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Status means rank or position. Power means the ability to act effectively. Usually
we assume that the higher one’s status, the more power one has. Who had the highest status in the feudal hierarchy
of obligations? ________________________
Complete the exercise below in small groups in order to examine power, status, and
the role of the king, or monarch, in the Middle Ages.
Below is a diagram of a fictional medieval kingdom ruled by King R.
LORD X's Fief:
LORD Y's Fief:
LORD Z's Fief:
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A
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King R's Estate:
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B
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C
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D
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E
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I
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II
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III
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<-------------------------------------------- 1000 miles --------------------------------------->
SITUATION:
1. King R is king of the whole country.
2. Lords X, Y, and Z have fiefs from King R; they are his vassals.
3. Lords A, B, C, D, and E have fiefs from Lord X; they are his vassals.
4. Lords I, II, and III have fiefs from Lord E; they are his vassals.
5. Lords I, II, and III each have three knights, their vassals.
QUESTIONS:
1. If Lord I fought Lord II, whose knights would be fighting? _______________________________________
2. If Lord E felt he had been wronged by Lord I, whose knights might be fighting each other?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. In a contest between Lord E and Lords I, II, and III (together), who would win? ______________________
4. If King R wanted to punish Lord Z, where would he get the knights I his army)
to fight? _______________
5. What gives someone power in the feudal system? ____________________________________________
6. Is King R really the most powerful person in the realm or do others have as much
power as he?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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