Froissart: Gobbet 3

Question 1

What does 1st sentence of horse and fairly rich suggest?

Answer 1

Suggests the unpredictability and direct impacts of war on soldiers.

Question 2

Who is the interviewee according to Froissart and who was he?

Answer 2

Bascot de Mauléon = squire, experienced soldier, Froissart interviewed him during Christmas festivity at Orthez

Question 3

What does the listing of castles suggest?

Answer 3

listing castles = suggests the endeavours in which soldiers experienced during Hundred Years War

Question 4

How is castle of Mauvezin important?

Answer 4

During Hundred Years War castle of Mauvezin occupied by English in Gascony and French attempt seize control of this region.

Question 5

What does “yielded us with great gains” suggest?

Answer 5

suggests the difficulties of fighting in battle

Question 6

Who was the Duke of Anjou?

Answer 6

King of France, Charles V’s brother

He attempted to seize the castles occupied by the English.

Question 7

How significant is “but I remained a loyal Englishman”?

Answer 7

Almost as if bragging about his devotion and loyalty to the English. - suggests broader ideas of ethos of chivalry within this society

Question 8

Which historian questioned the existence of Bascot de Mauléon and why/impact?

How does this impact the ability for historians to utilise Froissart’s chronicles?

Answer 8

Historian, Kenneth Fowler, suggested that Bascot de Mauléon was a figment of Froissart’s imagination to provoke a compelling story. Other historians suggested in support of this that Froissart’s account here was a forgery by examining other testimonies.

= less reliable for historians as Froissart immersed in chivalric/warfare images and tales - especially from this Book 3 onwards