William Marshall

“Chivalry based its rules first on the knight's duty to defend the people he had promised to defend. To run away or give up was

Within literature, there are many figures that readers can choose to remember. These figures can possess many attributes that give reasons for them to be remembered by. For literature based upon the Arthurian time written in the 14th century, there are many examples of people that should be remembered. In particular, a figure that is important to remember is Sir Gawain, from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This paper will be arguing that Gawain is remembered as the best knight in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight because while he is not a perfect knight he still shows many aspects of what it is like to be courtly and heroic therefore a great example to look up to.

Knights are one of the most mistaken figures of the medieval era due to fairytales and over exaggerated fiction novels. When medieval knights roamed the earth, it was known that they were only human and, like humans, had faults. These knights did not always live up to the standards designated by society. However, in The Canterbury Tales, the knight is revealed as a character that would now be considered a knight in shining armor, a perfect role model in how he acts and what he does. Modern day people see them as chivalrous figures instead of their actual role as mounted cavalry soldiers. As time passes, the idea of what a knight is changes from a simple cavalry soldier to a specific type of behavior.

John Marshall is an American patriot who climbed to success through hard-work, determination, and a strong will to protect the constitution of The United States of America. He held many prominent places in American government as well as on front lines of the army defending freedom. John Marshall became the fourth Supreme Court justice for three whole decades, issuing major verdicts on cases that helped to develop, limit, and divide government power.

What kind of qualities do knights have during the Arthurian time period? What kind of battles do knights go through? Gawain and Lanval go through many experiences on their separate quests to develop as a character. Both of these men deal with the supernatural and fight mental battles. Both are these men are tested on their chivalry manners as a knight; However, both of these knights differ in many ways as well such as their reputation, courtly manners, and loyalty. Throughout this paper we will see each character’s flaws, how they develop as a person, and reintegrate into society. Additionally, we will also see if each character is round or flat, static or dynamic, and if they are stock characters or not.

When people think of knights, they picture strong, brave, helpful, and selfless men. Gawaine le Coeur-Hardy of Heywood Broun’s “The Fifty-first Dragon”, despite being enrolled in an elite knight school, cannot be described as any of those. Instead, he is overall better described as fearful, insecure and dull. His unenthusiasm about learning any skills of the knight serves as a detriment to his character, causing his peers and teachers to think of him as lazy, a trait that I can somewhat relate to. Despite our one small similarity, Gawaine and I differ drastically in several ways. He is unintelligent, cocky, and gullible, whereas I am the complete opposite on all three accounts.

Many people in medieval times viewed knighthood as a Holy Calling, with the knight’s Code of Chivalry acting as a sacred text, which governed both their behavior and ethics. In battle, these valiant warriors were courageous, loyal, and willing to sacrifice their lives for their lords. Protecting women was an esteemed value, and knights demonstrated grace and gentleness toward this tender gender. Additionally, knights considered it their duty to defend all those who were feeble and infirm. In spite of such a strict code of moral conduct, some knights took advantage of their position and became “robber knights”. Because of their power, they found it practical to band together into organized crime, which often harmed the very ones that they had been charged with defending. Although a few “bad apples” (certainly) tainted the reputation of this eminent group, the knights continued to

“The Knight’s Tale” that the Knight tells in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is representative of the Knight’s standing as a member of the Second Estate. During England’s Medieval Times, society was split up into three estates—the clergy, the nobility and military, and the peasants and merchants. Members of the Second Estate, which was made up of noblemen and soldiers, were to fight and protect the people of the town, as well as watch over the peasants who worked the land. As a soldier, the Knight’s tale exemplifies the qualities of the military, in that the characters of Palamon, Arcite, and Theseus were strong, honorable men whose lives revolved loyalty, gallantry and protecting the people by fighting in battles. Furthermore, the

The Green Knight, symbolic of the cyclicality of nature, as well as the relationship between civilization and nature, proposes a game of beheading--or rather, an assessment of mettle. “. . . several of the lords were like statues in their seats, left speechless and rigid, not risking a response” (241-242). The court’s response, or lack thereof, to the Green Knight’s proposal, further illustrates the moment of disrupted expectations among readers, for despite the court’s projected clan of esteemed, battle-hardened warriors, the opportunity arose to reveal frightened, naive, and untested soldiers. The Green Knight critically alludes to the court’s acclaimed status, emphasizing the irony of the predicament and therefore the recurring theme, for despite the court’s revered reputation, they remain idle. “. . . your castle and brotherhood are called the best, the strongest men to ever mount the saddle, the worthiest knights ever known to the world, both in competition and in true combat . . .

As he looks back as a Squire he learned about Chivalry, the rules of Heraldry, horsemanship and practice the use of weapons and the skills required of a Knight. It was also their duty to enter into the social life of the castle and learn courtly etiquette, jousting, music and dancing. He wonders today as he welcomes all his knighthood friends and if he has what it takes to fight and serve his Lord according to the Code of Chivalry. In the morning he and others heard at Mass and a lengthy sermon on the duties of a knight. The entry into Knighthood was highly ritualized which started with a Night Vigil in the Chapel of the Castle. The day started with him have a ritual bathing - his body was thoroughly cleansed as a symbol of purification. He wears a white vesture to symbolize purity covered by a red robe that symbolized nobility. He wore black shoes and even his horse were black armor that symbolized death. His sword and shield was placed on the altar as he knelt at the Chapel altar, in silent prayer, for ten hours. A sponsor took possession of the sword and shield, which had been blessed by the priest. The sword and shield were passed to the lord who was to conduct the knighthood ceremony. Two sponsors in a Public ceremony presented the Medieval Knights to the lord. The Medieval Knights swore an oath of allegiance to the lord and swore the following oaths:

During the Medieval Age, the knights vowed their service and loyalty to their own lords as a tradition. Their pledges became known as part of Chivalry, a code of behavior and ethics that determined their personalities. Chivalry not only aided knights in improving their strength and skills, but to display good behavior along with respect to the opposite sex and their religion. It contained tenets for the knights to obey permanently such as courtesy, generosity, and even honor. Honor was one of the most important tenets of chivalry because… However, if any knight broke the codes of chivalry, he will face a death penalty, bringing shame and dishonor upon himself. Chivalry was a way that formed young aged boys into becoming proper gentlemen and it still continued for centuries until the present time. Sir Walter Scott was inspired by this code that help established his novel Ivanhoe.

Geoffroi de Charny, writing a little over half a century later, was famed for his chivalry even in his own lifetime, but advanced a rather more pragmatic view of knighthood and chivalry. Nevertheless, his work is overflowing with references to God and Judas Maccabeus, whom he regards as a splendid example of the ideal knight , and it is clear

In conclusion, the values and beliefs of the medieval British had a huge impact on them. The knights, mainly King Arthur and Sir Lancelot had these attributes, were not harmed. Being valiant in all situations can lead to accomplishing tasks easier since you are willing to do it. Respecting others and the truth allowed them to have good reputations. Finally, being loyal to the authority figures will also make one’s reputation highly esteemed. All of these factors can make one escape negative elements like defeat or even death itself.

There was an astonishing amount of peasant children that numbered from either a hundred to maybe even a thousand who were of the age of fourteen or fifteen, no older or younger then those two. If there was someone of a different age, no one could tell as their youth caused them to all look alike in terms of

Many years ago, in a village that was not too different from any other, there lived a poor son of blacksmith named Fendrel who dreamt of being a knight. The other villagers looked down upon the lad for his aspirations, citing his father’s occupation and his mother’s birthplace as their reasons, yet he paid little attention to their scoffing. He trained, night and day, until he was the best horserider and fighter the village had to boast about.