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the death of Becket Medieval Realms
 
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detailSource 1: What was Henry II like?
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Henry II, king of England, was a man of reddish, freckled complexion with a large round head, grey eyes which glowed fiercely and became bloodshot in anger, a fiery expression and a harsh, cracked voice.

Except when he was worried or angry he was a clever speaker and, what is remarkable for these days, competent in letters.

He made friends easily and was second to none in politeness, no matter what thoughts he might keep to himself;

He was fierce towards those who remained to challenge him, but merciful to the defeated, harsh to his servants, welcoming towards strangers, generous in public, thrifty in private. Those whom he had once hated he never came to love, but those whom he had once loved he scarcely ever called to mind with hatred.

He was delighted by birds of prey, especially when in flight, and by hounds pursuing wild beasts using their keen sense of smell, both for their resonant and harmonious calls and for their swift running. It was a pity thet he never paid as much attention to his prayers as he did to the chase!
Henry II from Matthew Paris, Historia Anglorum

Examine the key parts of this document

 
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Source details
This is an extract from Expugnatio Hibernica (The Conquest of Scotland) written by Gerald of Wales, a monk who travelled with Henry.
Context
This description of Henry was written by a contemporary, Gerald of Wales, who knew him well. Gerald's description of Henry's impatience matches up with other writers.
Puzzled?
To make the best use of this source you need to think about what it says about Henry and whether this description fits with other sources. You also need to think about whether it is a strong source. For example, do you get the impression that this is a complete picture of Henry's character of has the writer simply selected good or bad aspects?

 

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