LIBS 1870: Depiction of Chivalry in 'Robin Hood' and 'A Knight's Tale'

This essay compares the theme of chivalry in the films 'A Knight's Tale' and 'Robin Hood,' analyzing how each movie portrays the Middle Ages. 'A Knight's Tale' focuses on courtly manners and individual valor, while 'Robin Hood' emphasizes knightly piety and warrior skills. The essay explores how filmmakers depict the social and royal hierarchies of the time, highlighting the differing approaches to chivalry, with 'A Knight's Tale' showcasing romantic ideals and 'Robin Hood' emphasizing martial virtues. Ultimately, the essay concludes that both films offer distinct perspectives on the values and mental states of the medieval nobility.

Running head: MIDDLE AGES AND MODERN WORLD
MIDDLE AGES AND MODERN WORLD
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1MIDDLE AGES AND MODERN WORLD
Compare how one of the five themes we’ve studied (religion, violence, inequality, chivalry OR
filth) is depicted in 'Robin Hood' versus 'A Knight’s Tale'. What is the overall impression of
the Middle Ages the filmmakers are trying to leave viewers with? Is it the same for both films?
Chivalry refers to the informal code of conduct that was developed between the year
1170 and the year 1220 (Prestage, 2013). This code of conduct kept varying in spite of the fact
that the code of conduct was never decided or even summarized at any single document since the
inception of the code of conduct. The following essay deals with the themes of chivalry as has
been depicted within the movies of ‘A Knight’s Tale’ and ‘Robin Hood’. The essay also deals
with the overall impression of the various Middle Ages as is depicted by the filmmakers towards
the various audiences of the modern ages. The essay further tends to explore the depiction of the
chivalry in both the movies in discussion, ‘A Knight’s Tale’ and ‘Robin Hood’.
‘A Knight’s Tale’ was a movie of the adventure-comedy genre that depicts the American
medieval conditions in the year 2001. The movie was written, produced as well as directed by
the eminent filmmaker, Brian Helgeland. The storyline of the movie is demonstrated in an
anachronistic style and bears references to the modern days. The storyline of the movie follows
of the life story of the protagonist of the story William who poses to be a knight and moves on in
his life to win many battles as well as tournaments and win various accolades (Chaucer, 2016).
The life journey of the concerned protagonist acquires friendships with the certain historical
figures like the Edward the Black Prince and Geoffrey Chaucer (McGrath, 2015). The movie
opens with the jostling tournament wherein the two young squires discover the death of their
master. The team would have won the concerned tournament had they won just the last match.
Thus, one of the squires impersonates their master by donning the armor of the master and
eventually wins the tournament. The concerned squire wins the tournament and develops an

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addiction to the winning of the various tournaments. He decided to train for the events and
became one of the best jousts. The movie depicts the chivalry that is present through the various
prime characters that are present within the storyline. The protagonist of the story majorly
focusses on the depiction of the chivalry which includes the depiction of valor within the
tournament arena while he had been fighting to gain the accolades and the titles (Taylor, 2013).
The movie further moves on to depict a bond of infatuation that is developed by the concerned
protagonist towards a certain noble lady (Pearsall, 2013). The chivalry of the concerned person is
depicted in the courtly attitude that is depicted by the protagonist towards the lady as well as the
various factors that are related to the conditions that might help in the development of the idea of
the honor as well as the nobility present within the concerned culture prevalent in the middle
ages.
‘Robin Hood’ an adaption of the tales of a legendary outlaw of the same name. The
movie has been produced a number of times by various filmmakers. The adaptation that was
released in the year 2010 tends to follow the various characteristics that are related to the genre
of epic-war drama of British-America (Martins, 2014). The movie opens with the storyline that
depicts that the protagonist of the story, Robin, is one of the archers in the royal army. The
protagonist along with some of his comrades flee the place after the assassination of the king and
attempts to stop the division of England. The movie ends with the declaration of the archer as an
outlaw and the fleeing of Robin to the Sherwood Forest wherein he is known to have formed an
association of various fleeing and outlawed people who have been known to form a band of
followers according to the legend. The filmmakers of this movie tended to deal with the
chivalrous aspect as depicted by the protagonist of the story. The story line of the story majorly
depicts the knightly valor of the protagonist as he moves through the story demonstrating the

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various warrior skills that were mandatory for the various warrior-classes during that era
(Cawthorne, 2013). The chivalry of the protagonist is hugely depicted through the various
aspects of the war policies that are undertaken by the leader. The chivalry of the protagonist is
further depicted in the manners that are related to the fulfillment of the promises that were
extended by the concerned protagonist to the various other members of the royal army who had
chosen to follow his leadership against the plans to divide the country of England (Parker, 2013).
The chivalrous activities of the concerned protagonist might include the various factors that
include the depiction of the valor of the concerned character as well as the knightly characteristic
of keeping true to his own words. The protagonist of the move is often observed to have been
depicting the chivalry in terms of the valiant fights that he might have undertaken and the ways
that he had adopted in order to resist the division of the country o England.
The movies tend to depict an almost similar attitude towards the depiction of the various
aspects of chivalry. The movies tend to depict the knightly valor as well as the courtly manners
that were prevalent among the members of the various governing bodies that were existent in the
then society. The concerned movies tend to depict the social as well as the royal hierarchy that
was followed within the society of the Middle Ages (Driver & Ray, 2013). The movie entitled ‘A
Knight’s Day’ concentrates more on the matters that are related to the courtly manners that were
observed in the middle ages. The movie efficiently depicts the treatment that was meted out by
the protagonist towards the noble lady whom he had been infatuated with. On the other hand, the
movie entitled ‘Robin Hood’ discusses the warrior ethos and the knightly piety that is depicted
by the various members of the society who belonged to the higher sections of the society majorly
the knights and the other members who were responsible for the defense of the concerned
territorial boundaries.

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Thus, from the above discussion, it might be pointed out that the filmmakers who have
been dealing with the subjects pertaining to the Middle Ages tend to depict the chivalry as well
as the mental states that were shared by the nobility of the era. The above essay focusses on the
chivalry that is depicted by the protagonists who have been involved in the movies that have
been discussed in the above essay. The concerned movies in discussion tends to discuss the
various factors that are related to the depiction of the chivalry as well as the depiction of the
Middle Ages through the concerned movies.

5MIDDLE AGES AND MODERN WORLD
References
Cawthorne, N. (2013). A brief history of Robin Hood. Hachette UK.
Chaucer, G. (2016). The knight's tale. Cambridge University Press.
Driver, M. W., & Ray, S. (Eds.). (2013). The medieval hero on screen: representations from
Beowulf to Buffy. McFarland.
Martins, A. R. (2014). Knight's Tales: Looking at Representations of the Knight on Film.
McGrath, C. (2015). Redcrosse Knight and the Misconception of Medieval Chivalry.
Parker, M. (2013). Alternative business: Outlaws, crime and culture. Routledge.
Pearsall, D. (2013). The Canterbury Tales. Routledge.
Prestage, E. (2013). Chivalry. Routledge.
Taylor, C. (2013). Chivalry and the ideals of knighthood in France during the Hundred Years
War. Cambridge University Press.