Documentary Image of the Black Death Essay Example
Documentary Image of the Black Death Essay Example

Documentary Image of the Black Death Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (562 words)
  • Published: May 5, 2022
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The video on the black death was an interesting take on the plague that wiped out half of Europe. The sections about individuals made for a much more personal and candid look at the plague than a narrator talking about Europe as a whole. The historical reenactments of the time period gave me a greater understanding of the setting because I could see the worn down streets and hopeless faces of the masses. The last thing that stood out to me was excerpted from writing at the time because it immersed me in the time period so much more.

The documentary was focused around three individuals in different parts of Europe during the plague. We learned about an Italian doctor and apothecary who risked his life to ease the suffering of his patients while most doctors focused solely o

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n healing the soul, a British peasant who lost all of her male relatives, inheriting large amounts of land, but having nobody to work it, and a monk who exposed himself to the plague and was lost to history. The doctor was unique at the time, in that he was completely secular in his medicine. Almost all other healers at the time strongly believed religion to be the only cure of physical sickness, and spent their efforts healing the soul in hopes that God would end his punishment. As you can imagine, this was not very effective.

This video also tells the story of a peasant farmer, whose father and brothers all perished from the great pestilence. Her struggle is highlighted as she loses almost all her family, but also inherits land she cannot upkeep. With the population bein

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so low, laborers are not as inexpensive, leaving her with dozens of acres of land, but nobody to work it. The last story is of a Catholic monk that risks his life to comfort those dying of the plague and their families. During the plague, the church has lost much of its power, and the monk is assaulted. This still does not stop him from following his mission. In doing so, he is exposed to the plague for extended periods of time, and it is unknown if he survived.

The reenactments bring the world of 14th century Europe to life in a way that spoken words never could. All of the subtle things, such as the clothing, dialect, and mannerisms make the video much more immersive and absorbing. In the sections with the doctor, seeing the patients covered in boils, screaming, and writhing in pain truly convey the horrors of the black death and living in the 14th century. In the sections with the peasants, I understood much more about their quality of life and living situation as I could see their homes and their work.

The excerpts of writing were very interesting as they provided a perspective of the black death at the time  was happening. I enjoyed learning how the people felt about the plague and what they thought caused it from the people themselves.

This documentary was an interesting and engaging way to learn about the black death. Through the stories of a secular doctor that defied conventions, a monk facing hardship when the church lost power, or a peasant inheriting more land than she knew what to do with, I found a new perspective

of the epidemic and my understanding increased.

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