men of the court. In Renaissance Italy Baldassare Castiglione used his Book of the Courtier (1528) to give advice to men and women while at court. This was based on the etiquette of the knights. In the next two centuries many writers compiled similar advice for both courtiers and worldly gentlemen. By the beginning of the nineteenth century the figure of the knight had become romanticized. Romantic authors like Sir Walter Scott began to attribute modern manners to medieval knights. All of these works show the ongoing adaptation of the concepts of chivalry, a concept that has continued to live on long after the age of the medieval knight.There are many ways in which Chivalry is still present in our society today. Many Chivalrous functions are performed without a second thought. Men opening doors for women, for example, or a man offering up the last seat so that a woman can sit down. These functions are considered standard in todays society. It is a sign of respect for a woman as well as a sign of a courteous man. These are some of the ethics of Chivalry. Many of the ways that people act at the start of a love relationship are derived from Chivalry. The idea that a woman must be wooed by her potential mate and that is a mans job to fight for her virtue, or that it is a mans duty to stand between his woman and danger has been carried down through society from the Middle Ages. Chivalry is also apparent in the way a woman will respond to a mans advances, acting somewhat shy and withdrawn. A woman is always supposed to be submissive to her man. At the time Chivalry was present a woman could never outwardly express her desires for a man. Women are still taught that wanting of the flesh is only for men to succumb to. When a woman yields to her desires she is wrong and punished. Todays punishment however is not quite as harsh as it was in medieval times. Instead of being put to death, women are merely shamed by society. You will ...
