2014+SH+P6+Guelfs

Aim: Gabby Gagliano A guelf sometimes spelled guelph is a member of the political party in medieval Italy and Germany that supported the sovereignty of the papacy against the German emperors. The authors purpose is that there was a dividing between the Guelfs and Ghibellines described by Laura. “Following this very public settling of scores, the Florentine population divided themselves into two parties” (Morreale).The authors purpose is stated explicitly. The consistent green word that is the strongest in the text is divison. It is used so much as well as conflict. The author achieves the purpose of the article by restating the same story that has been used several times. The story about how the son from one family and the daughter from the Amidei were supposed to be married until the son from the family humiliated the daughter from Amidei. This caused huge conflict between the two rivals.

Audience: Ashley Riopel A Guelf, also known as Guelphs, were a type of political party having to do with the Catholic Church. In the article “Guelf power, however, had not been completely extinguished, and members of the defeated party worked quietly with the papacy in the hopes of one day reversing Ghibelline fortunes” (Morreale 1). The audience of this article is students who are wanting to be informed on what is being stated. There is a primary and secondary audience, the primary audience would be those who are reporting about this particular subject. The secondary audience is the general public who are somewhat interested and would like to learn more about the topic. Within this article, the author uses extremely strong word choice, although she does not include information that should be already known. The author assumes that the audience is immensely intelligent, but does not have any background information on Guelphs, therefore she gives a full explanation to clarify. Using strong word choice but giving background information about every piece of the text is a strength in this case. The author describes the topic in many ways as well as gives examples and different actions that took place within this time period of the Guelphs. The author has a wonderful strength that suits the targeted audience extremely well.

Cultural: Cassie Colby

The Guelfs and Ghibellines had a major influence on the cultural aspects during that time and even now in today’s cultures. Several books and movies took pieces from the Guelfs and Ghibellines. As in the Guelfs influenced how books were written and helped portray different points that the authors wanted to get across. For example, in this fantasy book series it has feuding families: the Duelphs and Nibhellines which are based off of the Guelfs and Ghibellines. Another example is in Dante’s Inferno, because Dante Alighieri wrote his books in the time period of the Guelfs. In an article it states, “Contemporary politics deeply influenced Dante's literary and emotional life, and had a major influence on the writing of the Inferno. Renaissance Florence was a thriving, but not a peaceful city: different opposing factions continually struggled for dominance there. The Guelfs and the Ghibellines were the two major factions, and in fact that division was important in all of Italy” (About Divine Comedy-I: Inferno 1). Because of Dante’s living in this time, and for being a part of

Historical: Emily Gerdts

Guelfs, otherwise known as “Guelphs” were known as opposing factions in Italy alongside the “Ghibellines.” The two sides were labeled as the Papal party and the essentially “imperial” party which were both connected to the Catholic Church. Germany also had a somewhat major involvement during this period, as the dukes of Saxony and Bavaria. The Guelfs had established a clear enemy at this point, and quickly joined forces with those who supported them. The text states, “The Guelphs early became associated with the papacy because of their mutual Hohenstaufen enemy. They were represented by the more democratic 'middle classes' and 'merchant class' who desired a constitutional government” (Cassano 9). The rivalry of the two parties dates back to the Holy Roman Empire, also in the thirteenth century, when the name “Guelfs” was first established in Florence. Later on, the opposing parties became known as the “Blacks” and “Whites.” However, over time the name “Guelf” itself completely lost it’s significance, becoming a mere name of the past. The influences of these political events can be related to society today, in many ways. For example, Politicians; Republican versus Democratic, other more broad topics, and much more. However, the persuasion that is derived from the authors personal perspective may have affected the outlook on the text, changing the way that the reader takes the information by forcing them to choose sides and opinions.

Works Cited

Gabby: WK, Dante. "Florentine Republic in 13th Century." N.p., n.d. Web.

Morreale, Laura. "Guelfs and Ghibellines." The Ultimate History Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Aug. 2014.

Emily Gerdts: Cassano, Anthony. "Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts: Guelphs and Ghibellines." Guelphs and Ghibellines. Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusets, 2012. Web. 28 Aug. 2014.

Gardner, Edmund. "Guelphs and Ghibellines." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 27 Aug. 2014.

Cassie Colby: "Divine Comedy-I: Inferno Background." Study Guides & Essay Editing. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Aug. 2014.

The Quentaris Chronicles. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Aug. 2014.

Ashley Riopel: Morreale, Laura. "Guelfs and Ghibellines." The Ultimate History Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Aug. 2014. "Florence Inferno." Florence Inferno. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2014.