Shirley Marchalonis talks about knighthood and how it was, originally, a reward for someone who proved their valor on the battlefield. It was also a very religious ceremony and a complete way of life that was performed and affirmed by the church, which explains how violence was okay as long as it was done for the benefit of Christianity. Marchalonis points out that many of his early crimes seemed to be directly against the church, thus proving him to be a false and unworthy knight. She argues that the purpose of his penance was to humble his pride, saying that he was degraded in the court of an Emperor instead of in solitude. Marchalonis then mentions Sir Gowther’s gaining of knighthood and the meaning behind the different colored horses he …show more content…
Adler then talks about how this piece breaks these gender norms by making the women of the story, arguably more important than that of the male figures of the court. It is not only the man-dog bond that it is important in this story, but also the female-canine bond, as we see many times with the princess and her hounds. She argues that the Duke’s assumption of his wife’s infertility and the devil’s fatherly intercession suggest male inadequacy and corruption, as well as the idea that patriarchy can be sterilizing or the source of monstrosity. Adler also mentions that Sir Gowther and Merlin are half brothers by means of the same demon …show more content…
The source also argues for my question of nature vs. nurture and the fact that it was also his upbringing that turned him into a monster. It also argues the true importance of the woman-dog influence on Sir Gowther and the fact that his penance was about more than just his pride. The mention of Merlin is relevant because they have the same demon brother in them, but only one grows up to go on a horrible killing spree. Wright, Glenn. “Christianity and Romance in Medieval England”, English Studies, 93:1, 106-107. 2012. DOI: 10.1080/0013838X.2011.638447 Glenn Wright focuses first on Sir Gowther’s birth and how the demon was able to seduce the mother and procreate this “demon” child with her. It seems to be saying that the mother was at fault here for who Sir Gowther is “destined” to become. Wright then goes into detail about his penance and especially on the fact that God granted him the means to become the emperor-host’s champion, not once, but three different times which, in turn, also allows Sir Gowther to marry his daughter and become heir to the estate and the title that comes with it. He also mentions how the acceptability of the violence shifted as Sir Gowther was now violent in the name of Christianity as opposed to in allegiance with his inner demon
Davies, C. S. L. ‘Popular Religion and the Pilgrimage of Grace’ in Order and Disorder in Early Modern England, eds. Anthony Fletcher and John Stevenson (1985).
Life during the Middle Ages was full of social change, division, and classism. This feudal society of Britain was divided into three estates. (social classes) Within the second estate was the the knight who was a soldier for the king who fought in many battles. Even though the knight is expected to have the strength and the skills to fight in battle, all knights during the Medieval period additionally had a chivalrous aspect to them. Chivalry was the honor code of a knight which included bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women. Within the stories of the “Wife of Bath’s Tale” and “Le Morte d’Arthur”, the code of chivalry was broken by knights which show the corruption of England’s feudal society.
- - - The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History. London, England, Penguin Books, no publication
Burns, William E."Britain in the Late Middle Ages, 1272–1529." A Brief History of Great Britain, Brief History. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
T.H. White is directly referenced within the film and Malory’s idealization of the glory of chivalry can once again be seen. In my essay, I will show how chivalry is used in all the texts above as a bonding agent between all Arthurian knights. As Arthur’s knights honor and respect chivalry they remain as one cohesive group, but once they begin to abandon chivalry the Round Table begins to crumble and chaos ensues. Annotated Bibliography Sprague, Kurth “Conclusion.” Arthuriana 16.3 (2006): 129-152.
...McClure, Judith, editors. Bede: The Ecclesiastical History of the English People; The Greater Chronicle; Bede’s Letter to Egbert. New York: Oxford University Press, 1969.
A knight's’ duty is to be loyal to the king, and follow the social code, chivalry. The knight has also fought bravely in the king’s services. He fought for the king and for the christian Land. Knights were usually sent out by the king and the church to go and enforce Christianity in a new land. He was honored in bravery for all the battles he has participated in, Such as, Alexandria when it fell, in “Prussia where he was awarded the seat of honor above all knights.” . And every battle he has fought in he always “killed his foe” This was not frowned upon to the
Loach, Jennifer. “Mary Tudor And The Re-Catholicisation Of England.” History Today 44.11 (1994): 16. World History Collection. Web. 18 Nov.2013
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.
Literature is the most conclusive way to gauge the past: peoples are laid low, the grandest of monuments will crumble but literature preserves the unblemished mindset of a people long since gone. But even then literature can be lost: their houses are burned or pillaged, their pages decay and language changes. It is often a sad fate that we are left with only a few remaining pieces of a past era, the only works preserved through the ages, those translated and passed down. It is our duty then to decipher these to make out the minds of our ancestors. Such is the condition of British literature. We look at the composite piece and see works such as the Venerable Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People (731 A.D.), The Dream of Rood (anonymous author, unknown date), Beowulf (ca. 750 A.D.), and The History of the Kings of Britain (ca. 1135-38 A.D.). Now these, of course are only a part of the entirety of early English literature, for an example it will perform masterfully in examining the progression of English religious tendencies.
“The noble knight slays the dragon and rescues the fair maiden…and they live happily ever after.” This seemingly cliché finale encompasses all the ideals of courtly love, which began in the Medieval Period and still exists today. While these ideals were prevalent in medieval society, they still existed with much controversy. Geoffrey Chaucer, a poet of the period, comments on courtly love in his work The Canterbury Tales. Through the use of satiric elements and skilled mockery, Chaucer creates a work that not only brought courtly love to the forefront of medieval society but also introduced feministic ideals to the medieval society. At times, Chaucer even makes readers question his beliefs by presenting contrasting elements of principle in The Knight’s Tale and The Wife of Bath’s Tale, both tales told in his profound, multifaceted The Canterbury Tales.
Lambert, Tim. "Daily Life in England in The Middle Ages." (2014): n. pag. Web. 29 May
Roger Babusci et al. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1994. 115-136. Print. “The Medieval Period: 1066-1485.”
The Canterbury Tales, written by Chaucer, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, written by an anonymous author, are both sophisticated fourteenth-century examples of medieval romance. Medieval romances captured the heart of their audiences as narratives and stories that featured a protagonist, often a knight, and dealt with religious allegories, chivalry, courtly love, and heroic epics. The concept of the knight emerged from the remnants of the Anglo-saxon literature and ideals and influence of the Christian religion and church. There is a distinct difference between the famous pagan heroic like Beowulf and the romantic medieval tales like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight of the Canterbury Tale. The Anglo-Saxon hero Beowulf exemplified qualities expected of warriors who could attain kingship by their heroism and battle deeds. They possessed the qualities of valor, military prowess, generosity, and honor. The hero fights for the survival of their tribe and nation, and it is in battle that the mettle of the epic hero is ultimately tested. The romantic conventions , influenced by Christianity and French ideals, created a new chivalric knight who sets out on a trial or adventure. They possessed similar qualities to their epic hero counterparts – valor, loyalty, honor, and skill in battle – but differed in knowing temperance, courtesy towards women, and courtly skills. The hero is no longer fighting for his people but for his ideals. By the 14th century, The Tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales have began to criticize the notion of chivalry which had become old and obsolete in their society; the idealization of chivalry practiced by knights could longer withstand the complexities and indeterminateness of situa...
Burns, Julia. "Notes MLA 6318". Church and State in Early Modern England. Fall 2013. Dr. D. David.