By group 6 Billy Jacob Tyson

PART FROM HISTORICAL INFORMATION  “The plaque, or Black Death as it later came to be known, swept through Asia and Europe at the time when scientific knowledge was outranked by superstition. Many people thought the world was coming to an end.  The swiftness of the disease contributed to its horror. The bubonic form, whit its painful boils and dark blotches on the skin, was the slower killer, often making victims suffer in terrible agony for days before killing them. The pneumonic form, which affects the lungs, killed in a day. There are many cases of people going to bed completely healthy then dead in the morning by the plague. Although physicians of the time didn’t know it, the cause of the plaque was the common black rat, with the Latin name rattus rattus. The infected rats came to Europe in merchant ships from Asia. Fleas bit the rats, the bit humans, and thus the plaque was spread.”

information  Population impact: The Black Plague destroyed one quarter of the European population and is called one of the most deadly diseases in history. Between 1348 and 1351, more than one million men, women, and children died in England. The plague has caused a decline in society in terms of the number of deaths and the economic loss in the world.  People started to take advantage of peoples suffering and the world became full of bad people. The older people influence the younger like the prior made the Micah sing for tributes. “I saw Micah’s eyes grow wide when he ran his fingers through the coins”  Many people thought the world was coming to an end and just gave up. Some people punished themselves hoping for forgiveness from God. Priest and nuns said it was the work of god punishing us. People tried to find cures but were punished for going against god.  Prices of food dropped incredibly low, threatening the money of the nobles, whose money was based on land. At the same time, because of the deaths of so many people, wages rose. And rents were no longer paid

Quotes  “You just wish you had special powers, like me” said Micah  “Get out of the cart” Micah said giving me a shove.  “If we take these gifts we are no better than the scoundrels selling charms and oils” brother marc said. “I think we should stop now and go back to the abbey.” “We are under holy obedience, brother” “to give obedience to something wrong is an even greater wrong”  “I thought people would have been tired of plague cures but they were hungrier than ever”  “Still they kept there up there chanting: Micah! Micah! They didn’t leave us though, some went home but some kept chanting, Micah! Micah!”

Quotes  “I saw Micah’s eyes grow wide when he ran his fingers through the coins”  “How much trouble can a small boy be?”  “The rich will die along with the poor! Long live the plague”  “The love of money is the root of all evil”  “Truth can be a very flexible commodity”  “How much trouble can a small boy be?

Effect on prior In the last couple of chapters the prior starts to take advantage of the people with and surrounded by the plague he does this by using the “company of fools” to take gold from the people and saying it will help them with the plague. Quotes about/from/including prior: “If we take these gifts we are no better than the scoundrels selling charms and oils” brother marc said. “I think we should stop now and go back to the abbey.” “We are under holy obedience, brother” “to give obedience to something wrong is an even greater wrong” “Truth can be a very flexible commodity” “The love of money is the root of all evil”

Effect on Micah Micah was not really influenced by the plague, but by someone who was corrupted by greed, the prior. The prior kept giving Micah false belief for his own benefit. But after the influence of the prior he started to put the money before everyone else. Quotes from Micah's change: “I saw Micah’s eyes grow wide when he ran his fingers through the coins” “You just wish you had special powers, like me” said Micah “Get out of the cart” Micah said giving me a shove.

Effect on Henri Henri was more of the observer of the plague, for he didn’t seem to change but he tried to stop people from changing, and tries to help, but still doesn’t help. In the end the people Henri was trying to help ended up saving them selves from their own corruption. Quotes from Henri: “I thought people would have been tired of plague cures but they were hungrier than ever” “Still they kept there up there chanting: Micah! Micah! They didn’t leave us though, some went home but some kept chanting, Micah! Micah!”

Effect on civilians The people on the book were very desperate throughout the book but when the company of fools goes to Paris you can see the desperation for salvation to its fullest, not to mention the priors manipulation over them. Though in some instances you can see the people taking the situation into their own hands but these moments are few, because of the plagues limiting leash on all people. Quotes: “Still they kept there up there chanting: Micah! Micah! They didn’t leave us though, some went home but some kept chanting, Micah! Micah!” “I thought people would have been tired of plague cures but they were hungrier than ever” “The rich will die along with the poor! Long live the plague”