In modo guerrino: change and continuity in English elite conceptions of violence, 1450-1560

Thesis

Debates over the issue of violence in late medieval and early modern England tend to focus on ways that the legal system and institutions attempted to control it, or on the influence of wider political or economic forces that generated violence and criminality. This overlooks, or minimises, the cultural and social meaning of violence, particularly as it was performed by members of the social elite. This thesis re-evaluates the meaning of violence for socially elite performers of violence, their victims, and their audiences through a survey of case studies drawn from the records of the central Court of King's Bench and other sources. Using research drawn from criminology, anthropology, and sociology, meaning is found in the performances of violence and their contexts. This method contrasts with previous attempts at studying violence quantitatively or through the lens of the civilizing process.

Violence is a form of communication and the way violence is performed communicates meaning and intent. This survey of cases shows how much these performances were influenced by the deeply ingrained values of martial culture and right-violence amongst socially elite performers. As the value and meaning of martial culture changed, so too did the ways in which those elites chose to perform violence. This thesis tracks some of those changes from the militarised, public, and communal performances of the last half of the fifteenth century towards the less militarised, more private and individualistic performances of violence in the first half of the sixteenth century, foreshadowing the duelling craze that followed.

Authors: Geldof, M

• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford