Eleanor and the Second Crusade free essay sample

An examination of the experiences of Eleanor of Aquitaine during the second crusade. The paper examines the events experienced by Eleanor of Aquitaine and her first husband Louis while on route to Jerusalem during the Second Crusade. Although Louis would be viewed favorably for his efforts, Eleanor would be plagued for the rest of her life with rumors of impropriety and incest. Pernoud records the couples stay at Antioch in much the same way as Seward. However, Pernoud seems to give more credence to the possibility that an unnatural closeness may have existed between Eleanor and her Uncle. If we adhere to historical fact, it seems unquestionable that Eleanor acquired a bad reputation at Antioch.(Pernoud,72) He states that the charge of incest was leveled by the chronicler, William of Tyr, who cannot be dismissed lightly (Pernoud,72) Despite this assertion, Pernoud also insinuates that Eleanors reputation may have been the result of her open disputes and disagreements with her husband Louis while displaying complete agreement with her Uncle. We will write a custom essay sample on Eleanor and the Second Crusade or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Seward does not mention William of Tyr by name, his account states that the only chronicler to make this allegation wrote of them forty-years later. Seward also relays that contemporary authorities have found no evidence to conclude the possibility of incestuous behavior on behalf of Eleanor or her Uncle.