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The code of chivalry knighthood
Chivalry in the knight's tale
Chivalry in the knight's tale
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More handpicked essays just for you.
The code of chivalry knighthood
Chivalry in the knight's tale
Chivalry in the knight's tale
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Monty Python is a great comedic film filled with hilarious satire mocking medieval literature. It features parodies of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight using sarcasm, irony, and ridicule. It may be humorous or include dark comedy. This was usually the case when they were making fun of the films different themes such as chivalry, religion, the knightly code, and the noble quest. Monty Python portrays similar themes when comparing the film to the medieval stories Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
The British comedy Monty Python and The Holy Grail is the story about a man, King Arthur, and his knights on a mission to find the Holy Grail. On their quest they endure the many tough obstacles of the Middle Ages. Some of these obstacles being realistic and others on the more impractical side. The movie’s filmmakers were aiming to satirize every branch of the Middle Ages such as the medieval Catholic Church, learning and education, the knight’s code of chivalry, and feudalism. One example would be the use of coconuts to imitate the sound of the horses’ hooves hitting the ground.
The Aurthian legends of chivalry and courtly love are archaic. Chivalric code includes being a courageous knight that is willing to sacrifice himself for his king; to be strong during all battles and have integrity in all situations. Courtly love refers to an unattainable love between a knight and a married woman. Although polite and courteous, the knight may only win a kiss from the lady in the end. With that, satire is used today as a way to make fun of these outdated themes.
The movie opens with King Arthur “riding” into town, not really riding but having his servant beat coconuts together behind him so it sounds like a horse’s hooves. Even from the beginning of the movie the satire that made the movie what it is today is clearly visible. Arthur goes into town to find his Knights of the Round Table: “Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Galahad the Pure, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot, and the aptly named Sir Not-appearing-in-this-film”(Monty Python and the Holy Grail). The movie is based on the knight’s many adventures on their way to find the Holy Grail. On their way to finding the Grail they face a varying array of horror, including a persistent Black Knight, a three-headed giant, a group of shrubbery-challenged knights, a killer rabbit, a house of virgins, and a handful of rude Frenchmen.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail’s creators emphasized carelessness and cowardice. The knights ran away in fear, killed innocent civilians, and argued over nonsense. Every component of this Arthurian Legend was twisted around in order to satirize the story. For example, Arthur’s battle with the Black Knight was an important component of the legend conveyed in a completely different light. The fight was hilarious rather than glorious.
In this essay the writer J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur is writing to people during the time period 1782. The reason he wrote this article was to promote Americans as Europeans who have went into another country because they weren’t happy with their current standing in their own country. While, reading this essay the author had an inspired tone while he was writing about Americans. Because of the writer’s diction, similes, and other rhetoric devices this still has an impact on the people even though it was written in 1782.
“Satire is traditionally the powerless against the powerful.” – Molly Ivins. Satire is a style of criticism that can be used in many ways and in many different situations. Occasionally satire is easy to find, other times it may be disguised. Most of the time satire is found in literature.
ver time, humans have always created stories and conjured up personifications of evil to explain the unknown - whether it was the myth of the vampire, spurred on by Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the receding of skin that causes a corpse’s nails to appear longer, or the myth of Wendigos, a create of evil in Native American culture. Many cultures and civilizations, new and old, have their fairytales and monsters in the dark, to explain the unknown. We see this in Beowulf, where Grendel is a representation of Satanic evil in the Bible due to the heavy influence of faith in Germanic warrior society, as opposed to monsters in modern society such as the zombie, which is a reflection of evolving political fears. In Beowulf, the first antagonist the reader
Parodies A parody is an imitation of something, typically literature, that is exaggerated for comedic effect. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a parody of the legend of King Arthur. From downright foolishness to sophisticated satire, parodies comment on an original work and do so in an entertaining manner. Monty Python makes a mockery of the classic King Arthur story and causes some laughs along the way.
There is only one man that is not afraid to confront this enormous beast, Beowulf. Beowulf is fearless and eventually rips the arm off of Grendel and brings it upon King Hrothgar. The people are overjoyed and feast in the great hall. Grendel’s mother however is furious about the death of her son. Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother with his sword.
In the Canterbury Tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer, satire is shown in many characters throughout the poem. The Friar, Monk, and Pardoner may seem like normal, and worthy people, but their true colors will show. Satire brings out the true characteristics of each character. The Frair, Monk, and Pardoner all have something in common. They are all suppose to be holy religious figures.
Alice in Wonderland Societal Reading Victorian society demanded a specific role of civilians with strict expectations they always adhere to. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, more commonly recognised by his pen name, Lewis Carroll, is one author who questioned these expectations through the use of satire within his text Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Satirizing the rule and conventions of Victorian society is one manner in which Carroll subverts the nature of this time period by drawing specific attention to the worst aspects and proving how ridiculous they truly are.
The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, explores the personalities of an eccentric group of characters who are making a religious pilgrimage to Saint Becket’s resting place. Although Chaucer’s sharp observances and literary techniques are essential to the literature, it is the central theme of humor bordering on satire that is most crucial to pay attention to. Chaucer develops this theme by The Nun, Monk, and Guildsmen are three pilgrims who develop the major theme through their outward appearance. When mocking the Nun, Chaucer observes the quality of clothing. “Her cloak, I noticed, had a graceful charm./She wore a coral trinket on her arm./A set of beads, the guadies tricked in green” (161-163).
Monty Python and the Holy Grail was created for comedy to the British. Monty Python is both a parody and satire. Of course parodies aren’t made to be serious, but for laughs. As to why Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a satire too, it attempts to make a point when it imitates another work. Monty Python was a spin on the tales Morte d’ Arthur.
He uses the characters in his stories to help him achieve his goal while writing. Geoffrey Chaucer uses satire to reveal corruption, critique patriarchy, and appraise class and nobility. Chaucer 's use of satire aided him on revealing the corruption of the church. In his story, “The Canterbury Tales,” he shows that many members of the church use their positions for their own personal gain.