Chivalric Essat

Lauren Guerra

July 20, 2014

Professor Amber

Chivalric Essay

Ivanhoe is a story set in England a few generations after the Norman

Invasion. The invasion was between the Saxons and the Normans. Big issues arise

when neither of the two people groups agree to speak one another’s language. King

Richard is in prison, while is brother, Prince John, is reigning and abusing his power

by oppressing the Saxons. The Saxons furious with the Normans are being made as

serfs and having their land repossessed. The father of our main character, Cedric,

was so furious that he disowned his son Ivanhoe for following King Richard to war.

This story is mainly about two things, the Norman rule and the conflict between

Ivanhoe and his father.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written in England, and takes place

during Christmas time. The knights are all gathered at King Arthur’s Court

celebrating when a mysterious green knight with green horse and axe comes

storming in. He announces that he wants to test the knights at the tables honor and

gives them a challenge to which none took. Until Sir Gawain, Arthur’s nephew,

volunteered in place for the king. The rest of the story consists of Sir Gawain on his

journey to find the Green Knight and finish the challenge, but ends up testing his

knightly virtues throughout the whole process.

In both Sir Gawain and Ivanhoe, one of the key points is obviously chivalry.

But another thing that they both have in common is that they are both set in the

past. Ivanhoe back with the Norman conquest and Sir Gawain back in King Arthurs

day. When the writers wrote these two pieces of literature, they went back in

history to these supposed romantic and magical times.

The differences between the two are mainly about the conflicts. In Sir Gawain

it’s all about the conflict within. Should he keep his knightly virtues or is it okay to

stray from some of them. While in Ivanhoe it’s all about the Norman and Saxons

fighting as well as Ivanhoe and his father. In Sir Gawain, he is going on a quest not

only for the Green Chapel, but take care of the problem the Green Knight presents.

He 's going from Camelot to the wilderness traveling distances and doing things. But

in Ivanhoe he 's trying to resolve the tensions between these two people groups, but

is rather inactive because he spends half of the book on the sidelines. But him being

a Saxon Knight loyal to King Richard who is the Norman King ends up putting to rest

his brothers revolt and results in the Saxons and Normans cooperating with one

another.

These two pieces of literature are not only well written, but are also very

entertaining. In both there is a good conflict, the Green Knight being my favorite,

and both have the perfect setting if renaissance is amongst one of your favorites.

With Sir Gawain there is just enough mystery to make it interesting and romance to

keep reading it. Ivanhoe is an adventure novel that has been around for a long time

because it’s simply fantastic. The conflict between Ivanhoe and his father seems to

be relatable and his adventures, though at times hurt, are very enticing. They both

have a likeable quality that always satisfies.

Work Cited

Greenblatt, Stephen, and M. H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: Norton, 2006. Print.

Scott, Walter. Ivanhoe. Linköping: n.p., 1907. Print.

Cited: Greenblatt, Stephen, and M. H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: Norton, 2006. Print. Scott, Walter. Ivanhoe. Linköping: n.p., 1907. Print.