Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
¶ … Song of Roland
The idea of the perfect knight of the Middle Ages even today engenders a clear ideal, an ideal associated with valor and insurmountable strength under pressure.
The idea of the mounted knight brings up romantic thoughts of inhumanly handsome and strong men covered from head to toe in armor, or possibly carrying only the helmet, as he gallops across a former field of battle to celebrate his victory and briefly lament his losses. The Middle Age Knight is brave without error, loyal beyond the average, inhumanly strong, filled with the wisdom of leadership, tireless and always, always mounted on a noble steed. "Roland is brave and Oliver is wise; / Both are marvelous vassals. / Now that they are armed and mounted on their horses / Neither will avoid the fray for fear of death." (Burgess 36)
It is without a doubt that the tireless knight will serve their lord and king to the edges of the earth and to the edges of death without flagging...
"For a true vassal's act, in its wisdom, avoids folly; / Caution is better than great zeal." (56) The true honor and right of a Knight is to win without fail. Breaking any code of the ethic of a knight including acting in such a way that bad luck befalls him and/or his men, will result in the inevitable desertion of the loyalty of the lord. "Charles will never again receive our service. / If you had heeded me, my lord would now be here; / We should have fought this battle and won it./...You will die here and France will be shamed by it." (56)
The challenges of the time of the development of the Knight, and his ideal were riddled with war, both national and regional. The strife of the age was demonstrated through faith as Charlemagne attempted and succeeded to align with the Catholic church and build an empire that included many locations that had formerly been associated with Roman control. The ideals of the faithful, were in…
It is clear that through the ideals of the Knight came an ideal savior, one willing and able to protect both lord and country. The loyalty of real men in this age was likely much more flagging and regardless of the outcome of any battles the victor is the clear writer of history.
The deaths of Christian men at the hands of the pagans is a serious motivation to continue the fight to keep and even regain the lands lost to them and also a good motivator for moving toward historical pagan strongholds and creating wealth through vengeance, as would occur within the crusades. " In the poem itself the enemy becomes, not the Basques or the Gascons, but the Muslims, who the poet calls Saracens. This change permits the clash to be raised to the status of a struggle between Christinas and Pagans." (10) Burgess notes that it is through this universal fight between two faiths that the persuasion of propaganda allows the deeds of men to be bolstered and the hearts and minds of many to be convinced of the right of the church and state.
Burgess, Glyn, The Song of Roland (Penguin Classics), New York, Penguin Press, 1990.
In this duty as well as in others, Roland somewhat pales in comparison to the unquestionable figure of leadership cut by Charlemagne, who not only emerges victorious and unscathed where Roland and his men are killed, but also establishes a clear system of justice that both makes sense to the participants and fully serves the needs of his men and their shared values and beliefs. In other words, it
Song of Roland essentially functions as folklore, which lionizes and creates legends of the works and characters of Charlemagne the Great and his men. The author of this epic poem is unknown, as is the exact date in which it was written. It is commonly believed to have been written in the 12th century. The poem's central action utilizes elements of the history of Charlemagne and his Muslim enemies
These characters possess freewill, such as Ganelon and his plotting against the Franks. But the God in the epic does intervene to make sure that good really comes out victorious in the end, such as when he makes Thierry win over Pinable in a duel. The unknown author of the epic presents the Muslims as unquestionably and inherently evil and base, the reverse of the Christians (Bouneuf 2005). Although the
Roland's fame is legendary, and so, he seems larger than life to the reader, but not so large that he is unconquerable. Roland is also extremely proud, and this pride also helps lead to his death. He refuses to sound the oliphant and call back Charlemagne's troops, and so, his pride is larger than his common sense. He says, "Better to die than to learn to live with shame --
Gilgamesh and Roland The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Song of Roland Throughout history, women have often played an important, albeit often unseen influence. In fact, much of the history of the human race centers on the actions of men; the kings and warriors who have performed great deeds. And much of literature is also focused on the actions and deeds of men. But hidden within the lines of text in some
Everyman and the Song of Roland focuses on the leading characters of the plays, namely, Everyman and Roland. This paper gives an in depth analysis of Everyman and the ingredients necessary for any man to abode paradise. This paper also reviews the character of Roland and how he earned great praise and respect not only among his mortal friends but also among angels and saints in heaven. By comparing