Chivalry :: essays research papers

valourWe live in an age where the brutality and the vigilante justice of the knighterrant is no longer acceptable for people with positions of acme in society.While courage and honor are still praised by society, one rarely finds a mantrue to his word regardless of cost. Chivalry towards ladies is sometimesmistakenly decried by those supporting equality for wowork force. And Courtly love, inits modern form, is frowned upon. Those who might have a keen sense of justice very much have only indirect methods of fighting for the right -- legislation justcan never be as satisfying as clouting a jack over the head with the flat of ablade. It seems that justice in American society is often tempered by compromise,rather than a blacksmith. Skill at arms is more often attained as an exercise,rather than a useful tool, and strength of body, while glamorized, is degradedby large numbers of "men of the mind." Chivalry is a lot like ethics it is agoverning principle concerning fair play as far as medieval encounter among yourpeers was concern. Do not attack an unarmed knight - allow him to arm himselffirst, if you un dollar your opponent and your opponent is still able to fight,get off your horse to fight, etc. - fair play with honor and respect. At the end,there still was a winner, and the winner ended up with more respect andadmiration from those concerned that had he fought without chivalry. What am Igetting at? Capitalism can be much the same way. American businesses have takenadvantage of this establishment though, a system that one can cheat in and get awaywith, instead of being honorable and respectable institutions that childrencould look up to. So many things are like this that I just shake my head andsigh when I think about them - is American just a purloin? Where did all the honorand respect go? In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," Gawain made a promise tothe huntsman to give him whatever gifts he received that twenty-four hours in exchang e forwhatever gifts the huntsman received that day. On the third and final day ofSir Gawains visit, he received a green girdle from the huntsmans wife, who washis conundrum lover. The only reason that he accepted it was because he, likeLancelot, had fear in his heart only Gawains fear was dying. The huntsmanswife told Gawain that the girdle had magic powers and would protect him from hisfate, for the succeeding(prenominal) day Gawain was going to fulfill a promise that he had made to