sredniowiecze: William II of England

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

William II (Anglo-Norman: Williame; c. 1057 – 2 August 1100) was King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Normandy and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending his control into Wales. The third son of William the Conqueror, he is commonly referred to as William Rufus (Rufus being Latin for 'the Red'), perhaps because of his ruddy appearance or, more likely, because he had red hair. William was a figure of complex temperament, capable of both bellicosity and flamboyance. He did not marry or have children, which – along with contemporary accounts – has led some historians to speculate on his sexuality. He died after being hit by an arr…

Evidence: 71 • authority: 72

The sexuality of English playwright William Shakespeare has been the subject of debate. It is known from public records that he married Anne Hathaway and had three children with her; scholars have examined their relationship through documents, and particularly through the bequests to her in his will. Some historians have speculated Shakespeare had affairs with other women, based on contemporaries' written anecdotes of such affairs and sometimes on the "Dark Lady" figure in his sonnets. Some scholars have argued he was bisexual, based on analysis of the sonnets; many, including Sonnet 18, are love poems addressed to a man (the "Fair Youth"), and contain puns relating to homosexuality. Howeve…

Evidence: 69 • authority: 72

Evidence: 60 • authority: 72

Evidence: 55 • authority: 72

Most modern scholars agree that Prussian King Frederick the Great (1712–1786) was primarily homosexual. However, the nature of his actual relationships remains a source of speculation. For instance, there is no consensus on the actual number of Frederick's male lovers. Some researchers believe that he may have only lived out his same-sex love platonically. This latter point is contradicted by some statements by the king himself and by his contemporaries, Voltaire and Casanova. Though he had an arranged marriage, Frederick produced no children and was succeeded by his nephew. His favoured courtiers were exclusively male, and his art collection celebrated homoeroticism. Persistent rumours con…

Evidence: 54 • authority: 88

Marriage, Sexuality, and Marginality. Abstract Popular attitudes toward the practice of prostitution and other variations on feminine sexuality were not necessarily the same as the attitudes inscribed in the law. Those who made and enforced the law enshrined their views in the records, where they are much easier to discover than the views of prostitutes themselves and those among whom they lived. Even though the law of church and state treated their profession as a crime and a sin, individual prostitutes may not have felt degraded but may simply have felt that they were earning a living as best they could. Still, it would not be fair to assume that to the prostitutes and those around them,…

Evidence: 48 • authority: 72

Evidence: 48 • authority: 72

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Evidence: 41 • authority: 88

William of Newburgh. This chapter looks at the work of William of Newburgh, one of the most highly acclaimed of medieval English historians. William’s work has been praised for its critical approach to historical evidence, and noted for its reflective nature, so that it has often been seen as a commentary on recent events. Here the character of his interpretive approach is examined, focusing on his ideas of historical causation. Also addressed here is the question of the edificatory nature of William’s work, and of contemporary historiography in general. It is argued that, while William was certainly aware of the moral lessons that history taught, his first task was to use the moral lessons…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 72

William III and II (William Henry; Dutch: Willem Hendrik; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1672, and King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689 until his death in 1702. He ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland with his wife, Queen Mary II, until her death in 1694; their joint reign is known as that of William and Mary. William was the only child of William II, Prince of Orange, and Mary, Princess Royal, the daughter of King Charles I of England, Scotland, and Ireland. His father died before his birth, making Willia…