blog post #4

Amber Wyatt

History 101-04

November 9,2011

amberwyatt.blogspot.com

Shakespeare, Cervantes, and Inca de la Vega 

     The 16th century is most renown for the literature created during this period. William Shakespeare,

Miguel de Cervantes, and Garcilaso de la Vega are arguably the most recognized authors from the 16th

century. The day in which they died and their significant influence on literature is the most notable similarity

between these three authors.

     William Shakespeare, who is also referred to as the father of the English language,  is considered as the

greatest playwright in history. Shakespeare had a significant influence on literature, culture, and language

throughout the world. He contributed greatly to the development of the English language in itself by creating

many words and phrases that have become apart of the modern English language. Shakespeare’s plays, such

  as Hamlet and Macbeth, and poems, most notably his sonnets, have become an essential element to

America’s education, therefore, his ideas on subjects such as romantic love, heroism, comedy, and tragedy

have helped shape the outlooks of people in literature ever since.


    Miguel de Cervantes is considered to be the most important and celebrated figure in Spanish literature.

 Cervantes was a Spanish novelist, playwright, poet, and the genius behind Don Quixote. Don Quixote is an

epic tale of a man who was obsessed with Chivalric ideals and traveled on adventures to impress his love

interest. Cervantes’s Don Quixote is understood as a satire of chivalric romance, an epic of heroism, an

explanation on his isolation, and a critique of Spanish colonialism. However, Cervantes’s novel is most

recognized for it’s new worldview of Spanish culture.

            Garcilaso de la Vega was a Spanish historian and writer who is recognized for his contributions to

Inca history, culture, and society. In Spain, Garcilaso wrote his most famous piece, The Royal 


Commentaries of the Incas. Within The Royal Commentaries of the Incas, Garcilaso documented the

daily life of Incas from the stories told by maternal relatives and gave factual information about the

acknowledgment and labor enforced by the Incas in this book. Garcilaso’s work is considered to be

important because of it’s valuable historical insight on the daily lives of the Incas.

           William Shakespeare,  Miguel de Cervantes, and Garcilaso de la Vega  are disputably the most

influential men from the 16th century. Their contribution to the literature world has been immortalized through

their “famous” works. In conclusion, these legendary works created by these three men “raised the bar” on

what was considered excellent literature in the 16th century.

blog #3

Amber Wyatt

History 101-04

October 19, 2011

amberwyatt.blogspot.com

The Black Death

            Between 1347-1350, Europe was faced with one of history’s most notable and devastating illness:

the Bubonic Plague. The plague, also referred to as the Black Death, had left Europe’s population on their

death beds with no cure nor reason. This crippling illness had forever altered and scarred the European

population.

             Researchers have found that this medical crisis was caused by flea infested rats. These infested fleas

would come in contact with humans thus beginning the onset of the plague. Symptoms of the Black Death

included “high fevers, aching limbs, and vomiting of blood“ (Knox). The most notable characteristic was the

swelling of the lymph nodes. The swelling would “protrude and become easily visible; its blackish coloring

gave the disease its name: the Black Death” (Knox). The whole process, from the first symptoms of fever and

 aches, to final expiration, lasted only three or four days. “The swiftness of the disease, the terrible pain, the

grotesque appearance of the victims, all served to make the plague especially terrifying” (Knox).

             With no cure readily available, Europeans began to take desperate measures. Many turned to

aromatherapy because it was thought that the disease was transmitted upon the air. “People burned all manner

 of incense: juniper, laurel, pine, beech, lemon leaves, rosemary, camphor, sulfur and others. Handkerchiefs

were dipped in aromatic oils, to cover the face when going out” (Knox). The cure of sound was another

proposed remedy of the time. “Towns rang church bells to drive the plague away. Other towns fired cannons,

 which were new and which made comfortingly loud din“ (Knox).

         Yet, the only effective remedy was quarantine. Citizens would simply avoid the sick and stay far enough

 away in hopes of containing the illness. Avoiding the sick was “a natural enough instinct“ for people during

this time (Knox).

       Ultimately, over 25 million lives were lost due to the Black Death (Knox). The loss of life in such great

numbers and to such gruesome disease brought despair everywhere.  After the plague had taken its toll upon

 Europe, death became a staple subject in art, literature, and other work forms.  The tone of despair, brought

 on by this horrific illness, is forever echoed in the history of the European Middle Ages.

References

Knox, E.L. Skip. "The Middle Ages: The Black Death." Boise State University, n.d. Web.
            19 Oct 2011. <http://boisestate.edu/courses/westciv/plague/>.

blog post #2

Amber Wyatt

http://amberwyatt.blogspot.com

History 101-04

September 27, 2011

Jesus to Christianity versus Muhammad to Islam

   Christianity and Islam are closely related religions. Both religions are rooted in the same fundamental beliefs, 

however, they differ in their prophets and the interpretation of God’s message. These differences have led to

the creation of numerous branches within these two religions , bringing forth new interpretations that have 

created a “religious rift”  between Christians and Muslims.

   Although there are different branches within Christianity, Jesus’ words appear to be identical within the 

Bible throughout the different sectors. This has led researchers to conclude that a common “Q” source once

 existed and was used when constructing the pages of the Bible. However, the message of Jesus and the 

interpretation of Jesus’ message varies from the two main sectors within Christianity; Protestants and 

Catholics.

    Protestants, unlike Catholics, do not believe in hierarchy within church and do not emphasize tradition as 

much as Catholics. The only authority of the Protestant sector is the authority of the scripture. Yet, the main 

difference between these two are how they view the atonement of Christ. According to Protestantism, the 

death of Christ was a “substitution sacrifice that satisfied God's justice.” Contrarily, Catholics believe the 

death of Christ “created merit that is shared with sinners through sacraments.”

    The religion of Islam has the Koran as the “source of truth.“ Muslims believe that the original New 

Testament, which they call Injil, was the original revelation that Jesus received from Allah. However, they 

believe that the Christians have “corrupted the original Scriptures,” therefore, making the Bible an unreliable 

source. Muslims believe that the message of Muhammad continued the “original truths” that were outlined in 

the Injil, and have corrected the “errors” that Christians have added. Like Christianity, the founder’s message

 and the interpretation of Muhammad’s message varies within the two main sects of Islam; the Sunnis and the

Shiites sector.

    The Sunnis accept that the “first four Caliphs, including Ali, were the rightful followers of Muhammad.” 

However, like Protestantism in Christianity, they don't grant the kind of “divinely inspired status to their clerics

 that Shiites do with their imams.” Shiites believe imams are descendants of the Prophet.

    Sunnis and Shiites are like Catholics and Protestants in some of their fundamental beliefs. But their 

differences, especially in nations where the Sunni-Shiite split is emphasized by the closeness of proximity, runs

 so deep that intolerance and violence makes coexistence difficult. In conclusion, this intolerance within the 

Islamic religion has, in my opinion, put a greater emphasizes on the “religious rift” between Islam and 

Christianity making coexistence between two common religions a “far fetch” idea.

References

http://middleeast.about.com/od/religionsectarianism/a/me070907sunnis.htm

http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/catholic_protestant.htm

blog post # 1

Amber Wyatt
http://amberwyatt.blogspot.com

His 101-04

September 7,2011

 Alexander's empire, knot of civilizations

        Alexander the Great was one of history’s most notable military commanders. Alexander campaigned

consistently for twelve years, which ignited the Hellenistic Age and the establishment of Greek settlement and

rule over many foreign territories and cultures. He died in 323 BC, leaving a powerful legacy behind

him ("Alexander the Great Alexander of Macedon Biography", 2003 ).

        The reign of Alexander III marked the beginning of a new stage in world history known as the Hellenistic

 Age. The Hellenistic Age is the period of conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great("Alexander

the Great Alexander of Macedon Biography", 2003 ). At the young age of 33, Alexander died leaving his

successors to divide his empire. The successors divided Alexander's vast empire into three main Macedonian

kingdoms: Egypt under the Ptolimis; Asia ruled by the Seleucids; and Macedonia under the Antigonus

dynasty ("The Hellenistic Age", n.d.). Along with the lands these kingdoms ruled, came rivalries inherited by

their descendants.

           The Hellenistic Age, was a time in which literature, philosophy, warfare, and religion flourished, all of

which were influenced by the Greek culture. During this time, it was common for religion to combine both

Greek gods and Eastern deities in their practices("The Hellenistic Age," n.d.). Greek culture had become

deeply ingrained into many aspects of these kingdoms, especially in the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic

kingdoms ("The Hellenistic Age," n.d. ). Even those these Hellenistic kingdoms coexisted, warfare and

competition remained between the monarchies.

            As the Hellenistic monarchies declined in the second and first century BC, the Romans gradually

extended their control over Greece and the Middle East.  In 30 BC, the Romans ended the Ptolemaic

kingdom which was the last to fall ("The Hellenistic Age," n.d.  ). The Romans not only obtained the empire

 once owned by Alexander, but also, they obtained the Hellenistic culture of these monarchies.  Alexander‘s

accomplishments were not only limited to the aspects of warfare, but also how he promoted Greek influence

throughout his vast empire. In conclusion, this greatly influenced the return to the West during the Roman

Empire.

Work Cited

"Alexander the Great Alexander of Macedon Biography." History of Macedonia. 2003.
            Web. 7 Sep 2011.
          <http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html>.

"The Hellenistic Age."  Web. 7 Sep 2011.
           <http://veronica2305.tripod.com/Hellenistic%20Age.htm>.