How Feudalism Played A Major Role With State And The Government

The feast scene in Part One of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight contains one of the most important character-defining moments for the protagonist, Gawain. His intervention and acceptance of the challenge leaves the reader with a lasting impression of his personality. This moment is shaped by the comparison of Gawain the two principle male characters, King Arthur and the Green Knight. The caricatures that the poet creates of these two men—and their confrontation during the Green Knight’s challenge—sets up a picture of masculinity that enhances the ideal qualities represented in Gawain. Arthur is depicted as a young, restless king who craves action and excitement. The Green Knight is a powerful, captivating giant of a man whose strength is seemingly limitless. And Gawain as the ideal figure exhibits restraint, humility, thoughtfulness, and grace. However, the poet does not reject the traits that make King Arthur and the Green Knight who they are. Each of these masculine identities work together to enhance the image of the ideal. In the end, the most important virtue all three men demonstrate is the willingness to accept imperfection.

Document 1) A: The Feudalism provided protection and military services for their families. Nobles agreed to give their loyalty to the king. As the peasants worked the land for the knights and nobles and which they gave to them was protection and a portion of the harvest to feed their families. Document 2)

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight begins with an extended idealized description of Arthur’s court; “The most noble knights known under Christ, / And the loveliest ladies that lived on earth ever, / And he the comeliest king, that that court holds. ” (Marie, 51-53) The court is in the middle of its Christmas celebration, the knights and ladies are young-and well favored enjoying the pleasures of court life. However, there is a negative side to the youthful King Arthur, and his kingly whim who that desired a tale of “some suppliant came seeking some single knight / to join with him in jousting, in jeopardy each / to lay life for life and leave it to fortune.” (Marie, 96-99) Thereby implication the court and the romantic ideals they represent: a potentially damaging carelessness, a lack of stability, and responsibility. Authur’s court is initially regaled as:

The Queen Guinevere's pride was wounded when she gets rejected by Lanval. Queen Guinevere offers herself to Lanval saying he could have anything he desires. Lanval rejects her by telling her he won't betray his king and that he

When the queen utters these words you can sense the hurt and betrayal in Terens voice. He thought that the queen would always stand be

Even though these qualities are praised in this culture, medieval narratives commonly uphold unrealistic virtues of what a perfect woman is. After Lanval vows to keep their love a secret, the queen of the court tempts the knight with her love. She says, "Lanval, I have honored, cherished and loved you much. You may have all my love: just tell me what you desire! I grant you my love and you should be glad to have me" (pp. 1771). Shortly after Lanval rejects her advances, the queen further establishes her ill will towards the good knight by saying, "I well believe that you do not like this kind of pleasure. I have been told often enough that you have no desire for women" (pp. 1771). The importance of these accusations exemplifies the queen's power and influence over Lanval. Although he graciously declines the queen's love, he regrettably reveals his love to the queen in an attempt to prove himself to the court. He says, "And I will tell you one thing; you can be sure that one of her servants, even the very poorest girl, is worth more than you, my lady the Queen, in body, face and beauty, wisdom and goodness" (pp. 1771). The manner which the queen entices Lanval reveals that both power and evil can be easily compared to this woman's actions, showing readers the other side of the coin. The division between these two women illustrates how often this society feeds off of a virgin/ whore dichotomy, branding such women

Lanval stays loyal to his promise until Queen Guinevere confesses her interest in him, offering herself to him in which he then he delicately rejects her. Speaking his loyalty to King Arthur. Angry, she blames him of being homosexual, Lanval, because of Queen Guinevere’s accusation says, “The poorest girl of all, is better than you, my lady queen, in body, face, and beauty.” The queen asking to be involved in an adulterous relationship is not seen as ideal behavior for modern women or for twelfth century women. During this time men were commonly known for being dishonest and unfaithful, therefore, to have this woman do this, definitely was a different direction than expected. Hurt by the rejection and statement of Lanval, Queen Guinevere tells King Arthur that Lanval came onto her. Arthur upset at the situation orders that Lanval be sent to court where if he could not prove that such a woman existed more beautiful than his beloved queen, he shall be

On the other hand, Lanval promises the mysterious lady that he would let the lady take control of his life, and therefore he is weak in his own character. On page 74, Lanval states that “Fair lady, if it were to please you to grant me the joy of wanting to love me, you could ask for nothing that I would not do as best I could, be it foolish or wise. I shall do as you bid and abandon all others for you.” In other words, Lanval is offering to do anything to just have her to want to love him. When he states that he would do anything she asks, “be it foolish or wise”, he essentially announces that he would do anything for the woman with reckless abandon. He, therefore, denies the ability to tell the lady “no”. His reckless abandon reveals that he does not value himself, which demonstrates

I am helpless and powerless. I have failed in my duties of caring for my Queen. I have allowed her to slowly suffer in her tormented mind; I have allowed her spirit to crumble and her soul to be lost forever. I am simply a servant of my Queen; I have tended and comforted her since she married into the Macbeth house. Where as many young girls are worried about their pre-arranged marriage; so too was my lady until she saw Macbeth and swore that she had fallen in love. I have been there by her side for many years; I have seen her fall in love; I have seen her lose her loved ones. I was there the very day we drove away from her family, I sat with her the whole journey sitting quietly as I watched gentle tears fall down her face. It was that

Upon first Reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I noticed that it comes off as a romantic normative poem about chivalric ideals and traditions of the ruling class with covertly Christian Images. The protagonist character Sir Gawain stands out as the role model of the chivalric ideals of the 14th century while displaying Christian images on his armor. The combination of Gawain’s armor and actions throughout the poem exemplify his characteristics of Christian perfection and chivalric ideals. The very first scene with Bertilak of Hautdesert known as the Green Knight begins to mold your perception of how chivalrous Sir Gawain is by portraying him as valiant, humble, and virtuous knight to Arthur. I felt that the interruption of Arthur

The tale of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” focuses primarily on beliefs of honor, bravery, and chivalry. The main character, Sir Gawain, embodies these qualities. His character is meant to be a model of chivalry. He emanates honor when he offers to fight the Green Knight for King Arthur. Medieval people would admire this courageous act. In his struggles to keep his promise Gawain demonstrates chivalry and loyalty until his honor is assessed, in the end, by the Green Knight’s schemes. This tale also includes a larger-than-life character who commands respect, the Green Knight. This superhuman being defies all laws of nature when his head is chopped off, yet he still remains alive and alert. These characters and their extraordinary actions provide perspective for the values and interests of medieval people.

However, while she does have genuine love for him, she also is power-hungry. If her husband becomes King, she will be Queen, and the thought of such nobility entices her. Her wants are selfish because they hurt Macbeth and she forces him to act through a combination of emasculation, saying, “When you durst do it, then you were a man” (1.7.49), and sexual manipulation, drawing attention to her breasts with, “I have given suck” (1.7.54). She never tells him to act because it will make him happy or even to act because she loves him. Later in the play, she realizes her wrongs and goes mad. The doctor remarks, “infected minds/To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets” (5.1.62-63), implying that she is sick in the head because of her wrong-doings. She obviously feels remorse when she sleepwalks, trying to wash away the imaginary blood because she says, “Hell is murky” (5.1.31), showing her fear of what fate she will meet after she dies. If her motives were only fused with love and support for her husband, she would not have felt the compulsion to better her hierarchal standing in society and would have been content to live as a noblewoman. Furthermore, she would have seen that Macbeth has no initial want or need to kill and that his prophesy would have been fulfilled without his own interference as Banquo’s had been.

Those closer to the top of the feudal system had most advantages. For the king, there was the obvious advantage that he had an army ready to serve him the moment he required them, as well as a group of powerful men who supported him. Perhaps it was the barons, though, who gained most from the feudal system. They were given land, and frequently other gifts to encourage them to support the king. In return they had few arduous duties to perform. The knights were well off under the system as well, as they were given land, and occasionally food. The peasants also

She feels as though if her husband is incapable of becoming king she will do what is necessary herself in seeing that she is queen.

Feudalism, as a decentralized political system, flourished in Medieval Europe. In this essay, the main political and economic characteristics of Feudalism will be mentioned, while discussing the main historical factors to the rise and fall of feudalism.