A Tale Of Knights And Men : The Lays Of Marie De France And Rostam And Kavus

Personally, when thinking of the middle Ages, I tend to have the misconception that it is a period of darkness with no progress. However, R.W. Southern’s book, ‘The Making of the Middle Ages’, offers an in depth study of the development of history in the world today. Observing that this book was published during the 1950s, Mr. Southern’s interpretation of the ‘Middle Ages’ was very distinctive in comparison to other historians of his time. He explores the significance of the Middle Ages as a separate sector in the study of history by which the audience will notice that previous categories of studied history is set aside, as we are no longer focusing on the usual ‘Classical Greece’ and ‘Rome’

In an examination of the narrative titled The Knight’s Tale by Shakespeare and Fletcher, and the film A Knight’s tale, directed by Helgeland, it is clear that the novel has been changed to better suit modern purposes. Although, having been altered both the narrative and the film offers a clear description of gender plays a role in society and the extent that anachronism is used to relay meaning throughout the film. A clear demonstration of anachronism has been made in order to help suit the modern needs of the film.

There are some aspects found in almost all literary works written in the medieval times, some of which are influenced by everyday life, problems, religion, and politics. For example, the French invasion of England, known as the Norman Conquest, greatly influenced the language of the time. At first, England was ruled by the Anglo-Saxons, and used Old English in their literature, even though they did not write much. With the invasion of the French, Anglo-Saxon language was not considered appropriate, and so they introduce a new easier dialect, which came to be known as Middle English. This became the language they used to write, and the act of writing itself became more abundant. Moreover, the conquest resulted in an increasing tension between England and France. This tension is apparent in many works of the time, including “Le Morte d’Arthur”. For example, the depiction of Sir Launcelot as the greatest knight of all time in several romances. Also, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” has roots

1. Do you admire Palamon and Arcite for sacrificing everything, including their friendship, to pursue Emily? Or, like Theseus, do you think it's sort of stupid?

For my report, I chose to summarize how Brian Helgeland’s movie “A Knight’s Tale” (2001) draws its medieval themes and story from Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales: The Knight’s Tale”. Besides the nearly identical titles of these works and the moderately similar storyline, it can be further proven that “A Knight’s Tale” is an adaption of “The Knight’s Tale” because Geoffrey Chaucer appears as a character himself—and a vital one at that—in the movie. Furthermore, just to make certain that there is no mistake among the viewers about who they are dealing with, Geoffrey Chaucer (Paul Bettany) even refers to himself as a writer in the movie and points out his very first own work “The Book of the Duchess” in disbelief when some peasants don’t

Throughout the Lais of Marie de France there are several themes presented as central to the various stories. Some of these themes are present in all of the lais. One such example is that of courtly love and it's implications. Courtly love being one of the more prominent themes in all of medieval literature, it is fittingly manifested in all of the lais as well. Another theme present in two of the lais is isolation. The theme of isolation plays a large role in the stories of Guigemar and Lanval. In each of these lais we see isolation as a factor in determining the fates of the central figures. Within each lai isolation is represented on several different occasions, each time having a direct impact on the outcome. These instances of

Werewolves a very well-known fantasy creature, who have been depicted as vicious beasts who will turn on their best friends. In the lay “Bisclavret” the stereotypes of werewolves is no different. Marie de France redefines the werewolf in a very courageous tale of a man and his loyalty. Bisclavret was a very loyal man regardless being werewolf or not. This was shown in multiple scenarios, such as the interaction with his and wife and with the King. The O.E.D. defines loyalty as “Faithful adherence to one's promise, oath, word of honor” (def.1). Throughout the entire story Bisclavret is faithful to everyone he made an oath too. Others have to break

During the Medieval Era, their was not much to do for entertainment besides watch the tournaments that were held all over Western Civilizations. In modern times, many people know what jousting and sword fighting are but not like the way “A Knights Tale” show them. This movie was made in 2001 and was soon a crowd favorite. The modernization of a dark age era gave the audience entertainment through action, love and comedy. The tournaments were very exciting during this era, specifically the 14th century. This movie had many mixed reviews between historians and regular movie goers. There are a lot of great aspects of this movie but also many critiques historically. The movie is a portrayal of the Medieval games which helps a more modern audience

The tales of Marie de France, shed light on the romantic relationships and chivalry of this time period. This is very insightful for modern people to be able to read and understand the culture of that time. Knighthood and chivalry were respected by some, but many times they were disregarded for passion. Love and marriage are largely connected to physical attractiveness of the person and the passion involved. Marriage is not a very serious commitment and will be disregarded whenever another presents themselves as a more attractive lover. Religion is not huge in the stories but can be present when looking for a lover. Magic plays a part in the Yonec and Bisclavret stories, but is not largely present throughout.

When comparing the epic poem of The Song of Roland to the romantic literature of Ywain, the differences between the early medieval period and the high medieval period become evident. Both The Song of Roland and Ywain depicts the societies from which each story derives its fundamental characteristics. Through close observation, one is able to see the shifts in customs and mentality that make the move from the epic to the romance possible. In his chapter 'From Epic to Romance', R.W. Southern shows how this transformation manifests itself through changing ecclesiastical and secular thoughts and feelings.

This work includes three stories. Mirage tells a love story in a violent environment. A French officer who obeys an uncertain chain of command in North Africa is ordered to report on the fate of a group of refugees fleeing ethnic cleansing carried out by the Tuaregs in Mali. The expected relief from world powers gets diluted in a web of strategic interests, leaving the refugees homeless. In this environment love, disappointment and rebellion are born. The Girl and the Knight takes place in 1242 in the steppes of Russia. A Teutonic Knight flees from his Slavs pursuers and finds shelter in a Mongolian nomad camp. There he joins a Tartar girl, but the Russians determined to expel all invaders from their land will not give them respite. Oasis of

Romanesque art got its name from art historians to describe medieval art that appeared “Roman-like”. Today, it is a term that classifies the history and culture of Western Europe from 11th to 12th century. This type of art is known for its religious imagery, style of architecture, and sculptures that were heavily influenced by Christianity. One of the most famous pieces of Romanesque art that emerged from this era was the Bayeux Tapestry. Although Romanesque art is mainly religious, the tapestry is not about a Christian figure, but a pictorial narrative that depicts in full detail the events that lead to the Norman conquest of England. “It presents a rich representation of a particular historic moment as well as providing an important visual source for eleventh-century textiles that have not survived into the twenty-first century” (khan). The Bayeux Tapestry is an artistic masterpiece that provides us with both historical and artistic information about Medieval England.

Chretien de Troyes is known as the late 12th century poet who influenced every aspect of modern novel. Chretien’s work style is mainly based on medieval times and his novels can also be considered as “romance novels” and in fact, he was the creator of Arthurian romance. Even though Chretien was educated as a man of religion, his works were never be approved by the clergy he was a member of. One of his works Yvain, the Knight of the Lion is set in the Middle Ages. This novel which is full of medieval aspects was written in the 1170’s but the first modern publication was available in 1887. Even though Chretien’s references are unknown, this story was a huge impact in the world of literature, being the influence, as stated above, of the modern novels we find today in library book shelves.

The Song of Roland was a poem written during the rule of Charlemagne. It is a poem that would not have existed without Ganelon’s betrayal to the Franks. In this poem, two themes that were depicted were both courage and Christianity. “The Battle of Maldon” was a poem describing a conflict between the English and Vikings. The Vikings were attempting to make peace with the English but the leader who is known as Byrhtnoth refuses the offer and in turn decided to go to battle with the Vikings. The same two themes were depicted and will be further explained. Both poems were influenced by courage and Christianity.