Archives for 2004

The characters in the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, have a lot of pride. They are all known as good citizens, for one reason or another, and they all would like to keep their good name. John Proctor would like to be known as the man who sticks up for the little person and always does the right thing. Reverend Parris is known for being the churchly figure that lives by the bible and its teachings. Judge Danforth wants to be known as a steadfast judge who always makes the right decisions. When put in a tough situation dealing with life or death, all of these characters choose to keep their reputations rather than do the right thing or saving their lives. The importance of having a good name is a very prominent theme in The Crucible.

John Proctor is the model citizen. He has good morals and tries to do the right things. He protects the innocent and does not budge from his beliefs. He has built up a lot of respect for his name. That is why it is hard for Proctor to give up his good name. Everyone sees him as the good guy. For example, Proctor had an affair with Abigail Williams. He can use this evidence in court to show that she is guilty, but he is reluctant to. He tries to find other ways to prove her guilty without losing his respect. Also, Proctor is able to get away free if he agrees to sign a paper saying he was an ally of the devil. He struggles to lie that he did work with the devil. When he is asked to sign a paper saying this, he can’t. The document would be hung on the church door for all to see. His reputation would be ruined. He stood up in court to save peoples lives by saying the truth, and it didn’t work. Proctor is able to save his own life by lying, but he just can not. He sees the others go down as noble people. It is not right to lie, so Proctor tears up the document and hangs with the others. He could not live with the guilt that his name would be tainted forever.

Reverend Parris does not want his good name to be tarnished either. Parris is known throughout the town as the churchly figure. Most citizens do not like his personality, but he is respected for his belief in religion. During the trials, Parris knows deep down that some of the people are not guilty. However, if he were to stand up for them and say they are innocent, he would be going against the bible. When he says that someone did not see the devil, he himself would be accused of making a pact with the devil. Parris has no respect other than his respect for being very religious. If he were to loose this respect, he would be ruined. He would be treated very poorly and he could do nothing about it. Parris can not loose his good name.

Lastly, Judge Danforth is known as a stolid judge who makes the right decisions and does not back down from them. Eventually, deep down he realizes that he is hanging innocent people. He knows that Abigail is putting on a show. Unfortunately, he has sentenced too many people before realizing this. If he were to back down, he would be showing that he killed innocent people and that he was wrong. He is known as being just and right. His name would be ruined. He could not do anything to gain his respect back. He would be questioned for his decisions in the past. He would loose his job. This is why Judge Danforth will not give up his good name.

Having a good reputation is very important in The Crucible. It means you can be accepted by society. If you do not have a good name, you will be completely rejected. John Proctor would no longer be thought of a morally straight and righteous person. Reverend Parris would loose all his respect and not be accepted by society. Judge Danforth would be constantly questioned and loose his job. Keeping and maintaining your good name is an overwhelming theme in The Crucible.

Les cironstances du roman, Aucassin et Nicolette, sont that un homme aime une dame. L’homme s’appelle Aucassin. La dame s’appelle Nicolette. Ils s’aime, mais ils ne peuvent pas être avec l’autre. Aucassin est royal, mais Nicolette, elle n’est pas royal. Donc, ils ne peuvent pas se marier. Ensuite, le père de Nicolette la prend d’Aucassin. Aucassin ne combat pas dans la guerre jusque à il peut être avec Nicolette de nouveau. Le père d’Aucassin permet le voir Nicolette s’il combat dans la guerre. Aucassin convient, mais Nicolette met en prison. Elle s’échappe trouver Aucassin. Ils errent par la forêt, mais ils ne se trouvent pas. Nicolette trouve les bergers. Ensuite Aucassin trouve les bergers après Nicolette les part. Finallement, ils se trouvent! Malheureusement, ils séparent en bateau. Nicolette habite avec une famille royale et elle trouve qu’elle est née dans cette famille! Elle est royale! Elle va trouver Aucassin et ils se marient.

Les personnages principaux se trouvent en face d’un obstacle. Ils ne peuvent pas marier à cause de Nicolette n’est pas royale.

Aucassin n’a pas beaucoup des qualités du héro. Il est un lâche. Il est royal, mais il ne veut pas combattre! Il pleure tout le temps. Il ne va pas sauver Nicolette quand elle est en prison. Il ne va pas trouver Nicolette quand ils sont fractionnés. Aucassin n’est pas un héro.

Nicolette est supérieure à Aucassin à plusiers points de vue: son intelligence, ses talents, son esprit d’initiative, la force de son caractère, et ses actions décisives. Quand elle est en prison, elle s’échappe par la fenêtre. Nicolette attache les draps ensemble pour faire une corde et elle sort la fenêtre. Elle fait une cabane avec les fleurs et les les bâtons. Elle tombe dans un trou, mais elle s’élève dehors. Finallement, elle trouve Aucassin quand ils séparent, il ne la trouve pas.

Le conflit intérieur est qu’Auccasin est royal, mais il ne veut pas se battre. Le conflit intérieur d’Aucassin est qu’elle veux être avec Aucassin, mais elle n’est pas royale. Finallement, Aucassin se bat (un peu) et Nicollet devient royale. Le conlit extérieur est que les parent ne veulent pas Aucassin et Nicolette se marient. Finallement, ils se marient.

Le trait de caractère le plus frappant de la héroine est sa persévérance. Nicolette toujours travaille obtenir sa but. Elle ne s’arrête pas trouver Aucassin. Elle fuit de prison, elle habite dans la forêt, et finallement elle trouve Aucassin. Elle ne donne pas vers le haut. Elle est une dame super.

Je déteste Aucassin et Nicolette. L’histoire n’est pas crédible. Elle est barbante. Auccasin est un enfant. Nicolette est super. Je n’aime pas écrire du Roman tous les soires. Je ne comprends pas plusiers des mots dans le roman. C’est difficile de temps en temps. Je ne veux pas voir ce roman de nouveau.

The predator’s name is the subterrainial swooper. It is a type of bird that must live in the ground at times because it lives in the grasslands where there are not many trees. The swooper burrows into the ground to make its nest. It is white with a bluish tint, so it blends in with the sky. It has long legs with sharp claws. Its head is shaped aerodynamically, aligned with its beak, so that it can swoop down and capture its prey, and also so it can fit into holes in the ground. The swooper has a sharp beak for killing its prey. It has great eyesight and hearing so it can detect the prey from high in the sky. It can also eat bugs in the ground where it lives. Their prey, which is a type of rodent, can also fall into their homes because it can’t see well. Lastly, the swooper can make itself get covered with dirt, so it can camouflage with the ground to capture prey.

The prey’s name is the elusive dasher. It is a rodent resembling a small mouse. It is brownish in color to blend in with the ground. It has a very slippery coat of fur that can shed at a moment’s notice. Its tail can also fall off and grow back. This helps it escape from the grasp of the swooper. It eats grass and bugs. The dasher can smell and hear very exceptionally, but it can’t see well. They are very fast and small, so they are hard to capture.

In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher is the Rye, the protagonist Holden Caufield emerges from a trying and emotional series of events and does not grow emotionally but remains as immature as he was at the beginning of the novel. The story is about the difficulties of growing up. Most people come out of their teenager years as more responsible and mature people. Holden goes through many stressful events during the weekend, but instead of coming out more mature and grown up, he still has the same childish views on life; he is violent minded, depressed, confused, and irresponsible. Throughout the whole novel, Holden fantasizes about killing people, he is baffled by sex, and he does not think out his actions.

During the beginning of the story, Holden thinks about killing people many times. He wanted to kill Stradlater, his roommate, for dating Jane Gallagher, his old friend. Holden knew what kind of guy Stradlater was and he was afraid he took advantage of Jane. Holden actually does fight Stradlater but gets hurt pretty badly. He then puts his hunting hat on and says it is a “people shooting” hat. Later on in the story, Holden again thinks about killing people. When Maurice, the pimp, hurts Holden and steals his money, Holden pretends that he had been shot in the stomach and his guts were falling out. He then pretends that he is staggering down the stairs with a gun to shoot Maurice and get revenge. Holden does not actually do this, but it shows how he is immature and violent. Also, while Holden is visiting Phoebe’s school, he sees that someone has written “fuck” on the wall. He becomes very angry and wants the bash the skull of whoever did that on the marble floor so they are all bloody. Again we see that Holden has much anger in him. He does not know how to deal with it and that shows he has not grown up.

Holden also does not ever figure out his views on sex. At the beginning he hates Stradlater because he takes advantage of girls. He says has never done anything to a girl because he always stops when they say “stop”. Holden says that he would have to really like the girl’s face and really get to know the person before he could have sex with them. When Holden gets to New York he calls Faith Cavendish, who he thinks is a stripper. He does not even know her but he wants to have sex with her. This goes against everything he said before. Then when Holden gets to the hotel Maurice offers Holden a hooker and he accepts. Holden then does not do anything with her because he is nervous and it does not seem right to him. Once again Holden is confused about sex. It is a foreign thing to him and he never figures it out. He has ideals that he sets for himself but he never follows through. He even tries to ask Carl Luce, an old friend, about sex but Carl is uncomfortable talking about it and Holden learns nothing new. Holden never learns how to control his emotions and actions about love and sex.

Lastly, Holden does not learn how to think out his actions. In the beginning, Holden makes numerous wrong decisions. He runs away from Pencey without even telling his parents he was kicked out. That was a bad decision because when his parents will have found out he would have been in even more trouble for not telling them. Holden also constantly lies to people throughout the book, which shows his immaturity. Later in the book Holden makes some really poor spur of the moment choices too. He scares Sally Hayes, a girl he goes on a date with, by telling her that they should get married and move up north and live in a cabin. He urges her to do it and even raises his voice. Sally cries and says he is crazy. This shows how Holden does not think out his actions, which in turn hurts himself and others. He also spends money without thinking. Holden spends money on taxis, hotel rooms, food, dates, and the nuns. He does not think about managing his money and then he is forced to take his sister Phoebe’s Christmas money. This hurts himself because he does not want to take Phoebe’s money and it also hurts her because she does not have money to buy people presents. Holden’s lack of thinking hurts himself and others. Lastly, Holden plans to run away to the west and just get away from everyone. He would have done it but Phoebe stops him. Running away would have been really dumb because he didn’t have much money or anywhere to go. Holden never learns to think out his actions and this shows that he does not grow up.

In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher is the Rye, the protagonist Holden Caufield emerges from a trying and emotional series of events and does not grow emotionally but remains as immature as he was at the beginning of the novel. Holden has a violent mind and he thinks about killing people throughout the novel. He also never figures out his views on sex. He thinks he knows his views on sex and what he would do put in certain situations, but he does not follow through with his ideals. Holden also never learns how to think out his decisions. He makes many choices without putting much thought into them and this hurts himself as well as others. Holden Caufield did not emerge from that weekend as a more mature person.

For the dandelion 1m x 1m subplots, we found Morisita’s index to be 1.49, which means they are clumped. For the dandelion 2m x 2m subplots, we found Morisita’s index to be 1.33, which is also clumped. For the dandelion 4m x 4m subplots, we found Morisita’s index to be 1.36, which is again clumped. For the plantain 1m x 1m subplots, we found Morisita’s index to be 1.64, which is clumped. For the plantain 2m x 2m subplots, we found Morisita’s index to be 1.18, which is random dispersion. For the plantain 4m x 4m subplots, we found Morisita’s index to be 1.35, which is clumped. I believe the perception of dispersion changed with the size of the sampling unit because when you do smaller plots you are not really seeing the whole picture. If you were to take a bird’s eye view of the whole plot it would be different than just looking over the small 1m x 1m section of it. The dispersion in one subplot could be totally different than the rest of the plot. The percent error goes down when you take a bigger sample.

The reproductive traits of the plants helped control the dispersion. The dandelion has light seeds that blow off when it is windy. The area we took the plot on was on a hill and that blocked off a lot of the wind. This prevented the seeds from traveling very far so they fell off right near the original dandelion. Dandelions also reproduce asexually so this contributed to the clumped dispersion. Plantains have heavy little seeds. They fell off right near the plant so they were clumped also.

The root system contributed to the dispersion also. Dandelions have tap roots, which go straight and deep into the ground. Most of the dandelions were found on the hill. Their roots went deep enough so they would not wash away and they also didn’t have to compete with the plantains on the hill. Plantains have a hair-like network of roots near the surface. They could not survive on the hill because they would be washed away. The plantains were found mostly on flat land. These traits caused the plants to be clumped.

Lastly, the habitat traits led the plants to being clumped. Dandelions can tolerate more dry areas than plantains. The hill was dryer than the flat land so dandelions could live there without competing with plantains for the flat land. Plantains like it wetter, so they were clumped around the drain and the bottom of the hill. Dandelions can tolerate more shade so they were clumped around the tree and the plantains were more out in the open where there is more light. All these factors lead the dandelions and plantains to be clumped.

I read the book Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut. The word slapstick is used for some sort of comedy so the title, Slapstick, refers to the book being harshly funny and unserious. There is also an “alternative” title to the book, Lonesome No More! This refers to when the main character, Wilbur, becomes president and creates new middle names for everyone so anywhere they go they will be able to find someone they are related to, hence, Lonesome No More!

The story is organized by flashbacks. It starts out with the main character, Wilbur, being all washed up then he basically just tells the story of his life and how he got to where is he presently. The story takes place in the United States during the not so distant future. During the flashbacks, Wilbur is at his isolated house growing up, which I think was in the southeast. Then he goes to the northeast for schooling which was in the city. Gravity changes in the book, sometimes it’s light and sometimes it’s heavy. This is the only part of the “weather” we really see. The affect the setting has is that you can just imagine what it would be like if everything that happened in the book really happens in the future. If the setting was is the past you would not believe any of it because the past already happened, but because it is in the future you can actually almost picture some of the events happening. Also because everything takes place in the United States it gives you an even better reference to picture everything because that is where we live.

The main characters in the book are Wilbur (Daffodil-11) Swain and Eliza Swain. They a brother and sister whom are both ugly and alone they are nothing. Together they are super geniuses. Wilbur is able to write information down very well but he is horrible at speaking. Eliza is the opposite; she can orally present information well but she can’t read or write. They also both yearn to be with each other but unintentionally they have sex, which is weird. Wilbur wants her out of his life once he is on his own but Eliza always teases him into wanting to be with her. Wilbur’s acts kindly, but doesn’t really think out actions and the consequences. Eliza is similar to this but to a greater extent. She just kind of lets herself go; whatever happens, happens. She is nice for the most part. They both also seem insecure because they are so different from the rest of society. Physically they are both really tall and developed during their teens. Wilbur even has gray hair. They are both really ugly, but Eliza is the ugliest.

The plot is that Wilbur and Eliza together are some of the smartest people on earth. When they are apart they are just normal dumb people. Growing up they learned as much as they could from book and they wrote papers (one of which the Chinese wanted to help them solve something.) They both act really dumb around people because they don’t know that anyone wants them to act smart. Their parents don’t know what to do with them. After some testing Wilbur is the only child that can potentially do something in the world because he can read and write; Eliza can only orally produce information. So they are separated and Wilbur goes on to school and college. He eventually runs for president and wins. His campaign was that he would make new middle names for everyone so they would have new relatives throughout the United States. “Lonesome No More” was his slogan and it won him the presidency. Ironically this plan doesn’t work out because people are angry and the United States is a mess. His sister dies and that’s basically it. The point of the book is more the smaller details in it that make it funny.

The theme of the book in fairly hard to tell because it is not a very serious book. What I got from it was about loneliness and alienation. I think the message is that you need to stay with the people you love and that you can’t just replace people in your life. The reason I believe this is because Wilbur and Eliza were happy being together and they also functioned better together. When they were separated they both became really messed up people. Eliza became really ugly and had no real place in society, and Wilbur became addicted to Tourrette’s syndrome medication because he was insecure. Wilbur also created relatives for people so they wouldn’t be lonely but this plan didn’t really work. Also, the books alternative title, Lonesome No More!, suggests that theme.

The most interesting scene in the book is when Wilbur and Eliza find out that their parents want them to show some signs of intelligence so they decide to act smart for their parents. They made a big sign saying something on the lines that they have become smart and they put it in their parents to see when they woke up. Their parents were totally dumbfounded and upset. They suddenly didn’t want them to act intelligent. So Wilbur and Eliza went back to being stupid and acting like babies. I thought it was pretty funny.

At first, I thought Slapstick was a bad book. When I was reading it I was more reading it just to get it read rather than enjoy it. I think if I were to read it again and take the time to enjoy the comical parts I would have liked it a lot more. The humor in it is crude at times but it’s likeable. When I had just finished reading it I didn‘t like it, but when I thought back on it some parts were actually really funny, so if one were go in with the mindset to enjoy the book, they would really like it.

Poem 1

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

The first poem I read was “Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night” by Dylan Thomas. I liked the poem because it is very powerful and there is a lot of emotion in it. I also like the rhyme scheme, I had never seen it before but it works well. I don’t think I really relate to the poem. It is about him telling his father that his time has come but don’t leave so easily. I haven’t know anyone that died or went away and that I had told not to go without a fight. I have told the Philly sports teams not go without a fight, which they usually do.

Poem 2

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower
Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees
Is my destroyer.
And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.

The force that drives the water through the rocks
Drives my red blood; that dries the mouthing streams
Turns mine to wax.
And I am dumb to mouth unto my veins
How at the mountain spring the same mouth sucks.

The hand that whirls the water in the pool
Stirs the quicksand; that ropes the blowing wind
Hauls my shroud sail.
And I am dumb to tell the hanging man
How of my clay is made the hangman’s lime.

The lips of time leech to the fountain head;
Love drips and gathers, but the fallen blood
Shall calm her sores.
And I am dumb to tell a weather’s wind
How time has ticked a heaven round the stars.

And I am dumb to tell the lover’s tomb
How at my sheet goes the same crooked worm.

The second poem I read was “The Force that Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower.” I like the poem because it is different. It is a little confusing, but it’s pretty powerful. I like how Thomas talks about different things in nature, but that death is unavoidable for all of them. I guess I relate to the poem that someday I’ll die and that I have known people that died.

Early relations between Hitler and the S.A. (Sturmabteilung), Hitler consolidating his power, and the changing of relations with the S.A. led to the purge of the S.A. and its leader, Ernst Roehm.

Early relations between Hitler and the S.A. led to the purge of the S.A. and Ernst Roehm. Hitler, addressing the S.A. said, “The political solders [S.A.] of the Revolution in no way wish to replace the Army [Reichswehr]…” Hitler tried to make the S.A. feel secure in their position. Counteracting this statement, the numbers of paramilitary units (5,200,000) and S.A. units (3,000,000) greatly outnumbered the number of military units (100,000). Ernst Roehm was skeptical from the start. He said to a Nazi leader, shortly after Hitler seized power, “Are we revolutionaries or aren’t we?” He was concerned with Hitler’s ambition, saying, “He wants to inherit an army all ready and complete…I [Hitler] am the nucleus of the new army…” Hitler responded in a letter, “If the task of the army is to protect our country from external enemies, it is the task of the S.A. to assure the victory of the National Socialist Revolution on the domestic front…” Hitler also referred to Roehm as a friend in this letter, trying to earn his trust.

The consolidation of Hitler’s power led to the purge of the S.A. and Ernst Roehm. Hitler said during a meeting with Roehm, “The minister of war may call upon the S.A. for border patrol and for premilitary instruction. I expect from the S.A. loyal execution of the work entrusted to it.” An order from the war ministry to Reichswehr said, “Starting May 1, 1934 officers and men are to wear eagle and swastika on cap and uniform.” These two instances showed part of the transformation of the S.A. into the army. General von Blomberg, minister of war, said to Hitler, “…the president will declare martial law and order the army to restore order. The radicals must be supressed.” This showed how Germany and the S.A. were being taken over. Blomberg also said, “It [Reichswehr] stands disciplined and faithful behind the leaders of the state, behind the marshal of the Great War, President von Hindenburg, its supreme leader, and behind the Fuehrer of the Reich, Adolf Hitler…” Hitler had basically gained control of the army now. The only thing in his way was the president. A picture showed Hitler shaking hands with von Hindenburg, showing that Hitler was trying to earn his trust.

The changing of relations with the S.A. led to the purge of the S.A. and its leader, Ernst Roehm. A bulletin of the General Staff of the S.A. said, “…S.A….will be ready to undertake the glorious mission it owes the people and the Fatherland. …The Sturmabteilung is and will remain the destiny of Germany.” This showed that the S.A. was now committed to Germany and owed full loyalty to it. A radio address to the German people said, “There is only one man above all criticism, the Fuehrer. Everyone knows that he has always been right and that he always will be right.” Hitler, the Fuehrer, had gained control of Germany. No one was to question him, so this meant the S.A. was his. This created much hostility in Germany.

Early relations between Hitler and the S.A. (Sturmabteilung), the consolidation of Hitler’s power, and the changing of relations with the S.A. led to the purge of the S.A. and its leader, Ernst Roehm.

Sports are defined as a “physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively” (“Sports“). The English have played sports since the 1400’s, but not exactly as sports are now defined. They did not always have rules to govern their play; they had guidelines basically (Singman 5). These guidelines could be changed until the sport was not just competition, but a fierce battle. Sports were a method of releasing violent emotion. This style of play caused many injuries, and sometimes the injuries were fatal (“Tudor” 1). The players became tough, which helped during fights in the street (Singman 1). Brawls were common because the law was not well enforced. In addition to the intensity of the sports, the English had fun while they played. If it were not fun, sports would not still be around today. Since the 1400’s, sports in England have served as a way for people to let out anger, toughen up, and have fun.

During the Tudor Times (1400-1600), there was an abundance of sports because most of the ones played were carried over from medieval times (Maxwell 1). In general there were less elaborate rules for the sports then than now (Singman 5). People playing sports like hurling (which is like rugby) and football (soccer) took full advantage of this in their attempts at winning (3). They would cheat and take cheap shots at other players. This allowed them to let out their anger, but at the cost of pain. Other sports were just dangerous by nature, like jousting and fencing (Maxwell 1). There were some friendly fun sports, however. The rich mainly played tennis because it was expensive but it was good-natured (Singman 3). Archery was also a fun, friendly sport but it was also used in war (Maxwell 2).

The most popular sport was football (or soccer in the United States) (Singman 2). Football was very popular with the lower classes and it was always “traditionally violent, loud, and dangerous to bystanders as well as players” according to Singman. This was probably why the lower classes liked it; it was exciting. In the 1400’s football was basically the same as now but there were not as many rules. The ball was also different; it was made from a farm animal’s bladder. The object of the game was to kick or throw the ball into the opponent’s net (“Tudor” 1). Loew has written that, football had no lines on the field for boundaries and there was no limit to the number of players on a team (4). “Tudor Sports and Pastimes” reports that goals posts were one mile apart. People were often hurt or even killed while playing football because it was highly competitive and violent (1). People often used football to vent anger. Because of this, Henry VIII banned the sport since the hurt men could have been used in the army. Loew says football was called “a friendly game of fight.” A Tudor writer is quoted as saying, “Football is more a fight than a game…sometimes their necks are broken, sometimes their backs, sometimes their legs…football encourages envy and hatred…sometimes fighting, murder, and a great loss of blood” (Loew 1). “Football playing…may rather be called a friendly kind of fight, than a play of recreation; a bloody and murdering practice, than a fellowly sport or pastime,” once said Puritan social critic Phillip Stubbes (“Tudor” 1). These quotes all show how dangerous and intense football was back in the 1400’s.

According to Singman, hurling another one of the violent sports (3). There were 15-30 people on a team (Loew 4). The object of hurling was to get a ball across open land into the opponent’s goal by any means possible. This could mean cheating, fighting, and in some cases using a horse to get an advantage over the opponent (Singman 3). Players would get seriously hurt playing, as was expected. It is surprising that such a violent sport could withstand the test of time, but Loew says this sport evolved into rugby, which is only slightly less brutal (4).

One of the most popular sports was jousting, though unlike football and hurling, it the concept of it was dangerous (“Jousting“ geocities 1). The object of jousting was to knock the opponent off his horse charging at them with a lance (Maxwell 1). The lances were bolted to the armor, which was also very dangerous. The idea of this now sounds absurd, but the sport was quite popular in its day. Jousting tournaments were a good opportunity for the rich to show off their horses, clothes, and armor because many people came to watch. However, the joust would often be decided before the bout even took place (“Jousting” geocities 2). This parallels to today’s TV wrestling; the matches were not about skill, they were about show, and pleasing the audience. At the height of its popularity, jousting would rival “a state fair, Super Bowl, rock concert, and Octoberfest all rolled into one” (“Jousting” scotfest 1). Jousting tournaments were made for the audience to have fun. The tournaments were popular from 1200 to the late 1400’s. By the late 1500’s, the jousters wore up to 120 pounds of armor, which often made the horses fall down. As one can see, it became too much about showing off and that led to the sport’s demise. It was also very dangerous because of the extreme weight of all that armor, which is why no one was jousting by the 1600’s.

People also liked to watch and participate in fencing (Singman 1). Fencing, like jousting, was also dangerous by nature. Fencers wore padded jackets and sometimes held a shield for protection. Also, as another precautionary measure, the weapons did have “blunted edges and round ends” according to Singman. Unfortunatley, this did not help much and people were still commonly hurt fencing. The most frequently used weapon was a rapier. It was a lot heavier back then than it is now, but it was still the lightest weapon back then. A fencer could hold two rapiers, one rapier, one rapier and a shield, or one rapier and one dagger for weapons. Since a rapier is Italian, English traditionalists used a sword instead. Some fencers even use wooden swords. Fencing was viewed as a recreational enjoyment sport.

Archery was another fun sport played during Tudor Times (Maxwell 2). There were laws requiring all citizens to practice archery regularly. This was due in part of 6,000 English soldiers shooting down 85,000 French soldiers during Henry V’s reign. The British were severely outnumbered during a battle against the French, but because the British were skilled archers, they were able to shoot the French soldiers from afar. The French did not have long range weapons and could not get close enough to the British to cause any damage. Though the law was not strictly enforced, people still liked to practice archery. The arrows were made of a wooden shaft and iron head, which was a new innovation, and made them more accurate. Archery was more fun than it was competitive.

An early version of tennis was also played during Tudor Times (Singman 3). Imported from France during the Middle Ages, tennis was a pleasure sport. It was fairly expensive and therefore only the rich played it. The frames of the rackets were made of wood and the string of cow gut. The balls were made of fabric scraps, white fabric, and string put together. These items were expensive, but a court was also needed which was even more expensive. This was probably the most athletic of all the sports played by the rich. From tennis a version of badminton evolved called shuttlecock.

Different class of people played and watched these sports and for different reasons. Universally, everyone gambled on all sports and games (Singman 6). Even children gambled with little trinkets and many aspects of the sports could be bet on. Also, men were the only ones who played sports. Women did not have much chance to play, as they did not have as many rights during Tudor Times as they did later on.

One unique group of people who played and watched sports was the common folk. Martial arts and sports were good for commoners to practice. The laws were not well enforced so the people used sports to learn self-defense. Hurling and football were the most popular sports for commoners (Loew 4). These were the two roughest sports, which in turn prepared the commoners for street fights. These sports also gave them a chance to release anger. The commoners took every opportunity to participate in sports because they did not have many chances to play because the government thought work was more important for them to spend their time on (“Tudor” 1). In 1512, Henry VIII banned games like tennis, dice, and cards from the commoners because the authorities were afraid of fighting and riots between the people because of the sports and games.

The royalty, rich, and upper class also enjoyed sports. Henry VIII enjoyed jousting and fencing (“Henry” 1). These sports, especially jousting gave him a chance to show off. His showboating did go too far once, and led to a jousting accident (Cavendish 1). Henry had new armor made and was boasting about it with his visor up (so his face could be seen and recognized by all). The Duke of Soffolk could not see because his visor was down and he hit Henry in the head with his wooden lance. The lance shattered and Henry was seriously hurt and had to stop jousting. Tennis was a royalty exclusive sport because it was so expensive (Singman 3), and it gave them a chance to flaunt their higher rank, however, it was also the most athletic sport played by them.

The military also used sports to their advantage. During the Middle Ages, 6,000 English soldiers used their archery skills to shoot down 85,000 French soldiers at Agincourt during Henry V’s reign (Maxwell 2). This led to the law the required commoners to regularly practice archery (Singman 1). The law was not strictly enforced, however most people still enjoyed archery. Sports also toughened people up so they would be better in the army, but sports were banned for a time because so many people were getting hurt (“Tudor“ 1). Henry preferred that his men be killed in the army rather than playing sports.

The 1700-1800’s brought great change in the area of sports. New sports like cricket, camping, and derby were played (Olsen 2). Football remained popular and it was still rough (3). Equipment was becoming better, especially for football and cricket. Rules started to become more refined and organized teams were formed. Tennis was gone because the government had banned it. Hurling, archery, fencing, and jousting had lost popularity and were not played nearly as often. The biggest advancement was that women were now playing sports like cricket (2). The 1700-1800’s brought many good changes to sports in England.

Cricket became the new popular sport in England. The rules are not explained very well, but it is similar to US baseball in ways. A cricket match could last up to five days and each team would have two innings (turns) at bat. Though cricket may sound boring being able to last five days, everyone loved it. In fact, 20,000 came to watch one professional match. Women were even playing, at a highly competitive level as well. The supposedly best cricket match ever was between two women’s teams. Schools played cricket too (“Cricket 1). Every year they would have a game between the students and the semi-pros. To help establish cricket as a sport, the first cricket club ever was started during the 1760’s in Hambledon, Hampshire. This club helped establish rules and techniques of the game still used today, and they also helped promote cricket.

Though cricket was the craze, football was still very popular (Olsen 3). Hundreds of people gathered for Shrove Tuesday, which is a Christian holiday, and inter-parish games. The rules still varied somewhat from town to town, but most versions of football emphasized kicking and throwing. Some versions allowed carrying of the ball. Also, the ball was changed. It was now either a hard, small ball or leather covered bladder. The leather-covered bladder is closest to what is now used. Olsen has said: “If cricket involved everyone and emphasized fair play, football was emphatically a game for the masses and emphasized whatever worked.” Once again, football is portrayed as a man’s sport, being rough and gritty. Women were not playing football at this time as one could imagine.

Camping was another new sport played during the 1700-1800’s. It was basically the East Anglian version of football, which was also like rugby. Goal posts were set 150-200 yards apart and a cricket-sized ball was used. Teams consisted of 10-15 people. The object of camping was to run with the ball or pass it to a teammate so as to get the ball in the net. If a played was touched while he had the ball, his team lost a point. Games were typically played up to 7-9 points and they lasted about 2-3 hours. Other versions of camping involved boxing, but most only allowed kicking and wrestling. This was one of the more physical sports played.

Derby was yet another new game similar to football. It seems more like an organized riot than a sport. Goals were set two miles apart and up to 1,000 people would be on the field at a time. As expected, this game was very physical. Players would even brawl in the Derwent River and not just on the field. Cheating was also involved, and since there were so many people it was easy to get away with it. Smuggling of the ball in their clothing was a popular choice of getting the team advantage. Derby was nothing but sheer pandemonium.

These sports had an impact on the people of the 1700-1800‘s. The common people were allowed to play sports again because the new king brought a new set of rules. This gave them chances to vent their emotions and have fun (2). Women even began to play sports, including cricket. They were finally getting some rights. Organized teams were formed and this paved the way for sports today. Cricket even had an affect on the line of succession. Prince Frederick, who was heir to the throne, was hit in the head by a cricket ball. The blow caused him to die in 1751, and then his son George III became the new heir and eventually King of England. The sports of 1700-1800 brought great change from Tudor Times and evolved into today’s sport in England.

Today’s sports in England are not nearly as fierce as they were in the 1400‘s and 1700‘s, but they are still very competitive (Robert 1). There are now written rules for all sports and organized play is emphasized. People of all types and ages play sports, too. Camping and derby have since evolved into present day rugby (2). Tennis is not longer banned (3). New sports like golf and basketball are also played. Cricket and football have withstood the test of time and are still popular sports (1). The English fans are one of kind, being incredibly passionate (and sometimes rowdy) about their teams (Sym 1).

Football has been and remains the most popular sport in England (Robert 2). The rules have been standardized, the ball must be kicked in the opponent’s net and no one is allowed to touch the ball with the hands. The game is still physical, but not as physical as it once was. There are a total of 92 professional clubs just in England. People of all ages like to play for fun and on teams. Football has spread throughout the world and it is probably the most popular sport in Europe.

Cricket is England’s official national sport, though many people believe football should be (1). The rules of cricket have changed since the 1700-1800’s. Eleven players are on a team. The ball used is a little smaller than a baseball and a paddle shaped bat is used to hit the ball. The object of cricket is to hit the ball and run back and forth between wickets to score runs. It sounds short and simple, but matches can last days. Cricket is played professionally in England and it is almost as popular as football. Cricket has spread to other parts of the world including Africa and India, but it has not yet caught on here in the United States.

From camping, derby, and hurling, rugby evolved (2). Rugby is another one of the more popular sports in England. Rugby is very similar to football. The differences are that it is played with an oval ball and one carries it instead of dribbling it with one’s feet. It is more physical than football in that players tackle to obtain the ball. Rugby was originally exclusive to the upper class but now everyone can play it. Football in the US is based on rugby.

England is the center for one of the world’s biggest tennis tournaments (3). Wimbledon is the oldest and most famous of all the grand slam tennis events. One of the reasons is that it is the only one played on grass courts. Wimbledon is played during late June when the weather is best in England, though it always seems that a few days of the tournament are rained out. A Wimbledon tradition is that spectators eat strawberries and cream while they watch the matches.

The last two semi-popular sports played now are golf and basketball. “Scotland is traditionally regarded as the home of golf,” says Robert. Scotland has over 400 golf courses so naturally British people would be able to find time to play and enjoy golf. Lastly, basketball has been gaining in popularity and over three million people play. No one knows if it will even gain as much popularity as in the US because of how popular other sports in England are.

People today play sports for different reasons. Robert says, “Sports play an important part in the life of the Englishmen and is a popular leisure activity.” People play sports to relieve stress and have fun. Others play sports for fitness and to stay healthy. Professionals play sports as their job, but they play for these other reasons too.

The English like to attend sporting events, too. England is world famous for its football fans, often called hooligans (“Soccer Violence” 2). One of the biggest reasons they are so rowdy is that they are fueled by alcohol. Police officers are needed at all football games because the fans can get so out of control (Hoge 2). In preparation for Euro 2004 (which is a football tournament) in Portugal, they are setting aside a lot of money to buy riot gear so they will be able to deal with the English Soccer fans (Sym 1). This shows how serious the matter is. Even with all the precautions, the fans still reek havoc. During a game between England and Germany, over 850 people were detained and 56 people injured (“Soccer Officials“ 1). According to Hoge, “In 1985, violence by backers of Liverpool at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels caused a crowd stampede that killed 39 supporters of the opposing Italian team and led to a five-year ban on English clubs playing on the continent” (2). While English football fans are loyal to their teams, they can be ruthless to the opposing team.

There are similarities between the sports played in England during Tudor Times, 1700-1800’s, and now. In reference to sports played, football was played during all the time periods at it was also the most popular sport played. Versions of rugby were also played during all the time periods. There were also a few violent sports played during each time period. Football was played during all of them, almost all the sports played during Tudor Times were dangerous, derby and camping were dangerous during the 1700-1800’s, and rugby is still dangerous today. Tennis was played during Tudor Times and is played now. Lastly, new sports were added and old ones abandoned during each time period.

With respect to the rules of the sports, during Tudor Times and the 1700-1800’s, the rules were often up to interpretation. They were not standardized and varied from town to town. The rules of the sports stayed basically the same between these two time periods, though new versions of the sports evolved.

Lastly, everyone played and watched sports for basically the same reasons. During all the time periods, people played sports to relieve anger and stress, to get stronger, and to have fun. This is a striking similarity between all the time periods. Also, people watched sports for entertainment and pleasure.

There are also differences between the sports played during each time period. The same set of sports was not played during each time period. Some sports became outdated and new ones replaced them. During present times, the sports are not nearly as brutal as they were in previous periods. There are not too many differences between the sports played.

The rules of the sports changed during the present times. Rules are now formalized and they do not vary from town to town. This avoids anger debates during matches which in part takes away some of the violence.

The people who played and watched sports do not have many differences. One is that the fans now are extremely rowdy. This could be due in part that the sports are less violent now, so they make up for it. Lastly, some people play sports for a living, to make money.

The sports of Tudor Times and the 1700-1800’s helped shaped the sports of today in England. The sports played back then have been for the most part modified and carried over to modern times. Football, rugby, cricket, and tennis were all played during those time periods in one form or another. The violence of sports back then has been somewhat carried over to today. Sports now are very competitive and that is a product of the violence back then. The hooligans also show the primitive nature of humans. Lastly, the formation of a cricket club and school teams in the 1700’s paved the way for organized teams which are the biggest part of sports today.

There are pros and cons of sports today. The bad things about sports today in England are the violent fans and how much money goes into sports. The football fans can ruin the games sometimes with their rude behavior. It is something that needs to be fixed but is hard to because of the number of people that cause problems. It’s hard to stop all of them. The other problem is money. The athletes are overpaid at times and there are more important jobs that are paid much less.

The good thing about sports is that they are generally a fun thing to do. Going to sporting events is enjoyable unless there are a few bad hooligans there. Sports also help people learn skills like working with other people. Lastly, sports in England have served as a way for people to relieve stress, exercise, and have fun.

Sports in England have come a long ways since the 1400’s. They are not nearly as brutal as they used to be, though they are still rough. Rules are now official and they are more or less the same around the world. Though many things have changed since Tudor Times, people still play sports for the same reasons. Since the 1400’s, sports in England have served as a way for people to let out anger, toughen up, and have fun.

Bibliography

Cavendish, George. “Henry the eight has a jousting accident.” 1524. 18 Feb. 2004 <http://englishhistory.net/tudor/h8joust.html>.

George Cavendish is a firsthand witness to the jousting accident of Henry VIII. He describes the event and how it happened. This was a useful source because it described the event well. It is the only source I have that talks about the event. It is somewhat biased because it was a bystander. This source fit in when I talked about how royalty play sports.

“Cricket in England.” 19 Feb. 2004 <http://www.britainexpress.com/History/pastimes/cricket.htm>.

The article talked about the history of cricket. It was a somewhat helpful source. It helped me when I talked about the cricket in the 1700-1800’s. The information was reliable as it went along with other information I found.

Hoge, Warren. “As Europe Tenses, England Moves to Leash Soccer Thugs.” New York Times 11 June 2000: 1. Proquest Newspapers. Proquest. 24 Feb. 2004 <http://www.bellhowell.infolearning.com/proquest>.

Warren Hoge talks about the English football fans. It was a useful source because it gave me some arguments for proving how bad the fans can be. It was one of my better articles. The information seems reliable as it is just stating facts. I used the information for my sections about football hooligans.

“Jousting.” 18 Feb. 2004 <http://geocities.com/area51/1567/jousting.html>.

This article talked about jousting. It was pretty useful in giving me information. The information seems a little biased because the person must have liked jousting to make a website about it. This article gave me information for my jousting section during Tudor Times.

“Jousting.” 18 Feb. 2004 <http://www.scotfest/com/jousting.html>.

This is different article that talked about jousting. It was pretty useful in giving me information. The information seems a little biased because the person must have liked jousting to make a website about it. This article gave me information for my jousting section during Tudor Times.

Loew, Steve. “Elizabethan Entertainments and Pastimes.” 18 Feb. 2004 <http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/sportsandentertainment.html>.

Steve Loew writes about Elizabethan entertainments and pastimes. The sports section mostly covered football and hurling. It was a somewhat useful source, but it did not have a lot of information. Just a few tidbits of information. The information was reliable. I used the information about football and hurling for my sections on those topics during Tudor Times. It helped me demonstrate that football was the most popular sport back then.

Maxwell, Gretchen Elaine. “Elizabethan Sports.” 18 Feb. 2004 <http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/sportsandentertainment.html>.

Gretchen Elaine Maxwell writes about Elizabethan sports. It was somewhat useful, because it had specific information. It was not a great article, but it helped. It gave me information on jousting and archery in Tudor Times. It helped me demonstrate that sports helped the military.

Olsen, Kirstin. “What Joy Was Mine!: Entertainment.” Daily Life in 18th Century England. Daily Life Through History Online. Greenwood Press, 2002. 18 Feb. 2004 <http://www.gem.greenwood.com>.

Kirstin Olsen writes about entertainment during the 18th century in England. It was an incredibly useful source because it gave me a lot of information about the sports played during the 18th century. It was probably my best source. The information is reliable and it does not seem biased. I used the information for my sports section in the 1700-1800’s. It was basically all the information I had for that section.

Robert. “Sports in England.” 20 Feb. 2004 <http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/sport.html>.

Robert talks about the sports currently played in England. It was a very useful source because it gave me lots of information. It was one of my better sources. The information seems slightly biased because it is coming from an English person, so he could put his own opinions in with the facts. This source gave me a lot of my information about the sports played today in England.

Singman, Jeffrey L. “Entertainments — Elizabethan Pastimes.” Daily Life in Elizabethan England. Daily Life Through History Online. Greenwood Press, 2002. 18 Feb. 2004 <http://www.gem.greenwood.com>.

Jeffrey L. Singman writes about entertainment during the Elizabethan era. It was a very useful source because it gave me a lot of information. It was probably my second best source. It seemed like a very reliable source. It gave me much of my information about the sports played during the 1400-1600’s.

“Soccer Officials Threaten to Expel England From Championships.” New York Times 19 June 2000: 1. Proquest Newspapers. Proquest. 24 Feb. 2004 <http://www.bellhowell.infolearning.com/proquest>.

This article talks about the rowdy English football fans. It was somewhat useful, but it could only be used for one small section of my paper. It was a reliable source as it came from a newspaper. It gave me some key information in my section on hooligans.

“Soccer violence an international problem.” BBC News Online: World: Europe 19 June 2000. 26 Feb. 2004 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/europe/797601.stm>.

This article also talks about football violence. It was useful in giving me information on the topic. It seems reliable as it came from a news site. It seemed a little biased against the football fans. This article gave me information on the hooligans. It helped me show that alcohol fuels them.

“Sports.” 11 May 2004 <http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=Sports>.

This is a short article that has the official definition of sports. It was useful because I was able to use it in my introduction. It wasn’t a great source, but it did help me prove my thesis. The only problem was that it had limited information. The information seems reliable, as it is only a definition. This article helped me prove my thesis.

Sym, Jennifer. “Euro-Crackdown on Soccer Thugs.” PA News 15 Feb. 2004: 1. 24 Feb. 2004 <http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm>.

This is yet another article about the hooligans. It was useful in giving me some specific information. It was a reliable source. It gave me some intriguing facts about precautions made for the English fans.

“Tudor Sports and Pastimes.” May 2002. 18 Feb. 2004 <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/tudor_sports_and_pastimes.htm>.

This article talks about Tudor sports and pastimes. It was a fairly useful source because it gave me some good information on football during Tudor Times. The information seems reliable and unbiased, as it was not written when everything happened. It gave me information on football which helped me show the intensity of the sport.