The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings, where Duke William defeated King Harold. It is generally believed that the Bayeux Tapestry...Show moreThe Bayeux Tapestry depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings, where Duke William defeated King Harold. It is generally believed that the Bayeux Tapestry provides a biased account of the Conquest and has a pro-Norman view. This thesis will demonstrate how, despite the fact that the Tapestry is commissioned by a Norman patron, the Tapestry reveals a sympathetic attitude towards Harold, and that this is probably the influence of the English embroiderers. The Tapestry provides, in comparison with Norman, Anglo-Norman and English written sources, an unbiased account of the Conquest: neither pro-Norman nor pro-English. The influence of a Norman patron and English embroiderers is illustrated through certain scenes of Harold and William and the relationship between the main narrative and the commentary in the borders of the Tapestry.Show less
