Knighthood and Courtly Love in the Time of King Arthur Essay -- essays

Chivalry was considered to be the code of behavior expected of a horse cavalry. It was the conduct, ideas, and ideals of the knightly class of the Middle Ages. It became standardized and referred to as chivalry, a stipulation derived from the French word chevalier, meaning knight. The code urged the knight to be brave, courageous, honor competent, received to his word, and loyal to his feudal overlord, and to defend his Church. A knight was truthful, h 1st, capable, educated, physic anyy fit, noble, sincere, and subordinate to the king. A serious violation of these vows could result in a knight being classed as an undignified knight, which was the ultimate insult because of all the fleshy work that was put into becoming a knight. It made it seem as if all of work was done for nothing.     The knights of the middle ages were known for their dedication and idolatry in carrying out their duties. Once a knight was given a task of some sort, they were known for unwillingness to quit until the job was done. closely knights were willing to devote their entire lives to the job at hand. Most all knights had a quest in life, and they showed an obsession to accomplish their quest. The quest whitethorn be self thought of, or obtained from someone else, but either way the knight took honor and pride in being able to accomplish the quest.     In Arthurian Romances, by Chrtien de Troyes, all knights had a profession to protect their country. When a knight approached a situation, he did not fall upon the other party until he had warned them. His place in the feudalist system touch other workers, known as vassals, to do his bidding. They suited him up in his armor and readied his horse and weapons. Knighthood was nevertheless developed for the man because women are unless seen as maidservants. Authority felt that a cleaning lady could not have got all the qualities of a knight, so they were put to work as maids. The only wo men who had high ranks in the feudalist system were those who were married to the noble ranks     In The tommyrot of the Grail, de Troyes looks at knighthood from the naive perspective of a young boy, Perceval, who had a romance of becoming a knight. In his own way, he became one. He well-read the techniques and attitudes of a knight that greatly influenced his performance. Perceval wanted to obtain all the qualities of a good knight, also ... ...ry because of how he allowed a whap for this unfeasible woman to blind him. The queen was so nasty to Lancelot, yet he took it and dealt with it presume that his love for her was reciprocal.      Chrtien de Troyes and Marie de France twain had unique ways of showing what knighthood and courtly love were to the highest degree. De Troyes was a little harder on courtly love than de France had been, but both had specific ideals that they wanted to be brought to the pages in order to teach others a bout chivalry. All in all, the love that was portrayed between Guigemar and the queen was one that seemed to be full of hope and joy. The love de Troyes portrayed between Lancelot and Guinevere was a love that seemed to not even exist except in Lancelots mind. schematic love was an important aspect in the time of knighthood and chivalry. Courtly love made all the battles and heartaches seem worth it in the end, as long as it worked out for the two lovers it included.Works Citedde Troyes, Chretien. "The Story of the Grail." Arthurian Romances. Ed. William W. Kibler. London Penguin Books, 1991. 381-494.de France, Marie. Guigemar. The Lais of Marie de France. 30-59.