Essay on Chanson de Roland Commentary

La Farce de Maitre Pierre Pathelin has been called "a little masterpiece". In comparison to most earlier works of French medieval literature, it is highly complex in many aspects. In the words of Cazamian, "a high level of artistic creation is reached." This essay will focus on Guillemette and study both her role in the play, and the complex nature of this character. Such a study should give the reader an idea of the plays "high level of artistic creation", and also illustrate some of the many witty double meanings and underlying messages that are present right throughout the Farce.

In the Medieval Period, knights dedicated their lives to following the code of chivalry. In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, a number of characters performed chivalrous acts to achieve the status of an ideal knight. Their characteristics of respect for women and courtesy for all, helpfulness to the weak, honor, and skill in battle made the characters King Arthur, King Pellinore, and Sir Gryfflette examples of a what knights strove to be like in Medieval society. Because of the examples ofchivalry, Le Morte d’Arthur showed what a knight desired to be, so he could improve theworld in which he lived.

In Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem, The Knight’s Tale, the author encapsulates chivalrous characteristics in his telling of a battle for love. In its fundamental form, chivalry idealizes a knight’s conduct, both on and off the battlefield (Gregory-Abbott). Chaucer employs this “heroic code [of] bravery, loyalty, and service to one's lord” to illustrate the idillic knight throughout the narrative (Rossignol). Chaucer’s poem, The Knight’s Tale, exhibits the ideals of chivalry in the form of two knights, desperately in love with the same woman, and a wise Duke who embodies the voice of reason. Each knight upholds honor through compassion, troths, and heroism on the battlefield, despite their afflictions with each other.

Honor is a concept that has a great deal to do with entitlement and based on the actions or qualities of a person. There are three main types of honor that society recognizes; family, men, and women and in The Heptameron, Marguerite de Navarre portrays each of the three types of honor throughout her stories. Published in the 1500s, the series of short stories portrays the values and beliefs of that period of time. However, there are often a number of complications that follow honor that lie with classified and understandably honorable deeds or traits, and who is it that determines this. Another issue that one may find is that it is also complicated to be able to view one form of morality in the presence of another due to certain views clashing with one another. In addition to this, Marguerite de Navarre’s stories are written around the themes of love, lust, and adultery, in addition to honor. Each of these has a significant role in portraying the integrity of men, women and family. The Heptameron’s twelfth story has each of the three types of honor present throughout it, and show how they either compliment or conflict with one another. Through the character of the Duke of Medici, the Duke’s “other half”, and the sister of this man, the reader is able to recognize the instances in which honor is evident.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, vassalage is defined as a position of subordination or submission to a political power. While a vassal is someone who is under the protection of someone with authority such as a feudal lord. This person (vassal) will feel obligated to vow their loyalty to that person in power. In “The Song of Roland”, Oliver and Roland both have a different definition on what makes a great vassal. This paper will discuss both viewpoints on what makes a “marvelous vassal”, why the poet used Roland and Oliver to balance out vassals, and a brief understanding of vassalage and fief holding.

The historian Richard Kaeuper notes that prowess being crucial to honor may have contributed as much to the ‘problem of violence as it provided a solution’. Therefore, this appears to convey why the concept of chivalry began to be associated with violence and warfare as knights, in the pursuit of honor, became reliant on violence and battle to prove their aptitude. This idea is supported by a medieval knight Sir John Chandos, who stated that men brought up for martial calling ‘cannot live without war and do not know how to’. Maurice Keen argues that ‘chivalry was quintessentially bellicose’ as it presented those who fought has having a ‘pinnacle of honor’. As a result, the use of force by knights as a way of denoting their gallantry led to the belief that violence was intrinsic to the notion of chivalry.

In Milun, honor has a big place in the story. For example, Milun must go to the other country to fight the one knight who claims to be better than him to defend his honor. Although when he realizes he has been beat by him he shows respect for him because he has truly been beat. His son also shows respect when he sees his gray hair and recognizes that he had hurt an older man. This shows the good side of chivalry where the knights respected each other and good duels.

Some would say that honor is a thing of the past; a thing long since extinct with the King Arthur and the knights of the round table. In fact, it is not, it is real and can still be seen all around through people all the time. In Charles Dicken’s novel, A Tale of Two Cities, honor and dishonor are main themes that are exemplified and enacted through many characters. To be honorable, or to act in honor, is to act in a way that is not necessarily socially acceptable, but is morally right, noble, and kind. To be dishonorable is to neglect the basic responsibility of treating every human being in the respectful manner they deserve, giving no variance to rank or status. Throughout the book different men show varying degrees of honor and dishonor.

The stories of Lancelot (The Knight of the Cart) and Perceval (The Story of the Grail) within Chrétien de Troyes’ Arthurian Romances depict a world of Medieval Romance that is somewhat different from one that was depicted in earlier epics. These romances are more focused on the battle between love and honor rather than on war and valor, which were depicted in earlier epics of de Troyes’ time. The tale of Lancelot follows a star-struck knight who undergoes an inner conflict between both the lover and hero inside him. His intense commitment to rescuing the queen causes him to make rash decisions which inevitably restrain him from controlling his own fate. Perceval’s story exhibits a different purpose for love in a knight’s life. Unlike Lancelot, he accepts love only when he believes it can further advance him in becoming the perfect knight. The two heroes’ actions showcase an inner conflict between maintaining their honor as knights and the love for another. Through these two tales, Chrétien de Troyes shows that that idealistic love and conscious chivalry cannot necessarily successfully coexist, yet it is the unachievable idealistic view that these two ideals do coexist.

Honor; honor is something that all will strive to achieve in life. Honor shapes people and without it, the world would be very contradistinct. But the concept of honor has changed over time. Today, honor is telling the truth, putting others before oneself, being kind, and protecting people no matter the cost. However, in the French epic, The Song of Roland honor is a very incommensurable thing. Honor is idealized by characters like Roland, Ganelon, and Marsilion as bravery to the point of stupidity and ultimately even death. Honor was not defending others, but safeguarding one’s own reputation and legacy. And a multitudinous amount of characters in this epic put honor above all else, and it’s not always smart.

Over the past month, we read the Story of the Grail by Chretien de Troyes. This poem details the progression of the knight Perceval. In the beginning, Perceval is not called by his name, instead he is referred to as “the youth”. This is an important detail to stress, because the poem is a coming of age story. As the poem progresses, the reader is able to see definitive changes in Perceval’s character. For example, in the beginning of the poem Perceval uses the limited knowledge that was bestowed upon him by his mother in order to complete his “knightly” duties. To make it worse, Perceval feels the need to tell everyone he meets that his mother is the one that taught him everything he knows. Eventually, Perceval outgrows this behavior and becomes a suitable knight. Throughout the poem, Perceval goes through many trials and tribulations, but for the purpose of this essay I will unravel the allegorical meaning of Perceval’s fight with the Red Knight using all four levels of interpretation.

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.

During the Early Middle Ages, a common practice of feudalism began. Knights formed a relationship with a local king in order to receive protection, fief, and justice. In return, knights had the duty to stay true and serve their lord unconditionally, whether on the battlefield, in a council, or wherever the king goes. Likewise, the knights under a lord were called to fight alongside one another unto death. If death grasped ahold of one of their fellow companions, the vassals were called to avenge their comrade’s bloodshed (Stowell). Portrayed as a brave, noble knight, Roland exhibits the ideal characteristics that a king in the Middle Ages would have desired to have under his service. However, Roland suffers from a key internal flaw: pride. A flaw that ultimately brings death and destruction upon thousands of French troops. Yet, Roland is still pictured as a hero by the end of the Song of Roland. Why does he receive so much praise? Because Roland realizes his prideful judgment and responds in a heroic way. Even with his pride, Roland still represents a heroic vassal because of his utmost determination in the face of death, his display of honor to the fallen vassals, and his faithfulness to his heavenly Lord in the end.

In Song of Roland, the ideas of chivalry and loyalty to one’s king are central. Throughout the text, the author uses the concepts of good versus evil, shown by the Christians versus Muslims, as well as loyalty versus treason, shown by Roland versus Ganelon, to highlight and exemplify the ideals of the code of knighthood. The main character, Roland, is often presented as being an exemplary knight; he personifies the conventional chivalric values of the time such as bravery and loyalty, but he also struggles to balance these values in order to be a responsible leader. Roland is in stark contrast to his stepfather, Ganelon, as well as being in slight contrast to his close friend, Oliver. These contrasts of character come to a climax as the battle against the Muslim army at Roncesvalles begins; Oliver and Roland debate over whether they should call the king to help them, leading to the eventual demise of the French army. This specific scene brings to light the ideological dilemma of bravery versus wisdom and logic, by utilizing Roland as an example of the former, and Oliver of the latter. Roland, as evidenced by this situation, displays perfect loyalty to one’s king and God by being incredibly brave in the face of danger, making sacrifices that he sees are necessary, and fought valiantly until his death, all the while keeping the utmost faith in his God and king.

King Charlemagne talks to his trusted council about a peace offer from the Saracens. Roland, in response to this announcement, warns Charlemagne, “Trust Marsilion—and suffer” (196). He reminds King Charlemagne that Marsilion has already betrayed their trust when he killed the French counts, Basan and Basile and does not believe that Marsilion is trustworthy. King Charlemagne however, does not agree and has decided to send someone from his march to bring his agreement to Marsilion. Setting aside personal feelings, as a great knight should be able to do in times of war, Roland nominated Ganelon to deliver the message. Roland, remembering the deaths of the previous counts that were murdered, realizing that if this was going to work said, “We need a wise man to bring the message” (294). Roland puts asides his personal feelings and acts