way. Where there are “tourists” whose only concern is being entertained. He wanted, through this show, to both relay Chaucer's words in a more understandable way while giving the audience an entertaining show. He masterfully crafted what many people would see as boring, the stories of the Canterbury Tales and Beowulf for example, and modernized them in way that everyone could understand the events, while being to enjoy some well executed rapping. This approach to Chaucer is unconventional to say the least, however it is extremely effective. By changing the stories, only in the sense to make them easier to understand, Brinkman created an experience that was both educational and entertaining.
Although there was some profanity present in “The Rap Canterbury Tales”, it was a modern interpretation of this work. Also, rap never tried to establish itself as a clean music type. It is more a form of expression and if the profanity helps to express the ideas of the individual, then it has its place. I don't believe that any disrespect was intended to Chaucer or anyone who sees Brinkman's show. Brinkman never advocated that his raps were perfect or they should be supreme word on Chaucer. Rather he even told us to go out and read Chaucer for ourselves if we wanted to get the full Chaucer effect. In the end, I think that this was a very effective field trip to have taken. While there will always be those who think that listening to a rapper could potentially hinder our education, I believe its the exact opposite. By having teens listen to a form of expression extremely popular at this time, it made us want to listen. Anyone can go on a stage and speak to teenagers about maybe not the most interesting topic. But it takes real talent to be able to engage the audience and make them want to keep listening to what you have to say. That is no easy task and I feel that Brinkman accomplished that goal. It would be beneficial to continue to see his performances and to keep seeing how Brinkman evolves in his retelling of the Canterbury Tales.
The rap of “The Canterbury Tales” performance by Baba Brinkman was an interesting experience. In my opinion I believe that he did a wonderful job in taking Chaucer’s difficult, old English words and developing it into an understandable song. Not only did he perform Chaucer’s story by using modern English, but he also created a slideshow of pictures that helped me visualize everything that he was saying. Furthermore, this was pleasing and enjoyable for me and other kids sitting around me at the playhouse, due to the fact that many people are entertained when they listen to any kind of music. After listening to this rap, it was clear to me that Baba Brinkman was an intelligent and creative person. His idea of creating this song was probably challenging due to the fact that he had to translate Chaucer’s old English words to the current English language. It was also probably hard to take those words he translated and preform it in a poetic or rhyming rap.
After listening to Baba’s work, I consider the fact that it was educational, whereas other parts, such as his movements was surprising to watch. His work was educational because he took an old form of literature and made it into a song. It made me interpret Chaucer’s literature and themes more easily, due to the fact that he preformed it in a way that young adults can understand it. Overall, Baba Brinkman’s idea of making literature into songs is a total success. After walking out of the playhouse, I did learn a lot about Chaucer’s topics presented in his tales. Without Baba Brinkman’s creativity, I would have never understood what Chaucer was writing about.
Honestly, when I was first told that our Euro class was taking a trip to see the Canterbury tales rapped, I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical about the legitimacy and value of such a performance. After actually seeing the performance, I was amazed and thoroughly impressed. Baba Brinkman did a great job of making something as prestigious and intimidating as the Canterbury Tales and made them understandable and enjoyable to listen to. I thought his technique of rapping was a very clever way of appealing to a younger generation, such as our junior class, and I think that helps allow kids to have a greater appreciation for such great pieces of literature.
While some highly esteemed scholars might argue that Brinkman’s method of rapping the Canterbury Tales was vulgar and did not do Chaucer justice (these people Brinkman would refer to as “purists”), I personally believed that Brinkman’s rapping was the perfect way to transfer the main essence of Chaucer’s writing into a similar style that is appropriate for the time period and its citizens. In the time when Chaucer was first composing his masterpiece, known as the Canterbury Tales, he made a daring choice to complete his works in the vernacular. This was a type of speaking which was considered the “vulgar language” compared to the more upheld and classical Latin. A rough comparison to a way of speaking now a day would be rap. Thus was the foundation Brinkman had discovered to build a bridge to help transport us back to the days of Chaucer. His style of rap was humorous, witty and well researched. Although there were some vulgar words being used and profanity, especially in the Merchant’s tale (which Brinkman compared to Hefner and Scarlet Johansson). However, this kind of harsh language was a great way of allowing us, as the audience, to understand how people had first received the works of Chaucer, which we find today very interesting and worth “scholarly” status.
This brings me to my final point, which is whether or not the rapping styles of Brinkman had “scholarly” substance. I found his performance quite scholarly. While there were some vulgar word choices, I thought his analysis and synopsis of classic tales like Beowulf and Gilgamesh were quite entertaining and educational. He did a great job of using a combination of rapping, which kids enjoyed, and visuals which made it easier to follow the plot line. Brinkman clearly had well researched all of his topics, which made him able to give a creative twist to each of them, while still preserving their dignity and impressiveness. While some purists may argue that Brinkman's performance was vulgar and combined too many pop culture references, I would argue that this did a marvelous job of finding middle ground between pleasing the purists and the tourists; Brinkman was able to give the individual stories justice, and keep us entertained at the same time!
Baba Brinkman's recreation of the Canterbury Tales was definitely a unique and original representation of what most people in its first-written form would think its not something enjoyable. Instead, his invention definitely required skill, effort, and pure determination. Most of us if we had to read the Canterbury Tales would just drag through and not understand a word, however Baba basically translated it into a foreign language. It actually described what Chaucer meant, which gives a full understanding of it. Although his word choice seemed to be pretty vulgar, and explicit, he wasn't just saying those words just to say them. He is putting it in laments terms and helping us equivalate the book to a degree of the rawness and taboo it was.
Another great way that he simplified this profound reading, was by using common examples in every day life, to relate to some events in the book. He used terms like the "Bush Administration" to give a magnitude. He then described, in what he thought, was the meaning of some of the tales and how it reflected on the every day life. In addition, he didn't just go out and try to write a rap as explicit and profane as he could, he tried to appeal to the masses and reach both sides of what he called the "purists" and the "tourists". The purists believing in the artistic integrity of the original piece, and the tourists looking for the thrill or entertainment rather than integrity. He had to find a balance and reach out in both directions. He would use examples which were very common knowledge to enhance this. Overall, Baba Brinkman's portrayal was for the most part entertaining, but at the same time educational. Ultimately, it was a good re-enactment of a once thought of as a boring book. Every one learned though that the messages and lessons were the same, but the visual way of saying it was different. So Baba did a fantastic job of linking two seemingly unrelated ideas.
After viewing Baba Brinkman's performance of The Canterbury Tales originally written by Chaucer, I was thouroughly impressed. Brinkman's approach to the combining modern rap music to Chaucer's writing is simple, yet elegant. Baba took his personal knowledge of literature and rhythmic ability, and combined with old english writing, a more than difficult task.
When looked at in a artistic way, however, there are many simple themes that connect modern-day rap music to the stories of Chaucer. In this matter, Brinkman is indeed a scholarly performer. These stories seem to come to life when he performs them, and the addition of modern slang keeps the audience radiant towards the performance. Although many "purists" as Brinkman described them may feel this portrayal of The Canterbury Tales is a form of disrespect towards Chaucer, it is hard to neglect its studious effects. Personally I was entertained by the show, and the stories were more easily understood when presented in the manner Brinkman presented them.
As a highschool student, describing Chaucer's old english writing as difficult to comprehend is an understatement. Brinkman is the perfect link between modern understanding and the true meanings of the original stories. This newfound comprehension of Chaucer helps the student truly appreciate the art behind his work. His themes are presented as universal by Brinkman and they are well-developed towards modern affiliation. This modern representation is a beautiful work of art, combining the classical works of Chaucer and the current trend of rap music.
I’ll be honest, the first thought I had when I heard that there was someone who not only performed the Canterbury, but rapped them, was certainly not one involving an educational and entertaining performance. My first image of such a performance was that of an elderly history teacher making a fool of himself in front of our class. To say I was skeptical is a rather large understatement. Yet, upon seeing the performance, not only was I completely blown away by the performance, I was thoroughly entertained.
There are few modern creations that I dislike more than rap. I hate how it is almost entirely the work of a computer, and more focused on being explicit than on being properly entertaining. With that being said, I was truly amazed at the fact that Baba was able to not only keep my attention, but truly put on an entertaining performance. Much to my displeasure, it seems as though the days of bands and instruments are nearing their end. Rap has swarmed the music industry, and has become a staple of modern music lovers’ lives. In this sense, not only was Baba’s presentation suited for the individuals of today, but was taken in as though listening to typical music, albeit with more humor than most songs.
What I found to be the most amazing part of Baba’s presentation was the passion that was evident throughout the show’s entirety. It was clearly not a presentation made solely to be educational, or simply to be entertaining, but more a result of Baba’s passion for the material. He wanted us to appreciate the works of Chaucer as much as he did himself. It was this reflection of his passion towards the material that created not only a properly outstanding interpretation and appreciation for Chaucer’s famous tales, but it created an astoundingly unique and thoroughly entertaining experience.
Baba’s passion, knowledge, and presentation of Chaucer’s ideas created a performance that in undoubtedly scholarly. The level of knowledge reflected in the performance was rather impressive, and I have no doubts to the credibility of his opinion and interpretations. Through the use of the cultural icon that rap has become, and the usage of modern references, Baba created a truly modern appreciation and interpretation of material that is centuries old. That, in itself, represents the quality of the performance.
Baba Brinkman's "The Rap Canterbury Tales" is an adaptation of Chaucer's work that is far-out, and is completely steered in the opposite direction of 'scholarly-esque performance technique.' The way I saw it, Brinkman's renditions of The Canterbury Tales and other noble works of literature were the original stories told on steroids. After reading The Canterbury Tales myself, I truly believe that Brinkman did a fantastic job and presented the stories in a fascinating new light.
While reading The Canterbury Tales for my British Literature course, I had to figure out a way that I could read the text in order to better interpret it. Even in the "translated" version, some sections of the story still appeared to be written in a different language. What helped with dissecting this rich literature was to think about the story in modern terms; I took the knowledge I did have about what was happening and read the story as if it were taking place in present day. Human nature of course has never changed - and I believed that was the key to reading the book.
This method of reading allowed me to appreciate Chaucer's work, and I also came to realize how explicit and "vulgar" some of the tales were. If one was not familiar with The Canterbury Tales and Baba Brinkman's educational background, they may think that Brinkman's show was a complete joke. After all, how could any literature from The Middle Ages be so perverse and violent? Although his language was overly explicit at some points, his renditions stuck true to the stories. He made the works interesting with his humorous version of what would be a rather boring tale to the average Joe.
Brinkman's performance technique was not scholarly, but the background knowledge he has on those righteous works of literature; the way he accurately translated the tales into rap-language is truly the work of a literature scholar.
Baba Brinkman's Rap Canterbury Tales was not what not I had expected it to be. I expected an old professor who would make a rap with corny lyrics in a failed attempt to make the Canterbury Tales interesting. Baba was quite successful in deviating from my expectations. Just the fact that he had a DJ in his presence helped add to the legitimacy of his music.
I found myself surprisingly interested when i was watching the show. One of the things i found most interesting was that he emulated Chaucer's style. His work is the modern day version of Chaucer. They both employ the use of constant allusions to the popular culture of their time. Baba did this when he referenced Penn State while talking about rape. They also both did their work in a form of literature that is not well appreciated in their time. Baba's work may not be considered artistic in our time period simply because rap is too young to be appreciated. Just as Chaucer's work wasn't appreciated because it was written in the Vernacular.
The show is discreetly scholarly. It is able to teach things to the viewer without the viewer really thinking about it as an educational show. It does communicate the themes and major points of all the stories he told effectively, just in modern terms. I think his work is as relevant as it can get while trying to appeal to a large crowd. If he were to go any more in depth he would've lost what he calls the "tourists". The ultimate goal of his show is to make the Canterbury Tales relevant to our generation, which he would not be able to achieve if he tried to please the "purists" by referencing the text more often.
Baba Brinkman’s performance was certainly a memorable one. Writing and performing a rap performance of the Canterbury Tales was both entertaining and informative. It offers an alternative perspective to the Canterbury tales and writing crafted in the past. Learning about literature in class can be challenging because the language is different than how it is used today. The Canterbury Tales used a great amount of vulgar language as well as ideas, which were considered “taboo” at the time. In the rap, Brinkman’s curses, sexual references, and vulgarities would not be used in an average arts performance today. By comparing the language, a connection was established between modern rap music and the Canterbury tales.
After in the questioning session following the performance, Baba Brinkman explained his writing process. The raps are carefully crafted and serve as an alternative interpretation of the stories of the Canterbury Tales. He seemed to demonstrate a great interest and appreciation of the tales. Yes, Baba’s approach to Chaucer was “scholarly.” He simply “converted” the lyrics from a difficult and “foreign” language to simpler and modern terms. This approach is admirable and takes a great deal of skill. Not only does Brinkman have such a great grasp of the Canterbury Tales, but possesses the talent to rewrite them into his own form of art as well. After viewing this performance I have formed appreciation for Chaucer and the risks, which he took with his writing and ideas.
Baba Brinkman’s Rap Canterbury Tales was an amazing experience. I, like many others, was somewhat skeptical about the idea of the Canterbury Tales being presented as a rap, especially before seeing the performance. However, the balance that Brinkman found between historical accuracy and modern-day entertainment was genius. It was quite obvious that he had done thorough, extensive research on each of the topics he was rapping about, and was therefore able to present the stories and the themes in terms that high school students such as ourselves could easily relate to and understand. He mentions that there are two sides: the “purists”, who believe that a rap version of Chaucer’s work violates the respect he deserves, and the “tourists”, who could care less about Chaucer and only come for the entertainment value of the rap itself. However, Brinkman did make the point that Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales were originally written in the vernacular. This, at the time, was unheard of and considered crude as opposed to Latin. Therefore, hearing a rap version of the Canterbury Tales today would be essentially the same experience as hearing the original language in Chaucer’s time. This idea of a connection between the two works is one of the most important, in my opinion. Secondly, the lyricism written and used by Brinkman is nothing short of art. Not simply rhyming quickly like some rappers, it was obvious that talent was a factor. The way he presented the central themes in understandable speech was amazing. The writing of the Rap Canterbury Tales in and of itself was incredible. It could be argued that the most important part of Chaucer’s work was the messages and themes it contained. The fact that Brinkman’s rap got these messages across was essentially the point of the show. Using modern pop culture references and terms, as well as incorporating humor in the show, actually enhanced the experience as opposed to taking away from it. The audience was learning without even realizing that they were doing so. I for one applaud Brinkman for the work he is doing to educate the public on the works of Chaucer in an impressive, highly entertaining way.
When we look at Chaucer in class, we see stories that on the surface we are unable to relate to. However, with Baba’s approach to Chaucer, we are able to not only understand Chaucer in a new way, but also enjoy doing so. Saying Baba’s approach is “scholarly” is a bit of a stretch, but we are learning in a new way and that’s what drives advancements in learning. When Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales, he was writing it in the vernacular which was considered slang since most writers wrote in Latin. Baba’s approach has the right idea, rap is like this in the modern day, it is a slang that we can understand. This shows total relevance as it is a parallel to Chaucer’s time. By adding modern connections to different famous people of today, we can more thoroughly enjoy these stories. All of the same traits that were apparent in Chaucer’s stories are also apparent in Baba’s raps. When Baba raps, he sticks very close to the storyline of Chaucer’s tales allowing us to follow along with how the characteristics like greed, power, and love play roles. Baba’s raps are all very entertaining and that’s the point. He is there to put on a show. He is telling stories to entertain, and he is doing it very successfully. When I first heard about Baba, I was intrigued, who would think to turn the Canterbury Tales into raps? But once we heard more about him in class and got to experience him through videos, I understood how great what he was doing really was. Going to see Baba in person was an amazing occurrence that I’m so glad I got to experience.
“The Rap Canterbury Tales” was an amazing experience. It brought a new meaning to older literature to me. I think that Baba’s approach was also definitely unbiased. He made sure to please the “tourists” and “purists.” He found the perfect balance to use during his raps to give it an impartial story. I find that it is very scholarly. He was able to take extremely old texts and convert it into modern lyrics. That is a very scholarly accomplishment. It takes real talent to be able to translate it and put it into song makes him scholarly in music and literature. His ability to dissect Gilgamesh was very impressive. The only disappointing thing was how he ended with Beowulf. He obviously had to use his knowledge and time to interpret these tales. I believe that he did show an appreciation for the tales and wasn’t trying to offend anyone but make them easier to understand for people that might not be able to understand and enjoy it. The visuals he used also contributed to the explanation of the tales. I never would have thought that really old stories could be as entertaining as modern literature.
When looking at The SoHo Playhouse, complete with its bleak neighborhood of Vandam Street in lower Manhattan, compact and uncomfortable seating arrangements, and a "notice of abatement" due to asbestos next door, one would not think that they would find a literary genius inside the building's grey walls, rapping Chaucer to a bunch of apathetic high schoolers who only went on the field trip in order to cash in their get-out-of-homework-free-card. (Just kidding.) (Or am I?) Middle English is not a language spoken frequently, and when it is (not) spoken, it sounds like someone on one too many doses of Vicodin. Baba "Black Sheep" Brinkman had an extremely unorthodox way of reciting the Canterbury tales and explaining how vulgar Chaucer's language of choice was, that is through the harnessing of modern rap music. Brinkmann, with a major in English from the University of Victoria, used his scholarly abilities to translate Chaucer into an understandable and meaningful lecture, that is, a lecture done with a beat.
I found Brinkman's and Simmonds's performance to be extremely entertaining and educational. While learning new vocabulary (i.e. Bush Administration), I was enthralled by Brinkman's ability to convert a long Middle English storybook into a forty-five minute rap song. The Purists, with their love of reactionary literature, and the Tourists, with their love of...rap...both can appreciate Chaucer through the work of Brinkman, who brings together elements of modern and old vulgar literature.
Angela Yang
When hearing about Baba Brinkman's Rap of the Canterbury Tales, I was highly skeptical. The Canterbury Tales had not been very interesting and I had been curious as to how someone would even attempt to rap in middle english. However, Baba Brinkman was able to make his rap both entertaining and educational, creating a well rounded piece of art Through his modern references, he made Chaucer relevant to his audience: teenagers who are usually very hard to interest in works of art such as Chaucer. By using references he has also made his points more understandable. He takes the core essence of the stories that Chaucer told and retells them in plain language, along with a bit of frank humor. Throughout Brinkman's raps, he shows his ability to make story telling both entertaining, and also he brings out the universal themes of human nature that has not changed over the years. By focusing on the similarities of the characters that he talks about to modern day people, Baba Brinkman is able to make the piece more interesting while also capturing the core essence of what Chaucer wanted to come across.
On to another point, is the work Scholarly. This is a rather odd question to be because I'm wondering what defines Scholarly exactly? Personally, I felt as though I have been educated on the Canterbury Tales, and a modern version of what Chaucer was trying to portray at the time, I believe it was very scholarly. Brinkman showed us a view of Chaucer as one would view him if they were hundreds of years back in the time of the publication of The Canterbury Tales. Back then Chaucer's work was not a revered work of classic literature. Instead it was a piece of writing that was meant for the masses as entertainment. By adapting it to a modern audience, Brinkman has captured another aspect of Chaucer in his work.
Baba Brinkman's approach to Chaucer is one that raises some eyebrows. Before the show I really had no idea what to expect, and had the feeling the show was not going to be entertaining at all. Fortunately, I was very wrong. Not only was the show very entertaining, I was actaully intrigued with the historical content conveyed. The stories of Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and all the tales from The Canterbury Tales were very interesting.
The question of whether this show is "scholarly" could be debated, but I'm convinced that most people would agree that it is indeed scholarly. It was obvious that Baba knew a ton about the topic at hand, and even surprised me by reciting lines of Chaucer in perfect old English. Anyone who goes to see this show will be satisfied, and will leave knowing and even understanding The Canterbury Tales much better then they could have ever wished. My proof for this statement is that prior to this show reading Chaucer was a chore and I did not understand any of it; Afterwards, I feel I understand a few of the tales very well, and with the modern analogies given I can understand it even better and tie it together with something modern which helps.
Professors and historians may be convinced that a modern rap could not do Chaucer's work justice, but Baba Brinkman did in fact do it justice. He had the intelligence to translate the old English into modern words that everyone could understand, providing analogies to help understanding. If there is a question as to whether his work is relevant to a modern appreciation of Chaucer, the answer is a definite yes. Additionally, I want it to be known that this is a very interesting, entertaining, and instructive show that should be viewed by any class or school that learns about The Canterbury Tales, or anything similar to that.
Although many who study Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales may not have appreciated Baba’s style to expressing the stories, I thought it was a great way to connect these 600 year old stories to modern day. The students really understood where he was coming form and I believe his rapping of these stories really helped the students comprehend them. These stories are not easy to understand so for somebody to simplify it and turn it into modern day language really helped.
I believe that Baba was “scholarly” even though I am sure many scholars would disagree with me. He did a lot of research and had to have a thorough understand of the stories in order to rap these tales and keep their meaning. This, I am sure, was not an easy task. Baba seemed to have a very deep understanding of these tales and did a very sufficient job of translating and explaining them through his rap. Although the language he used may not have sounded “scholarly”, he sure was.
I think Baba’s method of telling this tales is unique and appropriate. It is unique because I am sure there are not many people doing what he is doing. Most rappers don’t rap about 600 year old stories that most people think have no relevance today. But I believe it was appropriate to share the stories in the way he did. The language that Baba used was equivalent to Chaucer’s vernacular. It is know as the “every day” or “vulgar” language, and so that connection between Baba and Chaucer was very appropriate.
Overall, I think Baba put on a great show and I really enjoyed watching him perform.
As Baba himself said, there are two groups of people who have opinions about Chaucer, the purists and the tourists. I think that Baba found a perfect way to appeal to both. He retold the stories in a way that kept the original story intact while also making it accessible to those who want a more relatable story. He managed to tell the stories accurately while using a modern approach to storytelling. I think that Baba’s approach to Chaucer was highly entertaining and still did justice to the classic stories. He incorporated language and syntax from the actual stories while adding his own modern twist. He also explained his thought process and justification of his interpretation of each story.
I would say that his approach is scholarly because he analyzed the stories before creating his raps. Each translation of the stories in influenced by the one doing the translation or retelling, and his raps are just Baba’s opinion and thought on the stories, and point he was sure to mention.
His work on Chaucer is a relevant modern interpretation of the stories because he uses related modern and language and examples to help his audience to understand the original stories. Something that I realized about Chaucer’s work after watching Baba was that all of his stories applied to life today. When Baba made the stories relate to modern events I saw how human nature and conflicts haven’t changed much over the centuries separating our times. The way Baba explained it with an example of what people in the future would think of our “modern” music and storytelling methods. This is what made Chaucer’s work so great, was that everyone can relate. When Baba told the audience what all women want, it hadn’t changed since Chaucer’s time. This is what makes Baba’s work a relevant interpretation; he is simply removing the language and culture barrier between Chaucer and us, showing how little humans have changed over the centuries. Then and how we still love, hate, and argue over the same things.
In the article of "Soveriegnty, Supremacy, and Origins of the Civil War", the author uses an effective generalization of all the material previously explained in the earlier on in the article. However the author does not cite or utilize specific examples, but only definitions and overviews of how soveriegtny and the English Civil War are interrelated.
The article is effective in arguing or portraying how the English Civil War came to be and how its related to those three topics. To begin with the article describes how ecclesiastical governance and soverigtny sparked arguments among the English people and ultimately began the Civil War. In addition it depicts how eratisanism or theory of how the state should control the church and all power conflicted with the belief of others. The others in England truly thought that the Church should contain or determine the Civil Magistory of the King. Ultimately this article explained the gerneral but fundamental principles of the Civil War thus showing the important or major theme that played such a large role in the civil war.
However the article did not use enough specific examples or historical references. The article only explained the conlfict with England and Charles the first. It did not mention the other social calsses reactions or conflict between the three estates of England during this time period. This article lacked depth in explaining the origins of the Civil War a
Posted by Drew Bonessi at 12:59 PM
“Sovereignty, Supremacy and the Origins of the English Civil War” incorporates the ideas of status with religious misruling in the years prior to the English Civil Wars, however Orr mainly addresses the topic of sovereignty. In the past few years the historians have said that the concept of sovereignty is “alien, ‘un-English’, and anachronistic.”. The author also brings up the role of Parliament during the time of the English Civil Wars. According to him, parliament was essential because without it, the Church of England would not exist. Orr argues that the idea of sovereignty was basically what caused of the English Civil Wars. The Laudian approach was also mentioned. According to Orr, the Laudian program was the reform of the Roman church in an Episcopal model of the Church of England. In order for the Laudian program, erantianism must occur. Erantianism is the vague concept used when describing an ideological position on the relationship between the state and the church. The author mentioned Hobbes when talking about the term ‘erastianism’. Erantianism is the view that the state has the power to make decisions for the Church of England. The ideological approach to this topic was created by Hobbes, who the author refers to as a monster. Overall from this article I realized that the cause of the English Civil Wars was because of the power struggle between church and state.
In, “The Ambivalence of Absolutism: State and Nobility in 17th Century France and England,” Kimmel begins by outlining the various arguments pertaining to the true definition of an absolutist state. The ideas of historians and sociologists like Marx, Anderson, Engels, and Molnar are each developed and explicated by Kimmel. In demonstrating this multitude of conflicting opinions, Kimmel successfully proves his key point that absolutism is far too intricate and convoluted to simply label as feudal, capitalist or simply divorced from the social classes entirely. This argument is effective because Kimmel clearly demonstrates an extensive knowledge of differing theories. He thus convinces readers that his own view is superior since it offers a more comprehensive view of the absolutist state as a combination of many theories.
Kimmel then goes on to focus in on the societies of France and England. He argues that, in general, both countries followed similar paths toward revolution. Each experienced economic crises in the 17th century. The methods of resolving these crises, though different, both led to initial success and long-term failure. Both efforts to augment resources resulted in a parallel drain of resources, eventually ending in rebellion. These arguments are well developed and strengthened. Again, Kimmel provides direct references to other sociologists and historians, including direct quotations in some situations. His inclusion of evidence from the time period is not entirely convincing, as his ideas read more like a synopsis, rather than a detailed organization of facts and statistics. Nonetheless, his assertions are clearly presented and tied back to the ideas of other scholars.
Specifically focusing on the developments in France, Kimmel focuses primarily on Richelieu’s tactics with respect to the nobility. This section of the essay is very effective since it is bolstered by direct quotation of Richelieu’s ideas and on specific historical examples. Kimmel demonstrates in this section that the role of nobility in society was an extremely perplexing issue, as Richelieu was forced to both bolster and hinder the power of the nobles. On the one hand, a strong aristocracy was crucial to prevent too much acquisition of power on the part of the bourgeoisie. The aristocracy, however, was an obstacle to the growth of financial power of the monarchy, so their subordination had to be forceful. Kimmel also argues that Richelieu was working toward a governmental revolution, “A reversal of the relationship between state and society,” since his goal was to place society in a position subordinate to that of the state. Each of these arguments is well supported, not by the inclusion of the opinions of other intellectuals, but by examples. For instance, to demonstrate Richelieu’s work to subordinate the nobility, Kimmel discusses the execution of King Louis’ own cousin, who challenged Richelieu’s edict of dueling. Kimmel also focuses on the very similar course of events in England. Here again, the crown was forced to both bolster and hinder the power of the nobility. The crown turned to the sale of aristocratic title to raise money, which was injurious to the power of the nobility. Nonetheless, the nobility could not be abandoned by the crown, since the monarchy depended on noble support against opposition. Kimmel proves his points in this section primarily through a comprehensive description of the time period. This is effective in portraying a very detailed picture.
Continued:
Finally, in his conclusion Kimmel makes several comprehensive arguments based on the descriptions presented in the preceding sections of his essay. He argues that absolutism can be viewed as a transitional state, “a state of crisis”. He argues that the 16th century saw “the birth of a political philosophy,” which focused on the interests of the state. He also argues that the failure of absolutism in England actually led to its success in the following centuries, while the initial success of absolutism in France left the country struggling to catch up. These closing arguments are well supported by Kimmel’s essay overall, and are an effective, stimulating conclusion of his essay.
Overall, Kimmel’s points are well developed and supported. Drawing on the opinions of other scholars, specific facts, and historical examples, he demonstrates a deep understanding of the topic. Despite an occasional lack of elaboration, his arguments are clear and effective. I believe that his basic thesis is that the absolutist state in practice is not the uninhibited, powerful apparatus of unity that it is in theory. Throughout the essay, Kimmel works to label absolutism correctly by examining its impact in France and England.
In “The Ambivalence of Absolutism: State and Nobility in Seventeenth Century France and England” the author, Michael S. Kimmel tried to prove that absolutism is basically a feudal state. He supports his arguments with examples of how the nobility and the monarch interacted. As said in the title, Kimmel uses examples from seventeenth century France and England. Personally, I understand where Kimmel is coming from and what he means by how absolutism is like feudalism but I believe that he could have used more support and stayed more on topic than he did.
At first while I was reading Kimmel’s article, I didn’t really understand what he meant by what he was saying because all of his support was in the form of examples. When he used examples from France and England in the seventeenth century, he didn’t relate back to his main argument very much which made it difficult to understand how everything he was saying fit together in relation to everything else. Especially in such a long paper, it is necessary to remind the audience what the topic the author is discussing and how their key argument relates directly to it. However, once I understood what Kimmel was saying in his examples, I agreed with his point because his examples did do a good job of explaining how his thesis was true. It confused me when Kimmel strayed off topic to discuss whether the French and English trials at absolutism worked or not and I believe that it detracted from the paper as a whole. All in all, I believe that Kimmel made a good point but he could have stayed on topic more and related his examples back to his thesis better.
The thesis of “Sovereignty, Supremacy and the Origins of the English Civil War” states that the English Civil War was a struggle for sovereignty, although not one instigated by rivalries, but rather, one caused by “individual actors” setting out to convince “fence-sitters” that one set of political actions was better and more favorable than the others. The key arguments that author D. Alan Orr put forth were that the English Civil War was not caused by political ideologies alone and that religion was a factor in it, and, as D. Alan Orr said “power over souls was more important than power over lives, goods and estates, and the question of sovereignty and the issue of ecclesiastical governance flowed together, forming an explosive combination that ultimately led to civil war” (Orr 490). Along with these arguments Orr wrote out and described a multitude of events, people, and time periods which influenced the English Civil War and its beginning.
D. Alan Orr described a large amount of information regarding the English Civil War and had good arguments regarding this, although the manner in which these points were presented was a bit unclear as well as the information following each of these points. Had the information been more concise, Orr’s arguments would have been more effective and clearer to the reader.
Orr's "Sovereignty, Supremacy and the Origins of the English Civil War" tells of exactly what the title alludes to. It's thesis appeared to be "The concept of sovereignty and in particular the contested relationship of sovereignty to ecclesiastical governance stood at the center of the emerging conflict." Immediately we see the unhidden bias of believing that religion was the most important factor in this conflict. And he was writing "without making allusions to babies and bathwater." It seems that doing without these allusions caused him to focus more on ideas than events as being more important, though he did of course cite events.He writes, "struggle was as much for the definition as for the actual control of these powers." It would appear that Orr's preference for analysis of ideas led to him placing great importance in the desire of the people to figure out the definitions for power. In his discussion on religion versus sovereignty, it is likely that Orr supported the religious side more. He points out that the religious were more loyal to the king, implying their innocence, though the king assailed them. Also, he places the word "popish" often times in parentheses, hinting at the illegitimacy of the word's use. Furthermore, he states that "the governance of the Protestant religion in England, however, was assuredly not among the more mundane of the powers. It was essential to the spiritual well-being of the commonwealth." In this sentence, his value in religion during the war appears to possibly come from the value he believes it has in normal society.
Orr's "Sovereignty, Supremacy and the Origins of the English Civil War" tells of exactly what the title alludes to. It's thesis appeared to be "The concept of sovereignty and in particular the contested relationship of sovereignty to ecclesiastical governance stood at the center of the emerging conflict." Immediately we see the unhidden bias of believing that religion was the most important factor in this conflict. And he was writing "without making allusions to babies and bathwater." It seems that doing without these allusions caused him to focus more on ideas than events as being more important, though he did of course cite events.He writes, "struggle was as much for the definition as for the actual control of these powers." It would appear that Orr's preference for analysis of ideas led to him placing great importance in the desire of the people to figure out the definitions for power. In his discussion on religion versus sovereignty, it is likely that Orr supported the religious side more. He points out that the religious were more loyal to the king, implying their innocence, though the king assailed them. Also, he places the word "popish" often times in parentheses, hinting at the illegitimacy of the word's use. Furthermore, he states that "the governance of the Protestant religion in England, however, was assuredly not among the more mundane of the powers. It was essential to the spiritual well-being of the commonwealth." In this sentence, his value in religion during the war appears to possibly come from the value he believes it has in normal society.
¬¬¬In Michael S. Kimmel’s The Ambivalence of Absolutism: State and Nobility in 17th Century France and England, Kimmel explores the structure of absolutism in the 17th century and the relationship between economic and social elites and political power. The goal of his essay was to argue that despite being essentially a feudal state, the relationship to dominate was so structurally ambivalent it made absolutism conceptually confusing. From the beginning of the essay, Kimmel’s arguments were very effective. He begins by revealing three different theories on absolutism by different people. By utilizing this wide difference in belief of the workings of absolutism in relation to the aristocracy, the confusing aspects of absolutism were immediately brought to light. Later in the essay he highlights the double-sided relationship between the ruling monarchy and the nobility. To the ruler, the nobility was viewed as both the foundation of his or her rule as well as the most serious threat to their power. Kimmel explored this further by discussing the events that occurred in England and France during fiscal crises in which factions would begin to emerge and challenge the rule of the monarch in which nobles would pledge their loyalty to the monarch and accept aid while at the same time criticize royal encroachments. Kimmel’s essay was quintessentially completed through his incorporation of the ideas and beliefs of many other political theorists, which added to the merit of the essay as well as backs up many of his points.
The author of Sovereignty, Supremacy, and the Origins of the English Civil War, D. Alan Orr, uses many examples to support his thesis that the English Civil War was a war of religion, as well as a struggle for sovereign power. He focuses heavily on the sovereignty and its powers. Orr brings forth many quotes and documents that back up his theory. One of his main key points was that the English Civil War was a war of religion because the people who waged it saw religion as being tied to the state.
In addition, Orr uses the historian, John Hayward, multiple times in his writing, who portrays himself as a man who believes that the sovereignty and religion must not be separate, lest some other “foraine power” try and change its will.
On the other hand, Orr uses the thoughts of another historical figure, Jean Bodin, to prove his point. Bodin’s most known work was a book, Call Six Bookes of a Commonweale, in which Bodin envisioned nine powers of a sovereignty, which include, the power of war, peace, alliances, taxation, and coinage, among others. One power that he did not include was the power to lead religion or make religious decisions. That is the key of Orr’s argument. He goes through history, pointing out the controversies and conflicts about sovereignty and religion, using many quotes and examples.
D. Alan Orr uses many figures and historical plots to successfully portray sovereignty and the role of the government in religion as an important factor in the English Civil War. He uses many old English terms, obscure historical figures, and complex words, but his point is clear.
In Michael Kimmels “The Ambivalence of Absolutism: State and Nobility in 17th Century France and England,” he discusses the role of absolutism and widely varying opinions on this political dilemma. He opens his paper with the seemingly never answered question about the elites and political power. Automatically Kimmel has set up his piece for the readers to begin to apply this theory to their own lives and develop opinions on this dilemma. He states that one group concluded that absolutism was created to simply strengthen the feudal class. While others think it to be just an attempt to contain capitalist development. Whatever the case may be Kimmel has proved in the first 2 pages his argument that absolutism can not simply be labeled as a feudal or capital state. He later discusses the downfall of nobles within France and England. The aristocracy began to decline with the decline of Catholicism after the Reformation. Therefore the development of the absolutist rule by the monarchy was inevitable, since the nobles were no longer as prominent. Though Kimmel was successful in proving his point that absolutism in France and England is essentially confusing and can not be defined, his article seemed to be confusing as well. When discussing how an ideology is not concrete, confusing and has many different interpretations it is difficult not to get confused.
The paper "Sovereignty, Supremacy and the Origins of the English Civil War” by Alan Orr ties together the concepts and different interpretations of sovereignty and ecclesiastical governance, and the monumental role both played in the English Civil War. He states that indeed the English Civil War was a war of religion, as those who operated and engaged in the war were those who firmly believed that religion was the rightful origin for which the king in parliament to claim office. The author seems to be combating common misconceptions about the topic, as he proclaims that the Civil War in England was not the cause of some 'outbreak' of ideological ideas, but rather a broad unity stemming from the ever so present 'distant and mistrustful monarch'. He then goes on to discuss the struggle for sovereignty in the state and how the nature of the struggle was ideological but the fashion in which it was executed was not from ideological poles. He explains by saying ideas were the result of certain events. Not, however, the opposite.
He makes it a clear statement the English Civil War was a struggle for Sovereign power but also brings to the table the different interpretations of this idea from the minds of David Jenkins and Thomas Hobbes as well as Jean Bodin. Orr does an exceptional job of backing his ideas with the works of these men as well as countless others.
In addition to the ideas presented, Orr acknowledges the emphasis put on the early Stuart political culture of mainly the role of common law mind and its role in determining the proper place of opposing political ideas of natural law and absolutism.
Throughout the paper as well as in the conclusive chapter, Orr states sovereign power and its lack of clearly defined powers were relatively commonplace. This being said, however, the Protestant religion in England was by no means part of the more ordinary of these powers. He goes on to say that ‘control of doctrine and discipline of the established church was, for all intents and purposes, a right mark of sovereignty’ and this being said, it was the conflicting view to the royal policy. It was held that the power over souls far succeeded the importance of the power over lives and issues regarding goods and estates. These all paired essentially fueled the outbreak of the English Civil War.
In “The Ambivalence of Absolutism: State and Nobility in Seventeenth Century France and England”, Micheal C. Kimmel opens his argument stating how the aristocracy and social elites served as the foundation of political power for absolutist monarchies much like in a feudal monarchy, yet ironically pose as their greatest threat. Kimmel’s argument serves to immediately alert the reader to the confusing and at times contradictory nature of absolutism, which is made apparent by the ambiguous interpretations of absolutism by historians and sociologists such as Marx, Engels, Molnar, and Mousnier. Engels concludes that while the state itself politically remained feudal, the overreaching power of the state encouraged the bourgeois middle class to emerge. Marx elaborates on this point and goes on to conclude that absolutism hastened the road to capitalism by offering capitalists the opportunity employ the centralized power of the monarchy to encourage production and trading. Molnar takes a reactionary standpoint on absolutism by declaring that the first priorities of absolutism were to serve the political interests of the monarch and upholding the nobility’s elite socioeconomic and social status, arguing that absolutism emerged as a crisis to counter the disappearance of serfdom which historically maintained feudal monarchies. Mousiner however, outright contracts Molnar by stating that the power of the monarchy merely grew as they were reliant on the revenue provided by the growing middle class bourgeois who were reliant on the social services provided by the monarchy, a mutual relationship in short. All of these different and contradictory stances all serve to prove Kimmel’s theory that absolutism may politically be a feudal state, yet is too complicated to merely label as feudal or capitalist.
Kimmel then goes onto to contrast the structurally weak absolutist monarchy in England to the strong French one Richelieu had built. He elaborates on how the Tudor and Stuart monarchies’ tight grip over the landed aristocracy resulted in a mutual spiral decline for both factions as the aristocracy was financially unable to support the monarchy and the monarchy lost the favor of the nobility. The monarchy was therefore forced to raise taxes on the rapidly growing middle class and religious institutions who became strong enough to overthrow a weak monarchy the people felt was hindering England’s economic growth. Cardinal Richelieu on the other hand had built up a strong absolutist monarchy. He specifically reduced the political autonomy of the French aristocracy yet guaranteed their elite economic status to ensure their support and reduce the chance of revolt. Furthermore, he constrained the rights and growth of the bourgeois class to ensure they would not eventually be able to overpower the government while maintaining social order in the process. Kimmel concludes that the rise of the middle class in England led to its economic dominance centuries later while the restrictive and French absolutist system hindered it’s potential economic growth and therefore lagged behind England during the Victorian age.
While Kimmel’s comparisons between the absolutist environments in England and France are well elaborated, his initial thesis on the perplexity on the nature of absolutist governments seems to have been left behind at some point. The lag of a proper connection between the two made this article’s purpose confusing and difficult to fully understand.
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