Tudor England Group at eNotes

My husband and I watched the Christmas special of "Worst Jobs in...

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:32:22 PST

My husband and I watched the Christmas special of "Worst Jobs in History" - Good heavens, I was so grateful for my modern, luxurious lifestyle in comparison to what people experienced! Turkey pluckers and yule log cutters were two of them...I was just so happy with my Safeway boxed Christmas dinner after watching that! :)I never thought about showing it in class, though - What a great idea!!! Thanks, Linda! :)

Oh, and by the way where is the post about Shakespeare's father's job?...

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:19:20 PST

Oh, and by the way where is the post about Shakespeare's father's job? Thanks.

I often find that learning things through a particular lens (in the...

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:17:15 PST

I often find that learning things through a particular lens (in the case, jobs) is very effective in really drawing out the interesting details in history. Students love it because in order to wrap their heads around "why" there were such jobs as whipping boy or stool groom, they (without meaning to) learn some of the key lessons of that historical period, such as the divine right of kings or how the feudal system really worked.

You can still use the web site this year. It covers British history from...

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:50:02 PST

You can still use the web site this year. It covers British history from Roman times up to the Victorians. There are some special episodes too, like "Worst Christmas Jobs," "Worst Country Jobs," and "Worst City Jobs." Check them out!

There's a book by the same name The Whipping Boy which describes it in...

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:32:41 PST

There's a book by the same name The Whipping Boy which describes it in greater detail.Linda, I am also very pleased that you posted this website. I am beginning the English Renaissance now with Macbeth (I started from the Moderns and am working backward to Anglo-Saxons this year), but I have earmarked this site for my Favorites for next year. Thanks a million for your insight and willingness to share. That's what I love about...

Wow, that's great stuff thanks for posting it. Whipping boy! I can't...

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:25:00 PST

Wow, that's great stuff thanks for posting it. Whipping boy! I can't believe that was a real job. Now I know where that expression comes from.

I know what you mean about the history. I can't find any source that...

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:21:57 PST

I know what you mean about the history. I can't find any source that says Katherine of Aragon's last baby was horribly deformed. And you get the impression that Henry was only looking for the love he never got from his mother. But it's great read. I loved The Memoirs of Cleopatra too.

I loved the book and was especially intrigued by the notes posted by...

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:03:44 PST

I loved the book and was especially intrigued by the notes posted by Somers. Unfortunately, I thought it fell very short as a historical account novel. Henry VIII is by far my favorite monarch, and I can't read enough about the Tudor family. While I thought the ideas presented by George reinforced many of the sterotypes and research about these characters, I don't think she presented them very objectively. I understand that as a work...

Henry VIII

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:43:22 PST

Has anyone read Margaret George's The Autobiography of Henry VIII? What was your opinion? Did it change your perception of Henry? I used to feel sorry for Anne Boleyn until I read this book. (Yes, I know it's fiction!)

Employment in Tudor England

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:41:00 PST

Yesterday, someone asked a question about what kind of job William Shakespeare's father had. It brought to mind a TV series that has been running on the History International Channel: "Worst Jobs in History." Each episode covers an era in English history, with host Tony Richardson demonstrating the worst jobs during each. Some of the worst jobs in the Tudor era were pin maker, whipping boy, and groom of the stool. I've used the...