Violence in "The Song of Roland"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses "The Song of Roland" and discusses how the violence expressed in this work is striking in terms of what it says about the religious sensibilities of the age. It also looks at what the song says about the social obligations of the warrior class alive during the eighth and ninth centuries in what is today France. The paper then contrasts this with the way in which violence is treated in Greek mythology, most notably in the "Iliad" by Homer.

From the Paper:

"At other points in classical Greek literature, it becomes abundantly clear that, while the ancient Greeks were certainly congenial to gaining possessions and tribute by violence, they were not consumed with the same lust for honor and for good reputation in battle that drove the Frankish nights of many centuries later. For instance, when the time comes to fight the Trojans, Odysseus feigns madness in an effort to get out of battle; this ruse ultimately fails when Palamedes finds him out and it is hardly unexpected when the former engineers the latter's eventual demise. As an addendum, Odysseus' shameful actions are brought to the attention of the attending audience in a later sequence found in the Metamorphoses when Ajax and he are competing for the weapons of the deceased Achilles; in a moment of withering disdain, Ajax asks why the always-scheming Odysseus should be rewarded when he had to be dragged into the battle in the first place (Parada & Forlag, para.9)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• The Song of Roland. 2007. eNotes.com, LLC. Pp.1-101. (additional bibliographic information such as URL and date source was accessed by client not provided in upload).
• Homer. Iliad. 1994. The Internet Classics Archive. Trans. Samuel Butler. 26 Apr. 2007 <http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.1.i.html>
• Parada, Carlos and Maicar Forlag. "Story of Palamedes." Greek Mythology Link. 1997. Carlos Parada. 27 Apr. 2007 <http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Palamedes.html>
• "Protesilaus." Answers.com. 2007. Answers Corporation, Inc. 27 Apr. 2007 <http://www.answers.com/topic/protesilaus>

More papers on Violence in "The Song of Roland":

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• Research Paper # 69076 : "The Song of Roland"

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