Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

History Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in History

The Tournament And Chivalry As Represented By Chrétien De Troyes, Marie De France, And Geoffrey Chaucer., Hailey Michelle Brangers Dec 2019

The Tournament And Chivalry As Represented By Chrétien De Troyes, Marie De France, And Geoffrey Chaucer., Hailey Michelle Brangers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is a common belief among historians that the tournament was the ultimate expression of chivalry, as a place where knights could openly display their prowess, courtoisie, and largesse. A knight’s relationship with ladies was also crucial to measuring his chivalrousness. Despite the importance of both within chivalric knighthood, little has been done to explore their interrelation. With romance literature being the most tangible source for understanding both the tournament and a lady’s role in it, this thesis explores the relationship between the two. I begin with a brief introductory history of the tournament, establishing its war-centric foundations and touching …


The Downfall Of Chivalry: Tudor Disregard For Medieval Courtly Literature, Jessica G. Downie Jan 2019

The Downfall Of Chivalry: Tudor Disregard For Medieval Courtly Literature, Jessica G. Downie

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I have examined the notion of the gradual demise of chivalric ideals throughout the late-Middle Ages and culminating in the sixteenth century, analyzing how and why the developments of the sixteenth century both enabled and required the English monarchy and the aristocracy to redefine social identities and values, public responsibilities, political duties, and national and religious power. This thesis addresses why the Tudor monarchs appear to have disregarded the examples of chivalric behavior championed by late-medieval writers like Sir Thomas Malory and Jean Froissart, and instead, relied on new works of literature that were more relevant forms …


Lords Of Retinue: Middle English Romance And Noblemen In Need, James Trevor Stewart May 2017

Lords Of Retinue: Middle English Romance And Noblemen In Need, James Trevor Stewart

Doctoral Dissertations

This study shows how medieval poets adapted the romance genre to address contemporary concerns about the regulation and exercise of noble power. Analyzing romances alongside chivalric chronicles, medieval didactic texts, and modern historical studies of the English nobility, this dissertation explores the ideals and practices of chivalry in medieval England from the reign of Edward I (1272-1307) through the deposition of Richard II (1399). Chapters on Guy of Warwick (c. 1300), Ywain and Gawain (mid-fourteenth century), and Chaucer’s Knight’s Tale (c. 1388) argue that Middle English poets promote ideals of both prowess and lordship in their narratives of chivalric heroism.


The Unbought Grace Of Life: Chivalry In Western Literature, Richard N. Boggs May 2012

The Unbought Grace Of Life: Chivalry In Western Literature, Richard N. Boggs

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

The code of chivalry has a rich literary history. From the violence and misogyny of pre-chivalric ancient Greece and Rome, the chivalric code was constructed in a deliberate effort to curb and improve the most violent aspects of male behavior. The chivalric male ideal was built upon the tripartite foundation of the ancient archaic virtues, the gallantry of Germanic barbarians, and the Christian beatitudes. Chivalry sought a male ideal which brought raw strength and power under the concept of legitimate authority. By casting the literary male ideal – the knight – into the role of the defender of the weak …