Institute for Medieval Studies

Session	1304
Title	The Rhetoric of Authority in Late Medieval England
Date/Time	Wednesday 6 July 2022: 16.30-18.00
Organiser	Claudia Minett, Department of History, University of Nottingham
Moderator/Chair	Jennifer Caddick, Department of History, University of Nottingham
Paper 1304-a	Language and the Political Priorities of Henry VII of England, 1485-1509 (Language: English) Rebecca Wheddon, Department of History, University of Nottingham Index Terms: Political Thought; Politics and Diplomacy; Rhetoric
Paper 1304-b	The Opening of Parliament: The Chancellor and the Language of Unity in the 15th Centruy (Language: English) Claudia Minett, Department of History, University of Nottingham Index Terms: Political Thought; Politics and Diplomacy; Rhetoric
Abstract	The focus of this session is how language was used in contemporary textual sources in both local and national contexts to underscore and define authority in the later medieval period. From the national stage of parliament to civic records, the language employed by communities, servants of the crown, and the crown itself reflected the concerns and priorities of these disparate parties against the backdrop of political turmoil. Paper A will examine the language used by Henry VII to identify the central themes and concepts present in his rhetoric, demonstrating the political priorities and focus of his government. Paper B will explore how the themes of the sermons of 15th-century parliaments fostered unity and underscored the king's will in a period of political turmoil.