Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Australian Property Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words
Australian Property Market - Essay Example However the interest rates have all along been one of the dominating factors in determining the demand and supply position of the residential properties, as the initial investment is heavy in the case of large residential property developments and the gestation period is also long to get back the investments. This paper analyses the impact of interest rates on the demand for residential properties. On an analysis it is found that the residential property market in Australia is getting stronger every year. There are several factors that affect the growth of the property market in any country. It so happens that any factor affecting the residential property market in the major cities will follow course to smaller towns and cities and affect the country as a whole over the period. The prices of residential properties continue to increase during the period 2003 through 2005 in spite of a slight increase in the interest rates of up to 0.5 percent. However this increase caused a slow down in the property market in Sydney and Melbourne for some period, but the boom in the property market continued despite the increase in the interest rate. The demand for the house properties remained strong during the period, due to the fact that the Gross Domestic Product of Australia in general remained stronger showing an enhanced progress of the economy. Similarly the support from the government in the form of certain tax cuts and other measures had improved the household disposable incomes and raised the consumer confidence. This also gave rise to the boom in the property market. Another factor that led to the increase in the demand for the house properties is the change in the general attitude of the people in getting the financial support form families making the purchase of property as a life time dream comes true. But in spite of all these positive factors there was a decline in the demand. Analysts point out various factors responsible for this slowness in the property market. Though not the only reason, increase in the interest rates was cited as one of the factors responsible for the reduction in the demand for the properties. With this background I intend to present this paper reporting in detail the impact of interest rates on the residential property market in Australia. 2.0 Aims and Objectives: This research will mainly center around the impact of the interest costs among other factors on the demand position of the residential properties in the Australian property market. To achieve the main objectives of the research study, the level of the interest rates during the historical period will be analysed and the demand for the residential properties during the corresponding period will be correlated to report the trend of the demand position on the basis of the changes in the
Monday, October 28, 2019
The British Government Essay Example for Free
The British Government Essay Censorship played a vital role in hiding the negative effects of the war and controlling public opinion. Censorship is hiding or deleting parts of information. Photos, texts, statistics and information were all edited. The government had overtaken the media and carefully selected positive information and sometimes-irrelevant information to mislead civilians and control peoples opinions. Censorship was a strategic military action to mislead the enemy into thinking Britain was winning. The most important factor for censorship was to prevent the enemy from getting too much information. It was used to boost civilians morale because if they knew the truth, they might riot in the streets, forcing the government to surrender. One of the most significant and successful methods of censorship was the use of the radio. Many people had radios. It broadcasted happy and patriotic songs to keep up the morale. Demoralizing information was censored and statistics were exaggerated to their advantage. A good example of the need for censorship is the Bethnal Green Tube station incident where 173 people suffocated because a woman fell over. They censored information similar to this because they didnt want people to stop using shelters and people dying, if they died trying to reach safety, they might feel nowhere is safe and it would lower morale. If it wasnt censored, the Germans would exaggerate it to be a huge victory and the British would assume they were losing. The government blamed it on the bombing reassured people that it was safe. Censorship didnt quite boost morale but it definitely kept it from going down, propaganda was used mainly for boosting morale. Propaganda is information that is spread to promote a cause. The most important reason for propaganda was to boost morale in times of hardship. Also, it was used so people would contribute to the war effort. Even though sometimes the items werent used, but it made people feel as though they had done their bit. It was used to pressure parents to send their children away to the countryside. Most propaganda was positive and mostly funny also, to keep spirits high and to show the enemy they were surviving. It was also funny because it was uplifting and not to frighten people. Some propaganda used fear to make people do what the government wanted such as recycling. Propaganda was suitable for everyone and gave instructions incase of attacks. Another important use of propaganda was to make people obey the governments advice for example building a shelter or a wartime garden. Propaganda was also used to ensure civilians to use resources sparingly so that Britain could be self-sufficient because sailors getting the foreign goods were often at risk. Propaganda was shown in many ways such as films, the radio and posters, which were everywhere. The most significant and successful method of propaganda was posters because they were everywhere and it promoted safety precautions. They were designed to have catchy phrases and made people laugh, this would make them remember the message within the poster. Propaganda also promoted unity so that people wouldnt turn on each other. Normal life was also promoted so people didnt panic and cause riots. The duty of women was emphasized because they were important in keeping the family together. Stories were invented and victories of the R. A. F were exaggerated to again, boost morale. Statistics were also exaggerated, perhaps in an attempt to trick the enemy into believing they were losing.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Millennialism and Apocalypse Thought in S. T. Coleridge and William Wor
missing some works cited "Tintern Abbey": Millennialism and Apocalypse Thought in S. T. Coleridge and William Wordsworth's Poetics Storming of the Bastille 1789 [1] During and in the aftermath of the French Revolution, millennialist thought ââ¬â independent of the myriad of economic and historical reasons for its precipitation ââ¬â influenced many authors. Many people perceived the French Revolution as a foreshadowing of an Apocalypse that would usher in a new millenarian epoch, one levelling social distinctions between people and bringing about what was believed to be Christ's absolute rule. Samuel Taylor Coleridge was such a writer influenced by millennialist and apocalyptic belief in the late-eighteenth-century. His early writings and visions, such as in Religious Musings (1794-6), and Pantisocracy (1794), as well as his proposed communal experiment on the Susquehanna River in the United States, mark his belief in a millennium that would eliminate the social evils that he saw as detrimental to both individuals and the society in which he lived. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Revelations 6 : 1-8, detail from Albert Durer [4] The belief in millenarian and apocalyptic movements is one that was, and remains, today pervasive. Its origins are not entirely understood, but as Hillel Schwartz notes, "its root term, millennium, refers to a first-century eastern Mediterranean text, the Apocalypse of John or Book of Revelation." [2] Schwartz further notes that: "Among the world religions we can locate two constellations of millenarian thought about an epochal pulsing of time, one Zoroastrian-Jewish-Greek-Christian, the other Hindu-Buddist-Taoist-Confucian." [3] Broadly defined, it is: The belief that the end of the w... ..., in Romanticism: An Anthology, with CD-ROM, 2nd ed. Oxford & Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2000. [BACK] 11. Earl Leslie Griggs, Ed. Collected Letters of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Vol. I. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1956, 395, 397. [BACK] 12. Duncan Wu and David Miall, eds. Romanticism: An Anthology, with CD-ROM, 2nd ed. Oxford & Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2000. ( 271). [BACK] 13. Ibid, 191. [BACK] 14. Ibid. [BACK] 15. Wordsworth, "There is an active principle" (1798), 9-11. [BACK] 16. Coleridge, quoted in Peterfreund, Stuart. "Coleridge and the Politics of Critical Vision." Critical Essays on Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Ed. Leonard Orr. New York, Toronto: Maxwell Macmillan International, 1994, 39. [BACK] 17. Earl Leslie Griggs, Ed. Collected Letters of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Vol. II. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1956, 1013. [BACK] 18. http://www.new-harmony.com/
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Handmaids Tale Essay -- essays research papers
Many of the principles of Gilead are based on Old Testament beliefs. Discuss Atwoods use of biblical allusions and their political significance in the novel. à à à à à ââ¬ËThe Handmaids Taleââ¬â¢ is a book full of biblical allusions, before Atwood begins the text an epigraph gives us an extract from Genesis 30: 1-3 ââ¬Å"And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacobââ¬â¢s anger was kindled against Rachel; and he said, Am I in Godââ¬â¢s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.â⬠This principle from the Bible is used throughout ââ¬ËThe Handmaids Taleââ¬â¢, the principles being that it is the idea of both assemblages that a womenââ¬â¢s duty is to have children and that it is acceptable for a man to be angry if a women can not produce a child. Both these beliefs show that in jointly the Bible and ââ¬ËThe Handmaids Taleââ¬â¢, women are completely defined by fertility and are classed as ââ¬Ëwalking wombsââ¬â¢. ââ¬ËThe Handmaids Taleââ¬â¢ recreates the selected stanzas from the bible with Jacob, Rachel, Leah and the two handmaids. The tale is an Old Testament story about surrogate mothers, on which the novel is based. The section gives biblical precedent for the several practices of Gilead, by doing this it paves the way for Atwood to comment on patriarchy where women are undervalued and abused in all walks of life. The idea is also expressed later when we discover the ââ¬ËRed Centreââ¬â¢ governmentally known as the ââ¬ËRachel a nd Leah Centreââ¬â¢. As the basis of the novel it is replicated many times throughout the text, for example, it is found in the family reading before the monthly ceremonies, and in Rachelââ¬â¢s plea ââ¬Ëgive me children, or else I dieââ¬â¢. This clearly lays emphasis on the threat to the Handmaids life. By failing to produce a child, they will be classed as Unwomen and sent to the Colonies to die. Atwood, to coordinate with biblical references has employed a biblical name for the place where the book is set. Gilead is the name Atwood saw fit to call her town. The fundamentalist Republic of Gilead is named after a place in the Old Testament, a mountainous region east of Jordan. Gilead is closely connected with the history of patriarch Jacob, and the prophe... ...ical references, for example, the lords prayer in chapter thirty where she changes the ââ¬Ënormââ¬â¢ and asks for the things that she really wants. Just like the commander and the teachers of regime do in order to get what they want. ââ¬Å"Now we come to forgiveness. Donââ¬â¢t worry about forgiving me right now. There are more important things. For instance: keep others safe, if they are safe. Donââ¬â¢t let them suffer too much. If they have to die, let it be fast. You might even provide a heaven for them. We need you for that. Hell we can create ourselves.â⬠à à à à à Gileads official discourse is a hybridised rhetoric, which combines biblical language with traces of American capitalist phrases; for example, ââ¬Ëin God we trustââ¬â¢ is the motto on the dollar bill. Marxism and feminism. It uses and abuses the bible in the same way as it uses the slogans of the liberal ideology it has overthrown. à à à à à ââ¬ËThe Handmaids Taleââ¬â¢ is a blunt warning to modern society, Atwood underlines that all the points in her novel have occurred in the world previously, and if propaganda establishes itself it could take place again. à à à à Ã
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Levendary cafe case study Essay
1. Statement of Problem: What are the problems being faced and the most important 3-4 decisions the company needs to make regarding the situation of the company in China. The company transformation from private equity ownership with an immediate shift of CEO marked new challenges for the company. The company has been going through rigorous changes to keep up with the strong performance track record. However, the distinction of the profiles and management approach of the two CEOs was obviously noticed by the subordinates. The intelligent handling of management issues and concerns with subsequent impact on the employees and consumers mark the importance and sensitivity of the decisions of Mia Foster. The response and performance of China Market are the primary problematic area of the company. The management is piled with issues and skepticism on the ground of the equation generated out of new CEO, new Market, new strategies and new reporting procedures. The dire need of management is to visit location with ample supporting information and vigilant approach to take hold over the situation. The core areas to be addressed in this reference includes the dil emmas of swirled market reputation of the company, skepticism over the companyââ¬â¢s potential to grow as a multinational brand, competitorââ¬â¢s rivalry and in house mismanagement issues. An immediate and focused response to the illustrated concerns is essential at this point of time to take hold of the situation before it gets any worst. The solutions devised in this reference are illustrated below; a.à Product Image in Market. b. Communication plan (Internal / External) c. Documentation of Policies and procedures d. Marketing strategy development 2. Alternatives: What are three different courses of action she can take to deal with Louis Chen and solve these various issues? Clearly explain. The importance of the concerns with the necessity to strategically move to address the issues is obvious. The different courses of action that can be adapted to respond the requisites are referred below: a. Department Heads are to be aligned over a platform with allocation of KPI in their respective fields in the light of the strategic objectives. b. The board of directors is to be supported by an in house team to monitor and coach the resolutions. c. A third person consultation service can be hired with an objective of desired goals. 3. Decision: Recommend one course of action. Convince us why this one is best and will help fix the problems. Address any criticism that this decision is likely to face Amongst the suggested options the first option of allocation targeted objectives as KPIs of the department head is the most suitable, as it will utilize in house resources and direct monitoring of the in charge. At the same time, the possibility of information leakage or blame game is further at the diminished end if this option is opted. 4. Action: List and describe 4-5 action steps to turn your plan into reality and implement the plan A comprehensive and concise action plan to support the strategy is suggested below for your perusal. a. Development and establishment of company processes and policies. b. The communication of policies amongst all branches. c. Development of communication model that is separate links for internal communication with a user friendly website for consumers. d. The hiring of a regional media manager and financial analyst to keep the track on the path. e. Regular observation of agendas over the Board meetings. f. Allocations of target oriented KPIââ¬â¢s under the observation of the strategic goals.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
What is Irony The 3 Major Types of Irony (with Examples)
What is Irony The 3 Major Types of Irony (with Examples) What Is Irony and How Should You Use it? Last updated: 04/18/2019Many of us probably know it when we see it, but few of us can articulate what irony really is - much less identify the different types. However, itââ¬â¢s important for writers to understand this literary technique, as it can really add depth to your story - so long as youââ¬â¢re not using it in a hackneyed or incorrect way (like the much-debated Alanis Morissette song).In this article, we will define and analyze the various types of irony and how to use them in your writing. These types include dramatic, situational, and verbal irony, along with their offshoots and related terms. Weââ¬â¢ll also give examples of each type in literature, films, and other media. Finally, weââ¬â¢ll debunk the concept of "rain on your wedding dayâ⬠à - which might be inconvenient but certainly isnââ¬â¢t ironic. The 3 different types of irony how to use them What is irony?Irony is a storytelling tool used to create a contrast between how things seem and how they really are beneath the surface. The term comes from the Latin word ironia, which means ââ¬Å"feigned ignorance.â⬠The three main types used in literature are dramatic, situational, and verbal, as mentioned above.People often conflate irony with sarcasm, coincidence, or bad luck. While these concepts can have ironic characteristics, theyââ¬â¢re not interchangeable with irony.So for example, if you run to catch the bus and miss it by two seconds, thatââ¬â¢s not ironic - unless the reason youââ¬â¢re late is because you were bragging about how you wouldnââ¬â¢t miss the bus. This creates an unexpected and comic contrast to what would otherwise just be an unfortunate situation. More on that later. The stages of dramatic ironyNow that you have a solid handle on what it is, letââ¬â¢s break down the three stages of dramatic irony.à Weââ¬â¢ll use another Shakespearean example, this time from Baz Luhrmannââ¬â¢s Romeo + Juliet (which has an ever-so-slightly different ending from the original play), to illustrate these stages.Stage 1. Installation: the information is presented to the audience, but withheld from the characters. Toward the end of the movie, Juliet fakes her own death to get out of marrying Paris. She sends a message detailing her plans to Romeo, but he never receives it - so the audience knows Juliet isnââ¬â¢t really dead, but Romeo does not.Stage 2. Exploitation: the author uses this imbalance to heighten curiosity and tension. Romeo finds out about Julietââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"deathâ⬠and buys poison in order to join her in the afterlife. The audience doesnââ¬â¢t yet know whether he will go through with it, however, and they're filled with anguished curiosity.Stage 3. Resolution: the characters find out the truth. In the Baz Luhrmann version, Romeo drinks the poison by Julietââ¬â¢s side, but she awakens from her deep slumber just before he dies. Hence he does, eventually, find out the truth that she was never really dead - but of course, heââ¬â¢s already consumed the poison, which means all they have time for is one final kiss.In this case, the dramatic irony is also tragic irony; the characters in Romeo + Juliet find out the truth just moments too late to stop something horrible from happening. Heartbreaking, no? ðŸââHow else is dramatic irony used?To induce feelings of fear or suspenseAlfred Hitchcock succinctly explains dramatic irony by describing two scenes:In the first, four people are sitting at a table, having a conversation, when a bomb explodes.In the second, we witness an anarchist enter the room, place a bomb under the table, and set it to explode at 1pm. Moments later, we watch as four people sit at th at table and begin a conversation. There is a clock on the wall that reads 12:45pm.In the first scene, we experience momentary surprise. In the second scene, an innocuous conversation becomes charged with prolonged suspense - dramatic irony.For some truly impressive suspense-building, check out this list of the 50 best suspense books of all time.To stir up sympathy for a characterIn the movie Ten Things I Hate About You, high school senior Kat is cold and reserved. After Patrick agrees to woo Kat in exchange for payment from a fellow classmate (who wants to date her sister), we see her warm to him. However, even as they fall for each other, we know that the truth about Patrickââ¬â¢s initial interest in Kat will inevitably come out - consequently, we feel sympathy for her as the reveal draws closer.To create comical situationsIn the season eight finale ofà Friends, Joey picks up Rossââ¬â¢s coat and a ring tumbles out - a ring intended for Ross to propose to Rachel. When Jo ey kneels down to pick it up, Rachel assumes he is proposingâ⬠¦ and accepts.Hilarity ensues as misunderstanding and miscommunication take the day. But of course, ignorance can only remain bliss for so long. Once exploitation is underway, resolution must follow soon after. A character who remains oblivious for too long can start to seem unrealistic to readers, and tension turns to frustration; always keep this in mind when using dramatic irony in a story. Dramatic irony: when readers know something the characters donââ¬â¢t Ã°Å¸Ë ² 2. Situational ironyWhen the truth contradicts an expected outcome, it'sà situational irony - also known as ââ¬Å"the irony of events.â⬠Again, just to clarify, irony is not the same as "coincidence" and "bad luck." If you buy a new car and then accidentally drive it into a tree, that is both coincidence and bad luck. However, if a professional stunt driver crashes into a tree on their way home from receiving a ââ¬Å"best driverâ⬠award, that is situationally ironic.Example of situational irony: Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsThroughout the seventh book of the Harry Potter series, readers follow Harry on his quest to find and destroy Voldemortââ¬â¢s six Horcruxes. At the end of the novel, we find out that there is a seventh Horcrux, so to speakà - and it's Harry himself.This unexpected twist also comes with the ironic realization that in order for Voldemort to die, Harry must sacrifice himself. So he willingly goes to meet Voldemort - and his own death. But when Voldemort uses the killing curse on Harry, it has the opposite of his desired effect. Harry lives while the Horcrux dies, bringing Voldemort that much closer to his greatest fear: mortality.In this way, Harry being a Horcrux is actually a double case of situational irony. Harry believes he must die in order to vanquish his enemy, whereas Voldemort thinks he is killing Harry, but heââ¬â¢s actually killing himself. Mind = blown, right?How to Write Dialogue: 10 Simple Rules (Plus 5 Mistakes to Avoid!) Read post This does rely on well-planned timing and context, however. A character needs to be properly developed, and the tone of a scene needs to be precisely conveyed, in order for dialogue to come across as ironic. Otherwise, there's a danger that the characterââ¬â¢s statement may go over the readerââ¬â¢s head or be taken literally.For comic reliefOf course, sometimes writers use verbal irony simply to be funny. Whether itââ¬â¢s to highlight a sarcastic character (see: Chandler Bing) or to lighten tension during a dark or difficult scene, verbal irony typically does a very good job of providing comic relief.Final takeawaysHopefully you now understand the general purpose of irony: to create a contrast between appearances and underlying truths. When done properly, this can rather significantly alter a readerââ¬â¢s interaction with, expectations of, and insight into a novel. Indeed, irony is a hallmark of some of the most interesting and sophisticated writing in this day and age.Re member to use it with care, however, as it requires people to read between the lines. Irony can add a lot to the reading experience, but shouldnââ¬â¢t throw us so far off course that we canââ¬â¢t find our way to the truth. With that in mind, go forth and be ironic! (In your story, we mean.)Whatââ¬â¢s your favorite example of irony? Let us know in the comments!
Monday, October 21, 2019
Biography of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England
Biography of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England Elizabeth Woodville (1437ââ¬âJune 7 or 8, 1492, and known variously as Lady Grey, Elizabeth Grey, and Elizabeth Wydevill) was the commoner wife of Edward IV, who had a keyà role in the War of the Roses and in the succession battle between the Plantagenets and Tudors. She is best known today as a character in Shakespearesà Richard IIIà (as Queen Elizabeth) and the title character in the 2013 television seriesà The White Queen. Fast Facts: Elizabeth Woodville Known For: A commoner who was destined to become wife of Edward IV, mother of Edward V, sister-in-law of Richard III, mother-in-law of Henry VII and grandmother of Henry VIIIBorn: About 1837 in Grafton, rural NorthamptonshireParents: Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford and Sir Richard WoodvilleDied: June 7 or 8, 1492.Spouse(s): Sir John Grey (ca. 1450ââ¬â1461); Edward IV (1464ââ¬â1483)Children: Two with John Grey (Thomas Grey (Marquess of Dorset) and Richard Grey) and 10 with Edward IV (Elizabeth of York who married Henry VII; Mary; Cecily; Edward V; Margaret; Richard; Anne who married Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey); George; Catherine who married William Courtney, Earl of Devon; and Bridget. The two princes in the tower were Richard and Edward V Early Life Elizabeth Woodville was probably born at Grafton in rural Northamptonshire, England, about 1437, the eldest of the 12 children of Richard Woodville and Jacquetta de Luxembourg. Elizabeths mother Jacquetta was the daughter of a Countà and a descendant of Simon de Montfort and his wife Eleanor, the daughter of Englands King John. Jacquetta was the wealthy and childless widow of the Duke of Bedford, brother of Henry V, when she married Sir Richard Woodville. Her sister-in-law Catherine of Valois also married a man of lower station after she was widowed. Two generations later,à Catherines grandson Henry Tudor married Jacquettas granddaughter, Elizabeth of York. Jacquettas second husband and Elizabeths father was the less highborn county knight Sir Richard Woodville. At the age of 7, Elizabeth was sent to another landed household (a custom of the period was to trade children so that they would have social contacts in the future), probably Sir Edward Grey and his wife Elizabeth, Lady Ferrers. There, she had formal lessons in reading, writing (in English, French, and Latin), and a grounding in law and mathematics. The Woodville family was wealthy when Elizabeth was born, but as the Hundred Years War wound down and the Wars of the Roses conflict began, the familys finances became straitened, and as a result, Elizabeth married John Grey (7th Baron Ferrers of Groby) in 1452 when she was about 14 years of age. The recently knighted Grey was killed at the Second Battle of St. Albans in 1461, fighting for the Lancastrian side in the Wars of the Roses. Elizabeth petitioned Lord Hastings, Edwards uncle, in a controversy over land with her mother-in-law. She arranged a marriage between one of her sons and one of Hastings daughters. Ancestry Eleanor of Aquitaine, mother of King John of England, was the 8th great grandmother of Elizabeth Woodville through her mother Jacquetta.à Her husband Edward IV and son-in-law Henry VII were, of course, also descendants of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Elizabeth Woodville à Jacquetta of Luxembourgà Margherita del Balzo Sueva Orsini Nicola Orsini Roberto Orsini Anastasia de Montfort Guy de Montfort Eleanor Plantagenet John of England Eleanor of Aquitaine Meeting and Marriage with Edward IV How Elizabeth met Edward is not known for certain, though an early legend has her petitioning him by waiting with her sons beneath an oak tree. Another story circulated that she was a sorceress who bewitched him, but she may have simply known him from court. Legend has her giving Edward, a known womanizer, an ultimatum that they had to be married or she would not submit to his advances. On May 1, 1464, Elizabeth and Edward married secretly. Edwards mother, Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, and Cecilys nephew, the Earl of Warwick who had been an ally of Edward IV in winning the crown, had been arranging a suitable marriage for Edward with the French king. When Warwick found out about Edwards marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, Warwick turned against Edward and helped restore Henry VI briefly to power. Warwick was killed in battle as were Henry and his son, and Edward returned to power. Elizabeth Woodville was crowned Queen in Westminster Abbey on May 26, 1465; both of her parents were present for the ceremony. Elizabeth and Edward had three sons and six daughters- Elizabeth of York who married Henry VII; Mary; Cecily; Edward V, briefly King of England (not crowned); Margaret; Richard, Duke of York; Anne who married Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey; George, Duke of Bedford; Catherine who married William Courtney, Earl of Devon; and Bridget. Elizabeth also had two sons by her first husband- Thomas Grey, the Marquis of Dorset and Richard Grey. One was an ancestor of the ill-fated Lady Jane Grey. Family Ambitions Her extensive and, by all accounts, ambitious family was favored heavily after Edward took the throne. Her eldest son from her first marriage, Thomas Grey, was created Marquis Dorset in 1475. Elizabeth promoted the fortunes and advancement of her relatives, even at the cost of her popularity with the nobles. In one of the most scandalous incidents, Elizabeth may have been behind the marriage of her brother, 19 years old, to the widowedà Katherine Neville,à the wealthy Duchess of Norfolk, 80 years old. But the grasping reputation was enhanced- or created- firstà by Warwick in 1469 and later by Richard III, who had theirà own reasons for wanting Elizabeths and her familys reputations to be diminished. Among her other activities, Elizabeth continued her predecessors support of Queens College. Widowhood When Edward IV died suddenly on April 9, 1483, Elizabeths fortunes abruptly changed. Her husbands brother Richard of Gloucester was appointed Lord Protector since Edwards eldest son Edward Và was a minor. Richard moved quickly to seize power, claiming- apparently with the support of his mother Cecily Neville- that the children of Elizabeth and Edward were illegitimate because Edward had been previously formally betrothed to someone else. Elizabeths brother-in-law Richard took the throne as Richard III, imprisoning Edward V (never crowned) and then his younger brother, Richard. Elizabeth took sanctuary. Richard III then demanded that Elizabeth also turn over custody of her daughters, and she complied. Richard attempted to marry first his son, then himself, to Edward and Elizabeths oldest daughter, known as Elizabeth of York, hoping to make his claim to the throne more solid. Elizabeths sons by John Grey joined in the battle to overthrow Richard. One son, Richard Grey,à was beheaded by King Richardsà forces; Thomas joined Henry Tudors forces. Mother of a Queen After Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at Bosworth Field and was crowned Henry VII, he married Elizabeth of York- a marriage arranged with the support of Elizabeth Woodville and also of Henrys mother, Margaret Beaufort. The marriage took place in January 1486, uniting the factions at the end of the Wars of the Rosesà and making the claim to the throne more certain for the heirs of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Princes in the Tower The fate of the two sons of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV, the Princes in the Tower, is not certain. That Richard imprisoned them in the Tower is known. That Elizabeth worked to arrange the marriage of her daughter to Henry Tudor may mean that she knew, or at least suspected, that the princes were already dead. Richard III is generally believed to have been responsible for removing the possible claimants to the throne, but some theorize that Henry VII was responsible. Some have even suggested Elizabeth Woodville was complicit. Henry VII re-proclaimed the legitimacy of the marriage of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. Elizabeth was the godmother of the first child of Henry VII and her daughter Elizabeth, Arthur. Death and Legacy In 1487, Elizabeth Woodville was suspected of plotting against Henry VII, her son-in-law, and her dowry was seized and she was sent to Bermondsey Abbey. She died there on June 8 or 9, 1492. She was buried in St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle near her husband. In 1503, James Tyrell was executed for the deaths of the two princes, sons of Edward IV, and the claim was that Richard III was responsible. Some later historians have pointed their fingers at Henry VI instead. The truth is that there is not any sure evidence of when, where, or by what hands the princes died. In Fiction Elizabeth Woodvilles life has lent itself to many fictional depictions, though not often as the main character.à She is, however, the main character in the British series, The White Queen. Elizabeth Woodville is Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeares Richard III. She and Richard are depicted as bitter enemies, andà Margaretà curses Elizabeth with having her husband and children killed, as Margarets husband and son were killed by Elizabeths husbands supporters. Richard is able to charm Elizabeth into turning over her son and agreeing to his marriage to her daughter. Sources Baldwin, David. Elizabeth Woodville: Mother of the Princes in the Tower. Gloucestershire: The History Press (2002).à Print.Okerlund, Arlene N. Elizabeth of York: Queenship and Power. New York: Palgrave Macmillan (2009). Print.
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