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2 lives of charlemagne analysis
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The two lives of charlemagne
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The medieval period was a chaotic era in European history as it was a time of constant change and conflict. Set during the rule of Charlemagne, King of the Franks, as he aspired to expand the size of his empire into what ultimately becomes the Carolingian Empire. “The Song of Roland” presents Charlemagne as a decisive leader with genuine aspirations of expansion. His army looks up to him with the utmost respect while his enemies fear his might. The Pagans aim to keep command of their land. However, they are well aware of Charlemagne’s power. Going to war with the Franks is an unpleasant necessity in the eyes of the Pagans. To conclude, Charlemagne is presented as a willful ambitious leader that earns the respect of everyone around him, regardless if they are …show more content…
The Franks view their leader with the highest respect. Differences may exist, but without a doubt all his men praise him. Ganelon, who went on to betray him and the Franks, demonstrated the utmost respect for Charlemagne during his meeting at the embassy. At the embassy meeting, Lord Marsile asks Ganelon whether the elder Charlemagne would ever end the war. Ganelon, despite his opposition to continuing the war, replies “Charles is not such a man; No one who sees him or who gets to know him can fail to say that the emperor is valiant. I cannot praise or extol him enough, as there exists no more honor or excellence than his” (45). Ganelon may have subtly recognized Charlemagne’s authority, and it speaks to the magnitude of Charlemagne’s influence. A conversation about Charlemagne from a Frank, including one plotting against him, cannot occur without acknowledging the influence Charlemagne has. Old and hoary as Marsile calls him (46), Charlemagne is still a vital, almost mythical, figure for the Franks. Oliver and Roland lead the rearguard in a battle against the Pagans. Oliver notices the Pagan army that clearly outnumbers his side, and he begs Roland to blow the horn so “Charles will
Charlemagne is a known for his success to try to maintain his empire. This new empire will embrace the unity of Christian faith. Under Charlemagne, new lands are conquered and a Renaissance is embraced. He even tries to revive the Christian faith. Charlemagne is a man that hopes to be an inspiration to the next generation. These deeds of Charlemagne is seen in the Two Lives of Charlemagne. In the Two lives of Charlemagne, both Notker’s and Einhard’s goal is to portray Charlemagne as a man of good character, a man that accomplishes many deeds and a man that hopes to provide an outlet for the next generation.
Charlemagne is described by Janet Nelson as being a role model for Einhard. Einhard himself writes in the first paragraph of The Life of Charlemagne, “After I decided to write about the life, character and no small part of the accomplishments of my lord and foster father, Charles, that most excellent and deservedly famous king, I determined to do so with as much brevity as I could.” I feel that these are sincere words about the man who cared for Einhard. I feel that Einhard’s purpose for writing The Life of Charlemagne is to praise the works of his “foster-father” and create a historical document that would describe the great deeds of Charlemagne so that he would not be forgotten throughout time as a great leader and man.
The Relationship of Political and Religious Societies in the Age of Charlemagne, Based of Einhard's The life of Charlemagne sections 15-33
The reason Einhard wrote his biography of Charlemagne was to explain to the world how this man, who was also his personal friend, was a great leader. Einhard begins by telling some history of Charlemagne’s family and ancestry. Einhard then goes on to tell about every war Charlemagne was ever involved in. Einhard’s main reason for writing this description of Charlemagne’s reign is just to inform people of what he believe to be the reign of the greatest ruler of all time. He seemed proud to have lived at the same time as Charlemagne. He thought Charlemagne made no mistakes in the wars he was involved with. Einhard was proud of what Charlemagne did for the churches at the time of his reign. “Whenever he discovered one in his kingdom that was old and ready to collapse he charged the responsible bishops and priests with restor...
The two lives of Charlemagne as told by Einhard and Notker are two medieval sources about the accounts of the life Charlemagne. Modern sources by Matthew Innes and Rosamond Mckitterick discuss how history was recorded during the medieval period and how it was suppose to be viewed in the early ages. Observing each of these sources helps get an understanding of how the writing of history is important in recorded history and how it affected how the history of Charlemagne was recorded.
Every historian interprets the past differently and with distinctive perspectives, resulting in many sides to one story. Often the reader must decide which perspective is more logical, likely, or coherent. Recounting one war took a lot of time and effort because of the necessity to include all sides of the story. Becher, Barbero, Collins and Backman have approached the life of Charlemagne with different points of view; however, Barbero seems to have the strongest argument for the cause of the Saxon War. The other historians were less willing to see the Saxon war as a religious war. The life of Charlemagne was interesting to historians because it was filled with many vigorous wars that he fought including the infamous Saxon War. From the beginning of his life, Charlemagne was destined to rule a nation and lead his people into war, achieving both triumphant victories and devastating defeats. He died of sickness in old age, thus leaving the kingdom in the hands of his son. The Saxon war was the most persistent, yet hostile war he fought because of the determination and severity of the enemy. However, the questions remain: “What actually caused the Saxon war? What gave it life? What are all the different events that occurred during this war? What are some of the strategies used during this war?” The wars he fought resulted in his success as a ruler and as a historical figure to reflect on when considering the greatness of kings.
The evolution of human society consists mainly of ineffective ruling regimes and oppressed peasants. Medieval Europe falls into this same pervasive cycle. Social and political hierarchies intertwine which creates a grossly inefficient system. Hereditary lineage determines nobility. Commoners possess no hope of social mobility. Every aspect of life is virtually preordained. These circumstances revolve around the figure Lanval by Mari de France. Mari de France introduces Lanval as a courteous and distinguished knight of King Arthur’s court. Lanval possesses the most moral nature of all of King Arthur’s knights, yet even so, the other knights of King Arthur’s round table despise him. The many knights neglect acknowledgment of his nature as does
In understanding God as the greatest good, and of all things working towards good, it would be easier for Roland to find hope to carry on in battle. In addition, the punishment of Ganelon’s treason would also be assured in a larger sense, as evil is its own punishment. Finally, the understanding of all Fortune as working towards the good would enable Roland to see the good that could later be brought out of the tragedy of the rear guard. As a whole, the agreement of the philosophy of Boethius’ with the actions of Roland are clear, and the work is applicable in its arguments to the code of knighthood as well as on an individual
Unfortunately, the role of ignorance and jealousy combining to breed fear and hatred is a recurring theme in history ultimately exhibiting itself in the form of prejudice. As demonstrated through the altering of historical events in The Song of Roland, the conflict between the Christian and Islamic religions takes precedence over the more narrow scope of any specific battle and is shaped, at least in part by the blind perception of a prejudice born of the ignorance and envy Christian Europe had for representatives of the non-Christian world. To fully see this prejudice and its effect on the participants, it is necessary to recognize the circumstances of the "real" battle along with the altering characters and settings attributed to its later writing, understand the character and beliefs of the participants, and carefully examine the text itself to see how prejudice comes into play.
“The Song of Roland” illustrates very clearly the impact, efficacy and consequences of the feudalism as a political and social system. Feudalism is rightly pointed on ordering the social classes in the text by distributing the power gradually in each of them. A good example to make this clear is when the pagan king, Marsile, tries to trick on Charlemagne (Charles the Great) and offers to be his vassal and the reign of Spain. This giving would actually never happen, as he will still continue to be Spain’s king just as he has been before the “deal”, except the occasional situations when Charles may find appropriate to intervene. This is how the deal mildly organized the social order through power, giving Charles freeway and absolute power to do as he wishes, giving the Muslim king significant power, giving the others that follow immediately under him a little less power, and so on.
When comparing the epic poem of The Song of Roland to the romantic literature of Ywain, the differences between the early medieval period and the high medieval period become evident. Both The Song of Roland and Ywain depicts the societies from which each story derives its fundamental characteristics. Through close observation, one is able to see the shifts in customs and mentality that make the move from the epic to the romance possible. In his chapter 'From Epic to Romance', R.W. Southern shows how this transformation manifests itself through changing ecclesiastical and secular thoughts and feelings.
The epic poem, “The Lay of the Nibelungs” (1200’s), set to practice the major pillars in the code of chivalry that the Duke of Burgundy in the 14th century eventually condensed and ascribed to the Burgundian Knights: Faith, Charity, Justice, Sagacity, Prudence, Temperance, Resolution, Truth, Liberality, Diligence, Hope, and Valor. Though values bear merit, “The Lay of the Nibelungs” teaches that true worth and longevity comes from assessing the situation and applying intellect to the code, from submitting to God, and from not cheating the system (the laws and cultural norms of the time that be).
The Song of Roland inherently is an epic about the values of knights. The courage, selflessness, respect, honor, and devotion are key characteristics of Roland, Oliver, and Thierry. Lord and vassal relationship occupied a significant place in the chivalric code: and Roland, Oliver and Thierry serve as examples of faithful vassals, who primarily things about his promise to serve the king. Indeed the honor of the knight lies in allegiance to his word and valor. Thus, Roland, Oliver, and Thierry put all of their lives on the altar of serving their
To help understand a little more about Medieval Thought An Introduction, the following outline will be used in this review: first a look at the author, his professional background and his objectives with respect to this book are discussed. From there the layout of the text will be thoroughly looked at, with detailed descriptions of major points in the chapters, which are relevant to this review. Finally conclusions will be drawn from the information stated above as to whether or not this text is to be considered a valid depiction of the facts.
Knights were supposed to protect their people and keep them safe. In fact, willing to lay their life down for them. The poem says, "Roland's