Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
medieval code of chivalry
The Age of Chivalry
medieval code of chivalry
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: medieval code of chivalry
The Definition of a Knight
Knights were a type of soldier established in the middle ages, sworn to protect the nobility. They followed the rules of chivalry, rode the best horses, bared the finest arms and weaponry, and were highly respected. A strong need for protection of the nobility brought knighthood to be and chivalry to order. True knights are far and few now, by the end of the 16th century knighthood was over. Real knights fought hand-to-hand, before guns and gun-powder, heavily armored and ready for battle. Finding a true knight might seem hard now, but true knights exist, they just don’t look the same.
A knights training started early in his life. At age 7 a boy would be a page. At 14, a page would become a squire, and the training would become tougher. Finally at age 21, a squire would become a knight, and he would serve in the military for 40 more years. This sounds familiar to life now doesn’t it? At 7, a boy/girl would help around the house or at others houses. He/she would be learning about how to complete different tasks in the garden, the kitchen, the garage, etc. At age 14, a boy/girl might acquire a part-time job, or summer work. Train more for the “real world” and gain more knowledge for the future. This is also the age that he/she might learn about sex, drugs, respect, kindness, even love maybe. Finally at age 21, that boy/girl is now a man/woman. Pursuing a career, starting a family, and working hard to provide and protect his/her family.
The way a person is raised now, is not much different of that of a knight. The difference now might be chivalry. A chivalrous knight will be courteous, kind, protective of what’s right, aggressive to what is wrong, and will value the true things in life; family, love, and life. The same 21 year old man/woman, will love their family, love their spouse, protect his/her family, be kind to others, teach his/her children right from wrong.
A Knight is, kind, chivalrous, gentle, honorable, merciful, and willing to sacrifice.
Before knights were created, the defense on the borders were low. Europe was being invaded from the north, east, south, and west. Knights were meant to protect their king and their land. The “invasions of the Magyars from the east, Muslims from the south, and Vikings from the north
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.
In medieval times, the first-born son of a landowner is entitled to his father's estate, while other sons and daughters are not given anything. Knights are usually not the first-born son, and thusly do not receive any grants of land from their father. If a landowner only has a daughter, she becomes an heiress, and inherits her fathers land but has to find a husband to take over this land. A knight's dream is to marry a wealthy heiress, and become a landown...
Knights were an integral part of medieval society. They originally began with primitive warriors such as the Mongols who fought on horseback for added speed and power, but quickly advanced to chivalrous gentleman such as the Normans. Much has been written about medieval knights with the most famous being a series of legends about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Arthur and his knights were the ultimate example of what a perfect knight should have been. They were brave and skilful in battle, but merciful to their enemies once vanquished. They were courteous to ladies, and never ate or drank to excess.
Though the Knights of the Round Table are courageous romantics, the journey to becoming a real knight is not so. A long and prestigious process had to be completed before a boy could become a knight. Children knew that a noble boy must pass through long years of training before ever becoming a knight. The training began usually around the age of seven. Noble fathers often did not raise their own children. Instead the child was sent off for his education and training to the castle of some lord of higher rank or greater reputation, sometimes to the court of a king. It was not always the Father’s choice to send away his son, however. The higher ranking lor...
The term knight is often connected to the image of armored men in an epic tale, where they go on journeys to fight foul creatures to save the day. However, a knight is much more than a warrior. In the Middle Ages, knights were noblemen who served their kings, in time of combat, after undergoing intense training that helped them reach their social and military rank. Bound to chivalry conduct, they were commonly characterized as loyal, humble, and righteous. “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer tells the story about a young knight, searching for what women desire the most as his punishment after the wicked offense he has committed. Although the knight was indecent, one can infer that the knight was able to gain an understanding throughout the course of the story.
The Squire can be compared and contrasted to The Knight by his connection, battles, virtue, and appearance. The Squire is the son of The Knight and shares the same class and occupation “He had his son with him, a fine young Squire (81).” He was a knight in training and has fought some battles, but had little interest in chivalry and wanted to win the love of a lady:
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.
Chivalry has greatly diminished since the Middle Ages. Respect, courtesy, and honesty have little meaning to today’s youth. There are exceptions to this. Helping the elderly, family, and friends are just a few things young people can do to resurrect chivalry. I don’t think it’s possible to be as chivalrous as the knights in the Middle Ages were because our lifestyles have changed so drastically.
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...
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.
The daily life of the Knights would include discussions on war strategy and trying to increase knowledge of the opponent
My parents decided that I was to become a knight and at the age of 7, I was sent to live with a veteran knight, Sir Darreth Kelley as a page. At that stage, I was like a servant to my master, doing tasks like serving meals and cleaning clothes. I also learned to behave appropriately and to have good manners. I was introduced to fighting and practiced with other pages. We trained using a wooden shield and sword, started learning to ride a horse with no hands, and learned to carry a lance. At the age of 15, I became a squire. My jobs were to take care or Sir Darreth’s horses, clean his armor and various weapons, and to follow him into battle when necessary. I trained with real weapons and was taught fighting styles. I also continued to practice
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.