Abstract
This paper considers the varied role of castles in the development and gradual devolution of medieval society from a place of defense and therefore of social congregation, through their evolution into elaborate manor houses which lost all but the rudiments of their defense function as society changed from the Middle Ages.

From the Paper
"Castles were not a new phenomenon in the middle ages. Archeological records show that virtually in every ancient society, people came together for mutual self-defense, and fortified their locations by building walls, towers, and other elements of defense by which they could withstand the onslaughts of those who sought to attack them (Coulson 15). In western Europe, the medieval castle had its primary forerunner in the walled Roman fort. As military bases, these forts were the mainstay of Roman control, and throughout western Europe, towns grew up around these forts, taking advantage of the relative security that they offered."

Tags:castles, europe, towns

Abstract
The paper examine two of the United Kingdom's most significant medieval castles, Roscommon and Harlech, that are to be found in Ireland and Wales respectively. The paper examines the architecture of each of the castles and their uses. It then examines the ways in which each castle's specific architecture contributed to its function. Following this, the paper reviews the meaning such castles had within medieval society.

From the Paper
"Built during the reign of Edward I, King of England, Roscommon and Harlech castles were both part of that monarch's larger campaign of consolidating control of his dominions. While claimed by the English Crown, Ireland was only partially under English control. Wales was actually conquered by Edward who, during the course of his reign, continued to fight against the resistance of the Welsh Prince of Wales. In simplest terms, Roscommon and Harlech represent the finest in military engineering in their time. Harlech is the type of a concentric castle, a fortress that is defended by a double line of walls and towers, with attackers exposed to a double line of defending fire at virtually every point. Built substantially during the 1280s, Harlech represents the perfection of the concentric system in Edward's domains, the great towers of the inner ward being employed to enfilade the outer works and provide a murderous crossfire concentrated at the point of the single outer gate (King 1988, p. 113). Harlech combined the advantages of the concentric system with the advantages of an easily-defensible site."

Tags:welsh, irish, feudal, war, england, celtic, defenses, power, culture, christianity

Abstract
The reign of King Edward I (1272-1307) was marked by almost constant military activity in the British Isles and France. Edward?s policy of expansion and conquest in Scotland and Wales was aggressive and successful. This paper examines one of the more notable characteristics of Edward?s warlike policies, the construction of a large number of castles, mostly in Wales, as centers of military and civilian administration in conquered territories. The paper focuses on six of these castles, namely Flint, Rhuddlan, Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech, and Beaumaris.

From the Paper
"Whereas at other sites such as Harlech and Caernarfon the site had offered defensive advantages, at Beaumaris the castle was constructed on a flat, largely featureless marsh, so it had to create all its defensive advantages itself. The result is a highly developed plan using concentric curtain walls, round and D-shaped towers, and two vast gatehouses. It followed the established pattern of having its own dock and access to the sea, and a town was to have been constructed within its own, integrated, defenses. The town was never founded and the castle never completed, the demands of wars, not only in Wales but also in Scotland and France, rendering the expense untenable."

Tags:Prince, Llywelyn, First, Welsh, War

Abstract
Vernon and Irene Castle were America's 'golden' couple--as well as the toast of Europe in the years immediately preceding World War I. Their innovative dance steps: Texas Tommy, Foxtrot, and Grizzly Bear, set to the syncopation of ragtime swept America, Britain and France. In the age of silent movies, film shorts of their dance routines were followed as avidly by teenagers in 1911 as are the television doings of pop stars today. The paper briefly describes the backgrounds of the couple and then examines their career as innovative dancers and choreographers in the years preceding the First World War and up to the death of Vernon Castle in a flying accident in February 1918.

Outline:
Introduction
Background
The Castles, Daring Dance, and Social Innovation in Pre-War America (and Europe, as well)
The Price of War
Epilogue
Works Consulted in the Preparation of this Report

From the Paper
"The Castles appeared together in The Hen-Pecks, a Broadway musical comedy in which their dance routines, set to "the music of young songwriter Irving Berlin's Alexander's Ragtime Band, [Notable Biographies]" were a regular component sketches. The caught the eye of a French theatrical agent who, in 1912, booked them for a six-month gig at the Cafe de Paris, in the city of that name. While their comedy routines received top billing, it was their dancing that caught the crowd's attention. Simply stated, the Castles appropriated black America's ragtime rhythm and social dance steps, performing them in a seemingly 'passionless and well-mannered' fashion. Susan Cook describes the Castles' approach. "Throughout their careers, the Castles responded to the discourse of dance pathology [specifically, white fears of black influence on the social attitudes of American youth] with their own carefully crafted one of propriety in which their dancing, self-described as 'modern,' was so identified by its calculated 'refinement' in opposition to the 'roughness' associated with its working-class and ethnic predecessors. They came to mark out a kind of middle ground between the informality of the working-class dance halls the constrained rigidity of the Dancing Masters [141]." (They Castles had a major impact on American middle-class acceptance of the tango. In Argentina the dance was overtly erotic. The Castles performed it in a more 'stately' manner, although of course the erotic element shimmered just beneath the surface--suitable, one might think, for a happily married couple.)"

Tags:passion, music, dance, body, gender, sexuality, modernism, war, texas, tommy, foxtrot, grizzly, bear, syncopation, ragtime

Abstract
A look at the nature and changes in the construction of castles. The author looks at the background of castle construction, how they were built during the Medieval period and the insights that this provides about Medieval society and the inner workings of it.

From the Paper
"We look at castles today, impressed by their enormous stature and the massive nature of their physical construction. Even today, with the skyscrapers and other marvels of modern construction, castles still imbue awe in the beholder. Imagining how the construction of such masterpieces could have been accomplished with the technology available to the Medieval person is almost incomprehensible. Castles have held this place in the mind from the Romantic period onward, with a revival of the wonder and majesty that such buildings can evoke. The truth of the matter, however, is that castles began as simple wooden structures and palisades, created to defend certain areas from attack by invaders. These simple wooden fortifications gradually evolved into the massive structures that we know and admire today, and the story of that evolution gives us key insights into the way that Medieval society evolved and the inner workings of the society as well."

Tags:ages, change, middle

Abstract
In this article, the writer examines the relationship that developed in the medieval era between the city and the castle. Specifically, the writer argues that the castle acted as the practical and symbolic focal point for urban development. In addition to centralizing government processes and local defense, the castle was also a regional symbol of strength, prosperity, and security. The writer discusses that the medieval castle provided a crucial architectural anchor to any developing city in Europe in the historical period, arguably more important than any religious building.

From the Paper
"The decline and ultimate collapse of the Roman Empire in the early part of the first millennium AD marks the beginning of what is loosely referred to as the medieval period. Though the medieval era can only be roughly applied in an historical sense, it is generally agreed upon that the last vestiges of this era began to vanish by the time that the Renaissance began in Europe. Thus, the medieval era is bounded by two of the so-called high points in the history of Western civilization--the Roman Empire and the European Renaissance and subsequent Enlightenment. With preceding and ..."

Tags:architecture, castle, city

Abstract
This paper explains that characterizing the medieval era as a period of barbarism ignores the fact that rebuilding a civilization after the fall of the Roman Empire was a laborious process. The author points out that despite this struggle, new urban centers emerged that would eventually become the seats of learning and progress during the later Enlightenment and the Renaissance. The paper stresses that the castle became the focal point of the major urban development because cathedrals and monasteries could never give the degree of military defense that could be provided by the castle. The author concludes that, towering over sprawling medieval cities, the castle was a visual architectural reminder that order and authority were a significant part of medieval life, both in keeping invaders out and keeping the citizenry in line with the interests of the city's elite.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Development of the Castle in the Medieval Era
The Castle as Symbolic Focal Point
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The castle projected an image of power and security that was not only a deterrent to attack but also a source of pride and security for the people who lived around the castle. The castle provided the impetus for urban growth, and that urban growth (through increased tax revenues) also provided the finances necessary to expand the scale and defenses of the castle itself. A feedback loop of a sort was established between the medieval city and the medieval castle. Urban redevelopment after the fall of the Roman Empire continued along these lines for a thousand years until the beginning of the Renaissance."

Tags:fortress, symbolic, elite, motte, anchor

Abstract
In this religious study of 'The Interior Castle' by Teresa of Avila, one can realize the seven "mansions" of prayer that the Carmelite Prioress of the 16th century depicts in prayer. By analyzing the architectural symbolism that Teresa implies within the seven rooms within her Christian castle, the basis for prayer can be elucidated in stages or levels. In essence, the objective of this study is to define these seven mansions of prayer that arise with 'The Interior Castle' by Teresa of Avila.

From the Paper
"... the soul is the messenger for the body, the spirit becomes the new identity in Heaven that becomes truly one with Christ in Teresa's Interior Castle. As a result of this marriage death is no longer an issue of fear and the spirit can rest within Heaven. This is the ultimate unity of prayer and meditation that allows the soul to leave the Earth and unite with the soul in God inner sanctum."

Tags:teresa, seven, christ

Abstract
This paper discusses how "The Castle of Otranto", written by Horace Walpole, is a prime example of Gothic literature. It examines how, in Walpole's novel, distinct characteristics can be found that will truly identify what a Gothic novel is and how one of these characteristics is the use of magical and supernatural events in the novel. It shows how magic is used as a means to provide horror and fear in the life of Prince Manfred, the greedy and cruel leader of the castle. The story primarily focuses on Manfred's preoccupation with perpetuating his power through his family, particularly his son, Conrad.

From the Paper
"Another important contribution that Walpole's novel has created in English literary and cultural studies is through the realm of linguistic studies. "The Castle of Otranto" used words commonly found in English vocabulary, but with different meanings, especially when put in the context of Gothic literature. Words such as "enchantment" and "vision" convey mystery, while "affliction" and "wretched" illustrate fear and terror. These words that seemed to convey meanings that are unilateral in meaning have become bilateral. Thus, words that illustrate positive magical qualities such as "enchantment" and objective realities such as "vision" have now become words that depict horror and characteristic of the supernatural elements and events in ?The Castle of Otranto.?"

Tags:magic, manfred, conran, gothic, literature

Abstract
The poet was so inspired by the painting that he created the Elegiac Stanzas the memory of his younger brother whose untimely death caused intense pain and sorrow to him. The painting of Sir George's Peele Castle shows a huge tall building weathering every storm, and the poet was encouraged by the strength of the castle and felt that man too needs to possess such courage to overcome all difficult situations.