Royal Propaganda

Course Description

In this six week course we will explore some of the many images, symbols and stories that have been used by kings and queens to consolidate their power. Throughout the course students will be encouraged to participate in discussions about power, political authority, and accountability. We will look first at ancient Mesopotamia. We will read together translations of royal proclamations and look at the ways in which these documents outline how the king has fulfilled the different roles expected of a king. We may touch very briefly on comparisons with ancient Egypt and with examples of how the ancient Israelites understood kingship. After looking at the ancient world, I want to move us forward into late medieval and early modern images of kingship. We will look at photos of paintings and stained glass windows, to see the ideas they promoted about specific kings and queens. Stories of King Arthur will likely pop up through-out the course as different kings attempted to use his story to support their own rule. We will also talk about the role and symbolism of the monarchy in Canada. In Canada the symbolism of the monarchy was not used to promote the power of the monarch but to strengthen connections between countries and to help strengthen the Canadian federal government.