is stage of training the most difficult and tedious part was courtesy. A page was an errand boy too, and he had to learn to serve other knights and nobles. There was a belief that this was one of the key elements in becoming a good knight. During this period of time he would also learn the code if courtesy (polite behavior). “A page should not sit until bidden; when spoke to should not fidget, wriggle, scratch or lean against a post; and should speak only when spoken to.”1 It is very obvious why this was the most difficult part in being a page. Proper behavior was hard to follow. The process in becoming a knight was not over as yet. After successfully been trained as a page the next step to knighthood was becoming a squire. Around the age of fifteen or sixteen a page then became a squire. Being a squire was not as bad as a page. There was more excitement. A squire was a servant to a knight, and he would accompany him wherever he went. This meant that a squire could go to tournaments, and they even got the day before where all the squires were allowed to show off their skills by taking part in a mock tournament. In the tournaments of the knights, a squire would stand by his knight ready to aid him, handing him new lances when needed, or if he was wounded, help him from the field. Another exciting duty was squires get the opportunity to guard prisoners. They took and entertained the captives until a ransom had been agreed. Many squires took pride in these occasions to show how chivalrously they could behave. However, a squire did not have only excitement, but he had his normal duties and services to perform also.“They squire’s whole life was governed by the notion of personal service to the knight. He woke him up in the morning and helped him dress. He would welcome visitors on his behalf. He carved meat at the table according to special custom: a duck had to be broken, a hen despoiled and a pea...
