The Difference Between a Good Knight and a Bad Knight The difference between a good knight and bad knight was very clear in medieval times. Here are a few examples of a how a good knight would conduct himself and act. The amount of Prowess a knight showed was a huge deal that gained other competitor’s respect and maybe even a lady’s respect. Courtly Love was another thing that a good knight would show to his lady. Lastly, a good knight would protect the people around him under danger or certain circumstances. Sir William is a better example of a knight because he displays all three traits. Prowess is a characteristic of a knight that shows strength, courage, skill and stamina. This was seen in something such as a jousting competition. William showed this more than Count Adhemar because he jousted without armor in their last tournament. William did this because Adhemar used a stick that was illegally tipped with a spear that punctured William. Someone that feels the need to cheat to win and will injure another opponent does not sound like someone that is showing prowess. …show more content…
Adhemar told William that Jocelyn would be like a trophy. William did not agree with Adhemar at all about this statement. While Adhemar was on campaign for the King, it was known that Adhemar had been raping women. William never took part in loving any other girls. Therefore, William showed more courtly love remaining loyal to Jocelyn and Jocelyn only. Even when William’s secret had been discovered, Jocelyn chose to stand by William and was willing to run away with William. Jocelyn knew what kind of man Adhemar was, and Jocelyn did not want to be with a man like
In document B written by Catharina Blomberg, it says, “Loyalty toward the feudal lord in Japan was hereditary.” If becoming a samurai was hereditary, then some samurai weren’t chosen to be a samurai because of their abilities, but because they were the son of a samurai. That means that not all samurai are the best fighters. It also says in document E, written by the DBQ project, “To dishonour knighthood was the greatest disgrace.” Part of the code is to always obey your king, so a knight would want to fight harder and not back out.
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 Knight’s leadership is one quality that Chaucer values. The Knight is a wise, noble, modest, and brave man. Chaucer recognizes this when he writes, “To ride abroad had followed chivalry, / Truth, honor, generousness and courtesy. / He has done nobly in his sovereign’s war / And ridden into battle, no man more, / As well in Christian as in heathen places, / And ever honored for his noble graces” (ll. 45-50). Chaucer speaks highly of the Knight because he was well liked and the everyone looked up to him.
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, He could’ve just not went to the Green knight when it was his turn to catch the knot in his neck, but him being a Knight he had to keep up his reputation and had to show braveness and honor. In Beowulf, He did many courageous things to keep his reputation up, he could’ve not went and fought Grendel but as he considered himself a Knight he had to do it for honor and his reputation. In “Monty Python the Quest for the Holy Grail”, Knightly Behavior was severely mocked, Knights were shown as crazy, wild, killing machines to do whatever their quest showed for them. Again I’m going to use the example of Lancelot, like when he ran to the castle killing almost everyone to get to the “damsel”, about every Knightly behavior trait was thrown out the window and he was shown as wild and
Heroes come in many forms. The construction of "the heroic" has taken many forms, yet traits such as: courage, honor, and loyalty, reappear as themes throughout the "hero" personality. The characters of Beowulf and Sir Gawain each represent a version of a hero, yet each comes across quite differently in their story. A hero can be said to truly win if he remains constant to his noble values when put in any situation that crosses his way. When measured by that criterion, Sir Gawain stands out above Beowulf as a true hero, due to his command of both personal and spiritual power through the use of thought, as well as valiant deeds.
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.
During the Medieval Times, knights hold high status and are seen as sovereign, yet their actions are contradicting. Knights stand for loyalty, justice, and chivalry; however, most are liars, cheaters, and foolish. Throughout medieval literature, authors create characters that contain both attributes and utilize literary elements to highlight this medieval crisis. Many Knights maintain a loyal and noble character because chivalry outlasts hypocrisy.
Many people often see little similarity between the country of Japan and Europe. However, there are actually several similarities between these two countries. In fact, Reischauer and Jansen note that Feudal Japan had departed so far from East Asian norms that it was more similar to medieval Europe than it was to China. Thus, the knight of Europe and the samurai of Japan despite a lack of contact with one another shared several common elements. This was a result of many similarities social and cultural influences experienced by the two distant countries.
Broughton, Bradford B. Dictionary of Medieval Knighthood and Chivalry: Concepts and Terms. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986.
Lancelot is a noble knight because he is very courageous. In Sir Lancelot's quests, he fought many people with his cousin Sir Lional and made them capitulate. Sir Lancelot made them swear to be the High King's men from then on. However, when Lancelot and Lional fought Sir Carrados and won, Sir Carrados refused to become the High King's servant so, "Sir Lancelot slew him after a mighty battle, and freed the captives he was holding to ransom in his tower" (89). The task that he accomplished was a very valiant act, it takes a lot of courage to be willing to fight for what you believe in. Sir Lancelot was dauntless when he fought Sir Carrados. He did not seem to be afraid to fight him and he had this sense of indomitability as if he knew that he would win the fight. Four queens came across Sir Lancelot and they all wanted to marry him, especially Morgan La Fay. Morgan La Fay said to Sir Lancelot that if he doesn't choose between the four queens he would have to die, and he responded "As for the Queen, my Lady Guenever––give me back my horse and harness and I will prove in combat with...
Though the Knight and the Squire are from the same feudal class and vocation, they differ in the fact that the Knight represents how society should have been; and the Squire depicts an accurate portrayal of how it actually was.Chivalry, heroism, and modesty delineate the Knight, whose upright standards and principles illustrate a true gentleman; these characteristics are not evident in the Squire. Even though the Knight has won many wars, he is careful not to brag about his ctories. The most recurrent point in the description of the Knight is the abundance and importance of his conquests; however, the Squire's battles are barely mentioned. While the entirety of the Squire's battles are summed up in two lines ("he had se some service with the cavalry / In Flanders and Artois and Picardy"), the list of the Knight's battles dominates his description (Chaucer 120). The Squire's battles are not fought in the interest of his chivalry. On the...
A medieval hero has different characteristics from a classical hero. A medieval hero must be loyal and obedient of hierarchy. He must be a man who is seen as having good moral character. A medieval hero must also follow rules of chivalry, dress, courtesy, and code of conduct (Norman).
Closely associated to the romance tradition are two idealized standards of behavior, especially for knights: courage and chivalry. The protagonist within many medieval romances proved their worth by going on quests, as many a knights went in those times, thus returning with great tales of their travels and deeds. Many modern people think of chivalry as referring to a man's gallant treatment of women, and although that sense is derived from the medieval chivalric ideal, chivalry could be seen as more than that. Knights were expected to be brave, loyal, and honorable-sent to protect the weak, be noble to...
One of Geoffrey's less believable main characters is the Knight, for reasons of chivalry. The knight displays many traits which make him seem almost too good to be true, and a true gentleman that rarely exists in reality. The narrator sums up the knights character by stating that "Though he were worthy, he was wys,/And of his port as meeke as is a mayde." (pg. 5, The Canterbury Tales) The knight holds four main admirable traits, making him the most liked traveler in "The Canterbury Tales," and also amplying the doubt of his realism. The reader is prepared to learn of each of his noble accomplishments and importance when the narrator remarks that" A knight ther was, and that a worthy man,/That fro the tyme that he first bigan/To ryden out, he loved chivalrye,/Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye." (pg. 4, The Canterbury Tales) From the characters impressive introduction, it is clear that this man is the most valued and honorable traveler among the group. This perfect gentleman holds a love of ideals that are often not displayed by people. First and foremost, he believes in the ideals of chivalry, and always stays true to its principles. He also feels that one should be honest, truthful and faithful, which many people are not all of these ideals. The knight thinks one should only do what is right, and what will gain him honor and reputation. This character also believes in freedom and generosity towards all, and displays this ideal repeatedly throughout the novel. And lastly, the knight also strongly feels that any proper person should display courtesy and elegance at all times. Another aspect of this character's life which makes him seem too prestigious to be truthful is his impressive military career. He fought in the holy war, known as the Crusades and was involved in 15 "mortal battles." In the prologue, the narrator informs the reader that "Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,/And therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,/As wel in Cristendom as hethenesse,/And ever honoured for his worthinesse.
In the Song of Roland, ideal characteristics of a knight are identified mainly with having skill as a horseman and fighting on the battlefield. The idea of an armored knight is closely descended from the equites class of Rome. Knights were closely tied to the various fiefdoms and to the church. A knight was expected to have courage, honor, selflessness, respect, honesty, and many other characteristics of how a perfect knight was seen such as Roland, Oliver, and Thierry in the Song of Roland. Many knights were of course not perfect but in the Song of Roland Roland, Oliver, and Thierry are perfect knights because they have a strong devotion, and are respectful.