SS Component

The Jester's Revolt

Historical Connections

We chose Historical Connections because our animation is based on English feudalism in the 15th century.

15th-century Europe was organized under the system of feudalism. The basic principle behind feudalism is that citizens could only have fief, or land and rights, if they serve the nobles, who own the land. European feudalism gives all land ownership to the king, who grants fief to lower classes, who can then grant fief to even lower classes, and so on until you reach peasants. An important part of European feudalism is that it was commonly thought that kings were chosen by God to rule, which gives kings almost tyrannical powers. Although the system may seem fair, the lower levels usually had to work several hours to earn the smallest bit of food.

With this system in place, it would make sense for people to try and change it, which is exactly what some people did in the year 1215. Unliked by the public, King John had the country of England go back to war with France, losing several territories in the process. His reputation was tarnished, and his money was depleted, so he attempted to heavily tax the barons. The barons came together to protest his decision, which lead to a civil war, forcing John to accept the baron's terms through the Magna Carta. Unfortunately, the civil war didn't end there, and England continued to have tyrannical leaders for centuries after.

Jesters were also forces for change in the age of feudalism. They were loyal companions to the royalty, so trusted that they were given the ability to speak freely about anything and everything, even the flaws of the royalty. The jesters of Henry the 8th were known to have extensively used this power. A jester named Will Sommers was allowed to advise the king on major problems with the government, such as its extravagance and the people who've taken advantage of it. These jesters even played a part in court, keeping things straight to the point and humorous, which were highly valued in their period. Though they were thought to be holders of the truth, they still were thought of as unintelligent, so they weren't always trusted.