The Dragons of the Eras by Elizabeth

The Dragons of the Eras by Elizabeth - June 2018 Scholarship Essay

Our society is fascinated by the medieval world – specifically the world of western Europe. Countless fantasy books are set in that nearly mystical, otherworldly era, and it is the setting of favorite tales from childhood, including the legends of King Arthur and countless fairytales. There is something fascinating about that era of history that makes people cling to it. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy learning about the plague, wars, and the great gothic cathedrals still ruling over western Europe today? Okay, maybe it isn’t for everyone, but I immensely enjoyed the course I took about medieval history. I think everyone should be required to take a history, especially, a course on the Middle Ages because they have a lot to teach us about learning from the past, analyzing society, and looking toward the future.

Everyone has heard people talk about the importance of learning from history. It is overused, but it does hold truth – although perhaps not as much as people might think. I believe it is important to study history but has humanity ever truly learned from it? In every era, the same fundamental challenges humanity faces take on a new face, present themselves as different monsters, and humanity responds to them how it sees best that that time. Therefore, I believe one of the best things we can do is to analyze the society and mindset of the people who walked the long road of history before us. In my course, I learned a lot about the medieval people and what led them to think and react in the way they did and what eventually caused them to rise out of the ashes of what is now known as “The Dark Ages.” By understanding their way of looking at the world, we could learn how to defeat the great monsters of our time and those that will approach us in the future.

By studying the Middle Ages, which is often thought of as the darkest age for humanity, we can better understand our world today and prepare for the trials lying in our future. I chose to take this course, but I believe every student would benefit from it being a required class. The Middle Ages was a time full of chivalry and romance and starvation and wars – not unlike our world today. These two eras are both entirely different and entirely alike. The inhabitants of the great castles of the past can teach us how to wield our own swords to slay the dragons we face today.