The Shipman was an older man who walked with the most subtle of limps in his step. His eyes twinkled when spoke of the sea and of his family. When he laughed, his whole body shook. He was a friendly sort and spoke easily with most of the company, only seeming to become quiet around those he considered vile, such as the Doctor or any that spoke wrongly of a woman or Ethiopian. Some of the company teased him about his quick fingers and how he used them to take wine from the captain’s quarters, and he simply glowed with pride. When it was his turn to tell a tale, the company gathered around eagerly. Each was certain that someone so experienced would know a few great ones. However, an unusual bashfulness came over the man, as if he forgot he would have to tell a tale at all. After a few playful jibes, though, he began to speak.
The Shipman’s Tale
Many years ago, in a village that was not too different from any other, there lived a poor son of blacksmith named Fendrel who dreamt of being a knight. The other villagers looked down upon the lad for his aspirations, citing his father’s occupation and his mother’s birthplace as their reasons, yet he paid little attention to their scoffing. He trained, night and day, until he was the best horserider and fighter the village had to boast about.
Of course, the better he became, the more word of his skill spread throughout the kingdom. Eventually, rumor of a lad already more capable than all of the kingsman reached the ear of the
Sir Gawain, nephew to the well-known King Arthur of the Round Table, is regarded as the most elite and noble of all the knights in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Yet, like anyone else in the world, Sir Gawain is far from perfect. Gawain, a courteous knight living a life dedicated to honor, courage, and self-preservation, is tested on his chivalrous code throughout his journey; a search for the Green Knight. Throughout the tests, Gawain’s actions reveal that even the best of men can be selfish and are subject to guilt and sin.
Finally looking at them he stared and slowly placed the paper at the top of his cluttered desk, turning to the two men and sighed the first words, "More of this madness.” Gazing out the window he continued, “For months this town has been unsettled and upset because of these damn requests and these damn ships. Were you present yesterday at the fight at the waterfront?” They shook their head no. “Over the most unbelievable thing,” he shook his head as if scolding school boys. “It seems that one of the sailors, a questionable man he must be, to go on this voyage and perhaps with a bit too much drink in him, told your Captain that,” here the shop keeper played the part of a drunk, “Aye, the 'La Gallega' was a most awkward ship for such a voyage!”
Brian Helgeland’s medieval comedy A Knight’s Tale follows the adventure of William Thatcher and his fellow peasants as they attempt to win tournaments by posing as a knight.
“British Troops liberating Bergan-Belsen found that the Nazi’s had experimented using human skin for lampshades.” During the Holocaust over ⅓ of the population of Jews died (factretriever.com). The Devil’s Arithmetic novel was adapted into a movie that has many differences and similarities. It also has two important themes, know your heritage and perseverance. There is four similarities between the book and the movie.
The value of nobility in the middle ages can hardly be questioned. The majority of nobles lived a life of luxury, having riches beyond the wildest dreams of commoners. When one thinks of medieval knights, nobility is often comes to mind, but did knights have to be members of the noble class? Sir Thomas Malory’s “The Tale of Sir Gareth” examines this question and presents an interesting view as to the true value of a knight. Malory uses the actions of important characters to reveal his opinion that the nobility of a knight was secondary to his integrity, courage, and benevolence.
The legends and tales of the knights of King Arthur’s Round Table have resounded for ages—vivid stories of courageous and gallant knights usurping evil while simultaneously maintaining an upstanding reputation. Through the Arthurian tales, one has the opportunity to experience heroic narratives of exemplary models of knights who clearly illustrate the chivalry and honorability one should aspire to possess. No more evidently is this theme displayed than in the 14th century epic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight—a narrative of Sir Gawain, nephew of the legendary King Arthur, and his heroic journey against a mysterious green knight. In this heroic journey, the inherent charisma Gawain possesses and is continually praised for affirms the
When people think of knights, they picture strong, brave, helpful, and selfless men. Gawaine le Coeur-Hardy of Heywood Broun’s “The Fifty-first Dragon”, despite being enrolled in an elite knight school, cannot be described as any of those. Instead, he is overall better described as fearful, insecure and dull. His unenthusiasm about learning any skills of the knight serves as a detriment to his character, causing his peers and teachers to think of him as lazy, a trait that I can somewhat relate to. Despite our one small similarity, Gawaine and I differ drastically in several ways. He is unintelligent, cocky, and gullible, whereas I am the complete opposite on all three accounts.
Sir Lancelot was the first knight to ever join the round table. He was loved by all, feared by many. He would risk his life to serve other countless of times, never failed in politeness and his passion and courage great. He was the pinnacle of what a knight should be, the poster child of what true chivalry is. This reputation followed him throughout his life but, in the end, he himself was his greatest downfall. Throughout this
Over the past month, we read the Story of the Grail by Chretien de Troyes. This poem details the progression of the knight Perceval. In the beginning, Perceval is not called by his name, instead he is referred to as “the youth”. This is an important detail to stress, because the poem is a coming of age story. As the poem progresses, the reader is able to see definitive changes in Perceval’s character. For example, in the beginning of the poem Perceval uses the limited knowledge that was bestowed upon him by his mother in order to complete his “knightly” duties. To make it worse, Perceval feels the need to tell everyone he meets that his mother is the one that taught him everything he knows. Eventually, Perceval outgrows this behavior and becomes a suitable knight. Throughout the poem, Perceval goes through many trials and tribulations, but for the purpose of this essay I will unravel the allegorical meaning of Perceval’s fight with the Red Knight using all four levels of interpretation.
What kind of qualities do knights have during the Arthurian time period? What kind of battles do knights go through? Gawain and Lanval go through many experiences on their separate quests to develop as a character. Both of these men deal with the supernatural and fight mental battles. Both are these men are tested on their chivalry manners as a knight; However, both of these knights differ in many ways as well such as their reputation, courtly manners, and loyalty. Throughout this paper we will see each character’s flaws, how they develop as a person, and reintegrate into society. Additionally, we will also see if each character is round or flat, static or dynamic, and if they are stock characters or not.
In modern day society, it is important to view media through a critical lens to interpret the purpose of each piece. This interpretation skill is also necessary when viewing old pieces of text. William Shakespeare wrote The Taming of the Shrew at the end of the 16th century. Similar to his early comedies, it includes similar qualities including slapstick humor, deception and a happy ending for most of the characters. The play focuses on a concern of the Renaissance English society that some women were shrews, gossipy wives who resisted the assumed authority of a husband in a marriage.
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.
“Money, do you have any spare change?” They looked at me with pity. One dropped a gold coin into my hands. But otherwise, they kept on moving. What had put me in this cursed position? I should be a great knight, not a lowly beggar. Yet here I was, lying on the street asking for money. Some more people came by, I could tell they came from south of here. For one they had their weapons proudly
Poetry is defined as “writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm” (CITE) There are many great poets but one of the most highly regarded is Emily Dickinson. Dickinson is considered the recluse of Amherst, little did everyone know, she would turn out to be one of the most influential poets of not only her time but forever. Two of her poems “This is my letter to the world,” and “Tell all truth but tell it slant” both deal with society and people's emotions. In the poem “this is my letter to the world” Emily writes about the feeling she has as she leaves society. “Tell all truth but tell it slant” is a piece about how the truth is not meant for everyone. Emily Dickinson uses poetic devices such as personification, rhyme scheme, and metaphor to accurately convey the unique themes of her pieces.
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.