Medievalism in the film a knight’s tale

Student’s name

Institution affiliation

Medievalism in the film a knight’s tale

The film was first produced in 2001 by Brian Helgoland. Knights dominated the medieval periods and
were distinguished mounted warriors whose prowess in battles were unmatched. They could only be
afforded by wealthy lords. the film tells the story of a knight using modern references. Knights were
ancient crowned warriors and have since been modernized to adapt the current century practices. The
plot of this film was obtained from activities that occurred during the middle ages and is then referred to
as a medieval film. Through the portrayal of a giant-sized man riding on horseback with armor on, the
author of the film can portray medieval periods to its viewers and take them back to the middle ages.
We can, therefore, relate the occurrences of the past with the current events in the 21st century.
Through characters such as robin hood, viewers can date back the events of heroism to the medieval
periods.

The filmmaker wants the viewers to understand and acknowledge the presence and importance of rules
and order portrayed in the film. In the movie, for one to be knighted, they first have to be squires to
knights. After exemplary performances in battles and heroism, they are then knighted by the king
himself. They swear an oath to own no lands. They can fall in love with only one woman and put their
love first before anything else. they sell their swords to the highest bidder. In the film, Palamon and
Arcite are sworn knights and are bound by oath to be loyal to one another. However, they both fall in
love with the same girl. The rule of chivalry then comes in conflict with love. Chivalry is an obligation
that every knight should keep their oaths. A Medievalism 3 problem then arises when these two nights
find love in one woman. This leads to an inevitable fight between the two knights. This problem is solved
by Duke Theseus who organizes a contest to solve the conflict and the winner would get Emily.

Also, through the character Theseus, viewers are informed of ways in which rules were set and enforced
in the middle ages. The film begins by Theseus punishing a king who had broken the rules of the society
which guarantees death people a proper burial. Also, Theseus shows an image of an orderly universe
with al creation tracing back to God. After the knight who won Emily died, he says that death was part of
God’s plan and that his rules and orders still prevail. Through such occurrences in the medieval period,
we can incorporate the rules and regulations stated in our constitutions in the 21t century. Viewers are
therefore able to identify and relate with middle ages’ practices.

Filmmaker’s image of the middle ages

The producer’s image of the film was dominated by religious fanatism rather than the popular belief of a
dark age. The film ends with the sentence, ‘’God save you if He so wills.’’ The film has so many
incidences of positive references to God and Christological parables. For instance, as William and his
squires ride to a fighting tournament, a common man in the background is heard talking about the
biblical story of peter’s denial of Jesus Christ. Thus, Christianity is a central theme in the tale. Also, when
William rides a horse to church, one bishop rebukes him and makes funny complements about Jocelyn.
This is a symbolism of Jesus’ act of riding on a donkey to the Jerusalem temple. One of Williams squires
comments about the pope’s native French origin and another replies that Jesus was English. This is not
blasphemy. Brian tries to help viewers understand that despite your language, age periods, Jesus Christ
is their ultimate savior.

Also, Brian tries to portray religious acts of love and morality through the characters in his movie.
Palamon and Arcite fall in love with Emily. They spend their time thinking and fighting for the love of a
distant noblewoman. Emily is almost termed as a goddess and the knights swear to do anything to win
her love. They end up breaking the oaths of knights to always protect each other. This is similar to the
religious belief of fighting with everything to win the love of God who is a supreme being and noble in
every way. When Theseus intervenes on the love story between sworn knights, he questions the God of
love and the consequences of falling in love. He, however, ends up admitting that he too has done
despicable things for love. Relating such acts to religion, we can relay the beliefs of the people of middle
ages and those of our own. Religious fanatism is therefore illustrated in this film and is a strong theme
throughout the movie.

I would argue that the film's use of the theme of chivalry is most significant. Throughout the film,
Thatcher constantly refers to the code of chivalry and tries to live up to its ideals. For example, he
always treats the women he meets with respect, no matter their social class, and he is always honest in
his dealings with others. This theme of chivalry is directly connected to the film's depiction of the Middle
Ages as a time of chivalry and honor. By constantly invoking the code of chivalry, Thatcher is positioning
himself as a knight who is worthy of respect and admiration. In a way, then, the film is using the theme
of chivalry to romanticize the Middle Ages.