Chivalry in Arthurian Legend Essay - 926 Words

Chivalry in Arthurian Legend Merriam-Websters on-line dictionary defines chivalry as the system, spirit, or customs of medieval knighthood. As Leon Gautier, author of Chivalry, defines this system and spirit of knighthood by identifying rules of chivalry, two of which are well illustrated in Lanval, TheWife of Baths Tale, and The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnel: Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word, and Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone(qtd. in Chivalry). All three stories seem to suggest the predominant theme of a knight living up to his word. This is shown by the fact that, in each story, the knights oath is taken very seriously, is treated as a contract, and is†¦show more content†¦It is interesting to note that King Arthurs life depends on two things: his remaining faithful to his word, and Sir Gromer, also a knight bound by the code of chivalry, remaining true to his word. If Arthur does not trust that Sir Gromer will honor the code and spare his life, it would seem unreasonable for him to agree to such a deal. In the end, we find that both men remain honorable, thus upholding this aspect of the code of knighthood. Similarly, the knight, in the story told by the Wife of Bath, is faced with the punishment of death for the crime of rape. To save his life, he swears to the queen that he shall return within a year and a day with the correct answer to her question: What thing [is it] that women most desiren(911). Again, it is difficult to believe that the queen would have allowed this knight to run off, unpunished for his crime, unless she believed he would remain true to his word. It seems that it would have been very easy for this knight to save his life simply by disappearing. Yet he lived up to his oath. In Lanval, the knight is asked to make a promise to his ami not to let anyone know of their affair. Although Lanval does not remain true to his word, the importance of the oath is made clear in the simple fact that his love trusts his word implicitly. It is important to note that, were it not for the implied oath of a knight to remain loyal at all costs to his king, Lanval would have kept his promiseShow MoreRelatedMonty Python And The Holy Grail861 Words   |  4 Pagesa parody of Arthurian stories. It is a film that is not very elaborate on special effects, costumes and such as it even includes invisible horses with coconuts to mimic the sound of the â€Å"galloping† horses. All which indicate the low budget set on the production of the film. Although, the quality of the film does not suffer with it’s low budget since this adds uniqueness and more comical pieces to the film. The concepts triggered in the film come from elements of the Arthurian legends. The elementsR ead MoreChristian Elements in the King Arthur1295 Words   |  6 Pagesaspect of the Medieval hierarchy. The Church affected rituals and moral principles of the people, as well as write their own stories to enlist to their ideologies. Literature links with the delegated character of the Medieval past, such as the Arthurian legend, influencing the interpretation of the period. King Arthur is recognized as legendary king of Britain, whose central figure spreads abroad from British history to centuries of Western literary works. He is known for leading British soldiers againstRead MoreThomas Malory s Morte Darthur The Tale Of Launcelot And Guinevere s Betrayal And The Tragedy That Ensues1206 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Morte Darthur†: A research paper for English 325 In Thomas Malory s Morte Darthur the tale of Launcelot and Guinevere’s betrayal and the tragedy that ensues is the prevailing end of the arthurian legend. Malory writing as a prisoner accused of treason took vested interest in the betrayal of Arthur by Guinevere and one of his most popular knights. Most likely due to the fact that Malory saw himself and hope for mercy in the character Launcelot and made that evident in the story he wrote.UltimatelyRead More The Effects of Sir Thomas Malory’s Life and Culture on the Arthurian Legends2233 Words   |  9 Pagesand Culture on the Arthurian Legends In many cases, authors write books in order to comment on the culture they live in. In addition, the personal life experiences of the author are also expressed in the work. In the case of the Arthurian Legends, the major contributor was Sir Thomas Malory, who lived from 1405 to 1471 (Abrams, 420). The first section of this paper will examine why Sir Thomas Malory should be considered the greatest contributor to the Arthurian Legends. The second sectionRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Code Analysis824 Words   |  4 Pagesimportance of the chivalric code. Sir Gawain always keeps his promises, obeys his lord, and enters combat to uphold his reputation of bravery. These comprise part of the code of chivalry, the principle of utmost importance to any knight. Arthurian legends esteemed honor, honesty, valor, and loyalty. The Knights Code of Chivalry and vows of the Knighthood include a lengthy list of vows required from knights. These include: â™ £ To fear God and maintain His Church â™ £ To serve the liege lord in valour and faithRead MoreKing Arthur And The Arthurian Legend906 Words   |  4 Pagesother famous Arthurian legends were believed to be mostly truth in the 11th Century. Many people enjoyed the idea that their history once contained a time of chivalry and wonder such as the tall tales described. Indeed, some today believe the same. However, King Arthur, despite being an influential figure from the 11th century onwards, was mostly a work a fiction, his tales and legends an amalgamation of truth and fantasy with some historical basis and much exaggeration. Arthurian legend is a blendRead MoreJason Mack. Ms. Davis. English I. 24 April 2017. The Honor896 Words   |  4 PagesJason Mack Ms. Davis English I 24 April 2017 The Honor of Sir Galahad The knights of King Arthur’s time were not only brave, but they were righteous, gallant, and faithful. In King Arthur’s time, chivalry was everything. Knights were expected to do battle, be religious, and be respectful to women. One such knight was Sir Galahad. He was the son of Lancelot and Elaine of Corbenic and became a knight at King Arthur’s Round Table. The story of Sir Galahad was shared in The Quest of the Holy Grail fromRead MoreChivalry And Chivalry In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1287 Words   |  6 PagesThe legends and tales of the knights of King Arthur’s Round Table have resounded for ages—vivid stories of courageous and gallant knights usurping evil while simultaneously maintaining an upstanding reputation. Through the Arthurian tales, one has the opportunity to experience heroic narratives of exemplary models of knights who clearly illustrate the chivalry and honorability one should aspire to possess. No more evidently is this th eme displayed than in the 14th century epic poem Sir Gawain andRead MoreKing Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table Essay2967 Words   |  12 PagesRound Table The legends of King Arthur of Britain and his Knights of the Round Table, among the most popular and beloved of all time, originated in the Middle Ages. As they do today, medieval people listened to the accounts of Arthur with fascination and awe. It is certain that popular folktales were told about a hero named Arthur throughout the Celtic parts of the British Isles and France, especially in Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany (Lunt 76). Other stories of chivalry that did not includeRead MoreEssay about The Once and Future King1411 Words   |  6 Pagesis a legend that is, despite its age, known by all. Everyone has heard of King Arthur and his loyal knights that make up the Round Table, but the rest of the famous legend is less known. If asked about Arthur’s parentage or birthplace, most people would not know. How many people can name off Arthur’s knights? Everyone knows Arthur’s name, but the details are less defined. Arthurian legend has many parts, the first b eing how Arthur came into being, then the most well-known part of the legend, but