Was Henry I the perfect medieval king?

IB history examiners are looking for correct historical knowledge in an essay but, above all, they want you to show you can present and justify a good argument. There is often no 'right answer' in history: each historian presents their own viewpoint and justifies it with their evidence. Therefore, at the heart of your answer to this question should be the argument, backed up by strong examples to show why you're convinced you're right. In this case, the question can be divided into two smaller sub-questions: what makes the 'perfect' medieval king, and did Henry I fulfil those criteria? If you think that he did fulfil the criteria you see as fundamental to the perfect medieval king, and you can argue persuasively why this was the case, then that's a good essay.
The first part of your essay, either in the introduction or the first paragraph, should be given over to what you think were the criteria that made the 'perfect' medieval king. Military skill and prowess in both defending and expanding the realm was highly valued by society at the time, along with his ability to keep internal peace, and finally his legacy: did he ensure a safe succession? There may be other criteria you think are important to judge a medieval king: feel free to put them in! In the next part of the essay you can judge Henry I by these examples. He managed to unite the kingdom of England and the duchy of Normandy as his father William I held them, as well as negotiating with the Welsh lords to ensure a safe border - these are surely attributes in his favour. He also introduced significant legal reforms: another success. However, he failed to ensure a safe succession, thus on his death England was subjected to nineteen years of civil war as his daughter Matilda fought with his nephew Stephen for the crown. After you've judged Henry I against these criteria, it's up to you to decide: was Henry I the perfect medieval king? The conclusion is a place for this judgement and more: you can explore whether it is realistic to search for the 'perfect' medieval king at all. End with a strong decision, if you can, and shown clearly why you have come to this conclusion.