The plot of “The Song” contains two main conflicts: the relationship of the protagonist (Roland) with his stepfather, Ganelon, and with his friend, the peer of France, Count Olivier. Episodes of the first storyline: clash at the council of peers; Ganelon's treaty with the Moors; the trial of Charlemagne's vassals over Ganelon and God's judgment over him. Episodes of the second line: conversation between Roland and Olivier before the first battle with the Moors, their conversation before the second battle, farewell to Olivier and Roland.
The conflict between Roland and Ganelon arises from Roland's attempt to send his stepfather on an embassy to the Moors, which means certain death. Since Roland is Ganelon's stepson, by offering this option, he is actually plotting parricide. Therefore, Ganelon has the right to consider himself insulted and take revenge. In accordance with the norms of feudal law, he announces this in front of witnesses. Did Ganelon violate the measure of revenge by colluding with the Moors? In the text of the "Song" Ganelon is called the "second Judas", but the court of vassals acquitted him, although not without pressure from the relatives of the accused. However, God's judgment was on Roland's side.
The conflict with Olivier is even less clear. Roland, refusing Olivier's request to call for help from Charles, actually destroyed his squad. Olivier cannot forgive him for this and, dying, calls him crazy. However, for some reason, a messenger from heaven descends for the soul of the mad Roland, and not the wise Olivier, and God's court acquits the failed parricide, who was not acquitted by the human court. To understand these paradoxes, one must keep in mind that Roland is not only an impeccable vassal of Charlemagne, but above all a vassal of God and his warrior. Therefore, for him, the Moors are not an enemy on the battlefield, as for Olivier, but pagans, that is, enemies of God, with whom no peace is possible and war with them is his duty in any balance of power.
This is the essence of the knightly ideal embodied in Roland: one can and should kill, but only the enemies of God who do not keep the commandments. But the meaning of the image is much more complex than this compromise: after all, Roland’s crusading zeal does not cancel his guilt before Ganelon, which gave him the right to revenge, nor, even more so, his guilt before Olivier and the entire Frankish detachment, who fell because of his arrogance and pride. How to understand this contradiction?
The point is in the scale of assessments that has already been discussed in connection with Augustine’s Confessions: Roland’s actions are assessed from two points of view - the wisdom of people and the wisdom of God. Earthly wisdom forces us to recognize Roland as a madman and almost a parricide; heavenly wisdom - a warrior of God. Since, in the words of the Apostle Paul, “a fool in the eyes of the world is wise in the eyes of God,” these assessments in principle cannot be agreed upon and reconciled. This impossibility gives the image of Roland a deliberate incomprehensibility and dramatic depth.
14. "Song of the Nibelungs." The image of Siegfried as a combination of mythological and courtly traditions
Patriotic pathos is completely alien to the German heroic epic. Firstly, Germany is very conveniently located - in the center of Europe, it did not fight against invaders. The idea of statehood does not prevail. Secondly, events of the not very distant past in France and Spain are used as a basis. In the German epic, the plot becomes a very distant event. The German heroic epic turns to works where the element of tribal consciousness dominates. The history of the Burgundians is the history of kings. Their death. History appears in the fate of the individual. The German heroic epic arose when chivalric romances had already arisen outside the territory of France. Therefore, Germany knew both heroic epic and knightly courtly literature, which influences stylistics. The content is very ancient, and the heroes are in knightly traditions. "The Song of the Nibelungs" is not the only work of the German heroic epic. The poem "Kudruna" or "Gudruna". A cycle of poems dedicated to Dietrich of Berne. The German epic was discovered very late. "Song of the Nibelungs" 1757 in Switzerland. "Kudruna" in the 19th century. "The Song of the Nibelungs" was created later than others heroic epics. In the German heroic epic, an in-depth psychologism of images appears, and consciously. Dispute: is this a combination of short songs or a complete poem? The first name 20 songs, but this theory does not stand up to criticism, since the evolution/development of images is clearly visible. This unity of monuments is also served by the theme of heroic patriotism, which is uniform. Other scientists - Karl Lachmen - 1200 independent work. Created in the future Austrian lands, on the banks of the Danube. Author unknown. The poem is quite voluminous - 2 parts and 39 songs (adventures). The monument has reached us in 33 manuscripts and 3 editions (A, B and C). A is the most condensed, C is the most common, B is the main option. 1963 - question from Brackert, who believes that all these manuscripts have the right to be considered canonical, because the epic was oral. The division is considered unscientific. The poem is divided into two parts, which clearly differ from each other in style, content and characterization of images. Part 1 – the death of Siegfried and the matchmaking of Brünnhilde. Part 2 – Kriemhild’s revenge. The author has a difficult task: he decided to combine into one different sources: ancient archaic short episodic songs and legends. Song of the 5th century about the matchmaking of Brünnhilde and the death of Siegfried. Tries to connect it with historical facts- the death of the Burgundian state on the Rhine at the hands of Attila. The death is also connected with the fact that Attila dies at the wedding feast with Ildiho, not Gudrun. The difficult task is to bring the monument to unity. This is ensured by the development of characters - they are the same, but they develop. The second is the interpretation of events, which does not change. Third - the theme of fate, tragic heroism. A special poetic stanza. Nibelung stanza - consists of 4 long verses, united by paired rhymes. Each verse is divided into 2 hemistiches, of which the first has 4, and the second has 3 stresses. The last verse of the stanza has 4 stresses in both hemistiches. The Nibelung stanza does not exist in translation. Best translator – Korneev, I went not by the number of stressed syllables, but by the number of words. The author doesn’t know very well who the Nibelungs are; he comes up with the motivations himself. The first adventure brings us up to speed; we have an exposition in front of us. It begins with Kriemhild's dream - a dream about a falcon. The falcon comes from courtly literature, a symbol of the beloved. A falcon lives in her house, and then two eagles kill it. Kriemhild promises herself not to marry. Siegfried enters as a famous knight. Second adventure: he is no longer a mighty knight, but an uninitiated one. Discordant. The influence of courtly literature: knighting, falling in love with Kriemhild according to the stories of wanderers. Siegfried performs feats in her honor and only a year later asks for her hand, only a year later she comes out to him. The brothers do not refuse him, but they order him to help Gunther woo Brunhild. But no one explains why Siegfried knows her well and knows the way to her. He asks to call him a vassal of the Burgundian kings, so that she does not even think about marrying him. Brunhild expects Siegfried to marry her. Gunther cannot win the competition; the invisible Siegfried does everything for him. Defeats Brunhilda. The author says that Brunhild is sad because Siegfried the vassal is marrying Gunther's sister, this is like an insult. Brunhild remains a Valkyrie until her ring and belt are taken from her. In a single combat with her, he loses. She ties Gunther in a knot and hangs him on a hook. Siegfried steals the ring and belt, returns to Kriemhild, throws them under the bench. 13 years pass after the wedding. Sons. Brunhilda doubts and demands Siegfried to come and fulfill her duty as a vassal. He is traveling as a guest. Blok: “Sunny Siegfried”, selfless. There is a dispute between the queens over vassalage. Kriemhild shows a belt and a ring. Siegfried beats her for this. Brunhild demands that Siegfried be killed. Nobody wants to kill him because he holds the yard together. The Avenger is a loyal vassal of Haggen von Tronje, who allegedly descends from the Trojan heroes. Haggen invents war. He comes to Kriemhild and asks to indicate Siegfried’s weak spot in order to protect him. The first part of the poem ends with the death of Siegfried. Kriemhild stays with her brothers - family relations, abandons her son. There is a break at this point. The second part is events 11 years later. The images of Kriemhild and Haggen change. The author needs to motivate why she became an evil witch obsessed with revenge. The first part of the poem is cut off at a tragic point. Treasure hidden in the waters of the Rhine. Matchmakers from Attila (Etzel) come to Kriemhild. Attila turns into a peace-loving, quiet king - they wanted to compensate for their fear with this. Kriemhild will marry him in order to avenge the death of Siegfried and return the Nibelungen treasure. Another 13 years pass, she invites her brothers to a feast. The theme of “excessive heroism.” The author acts very strangely with Brundilda - he simply forgets about her. In the Elder Edda she commits suicide. Brunhilda is a hero of old times, she is not in the spirit of the times. The author motivates Kriemhild's changes. The image of Haggen also changes - a surprisingly honest, decent and courageous vassal. He knows they will die. No one enters a fight just like that, every fight is psychologically motivated. Haggen, Gunther, Etzel and Dietrich of Bern with Hildebrant remain alive. Haggen decides to punish Kriemhild - he tells her that he will tell everything if she kills Gunther. He understands that the king is weak and cannot withstand torture; he can tell about the Nibelungen treasure. Kriemhild kills Gunther, but Haggen remains silent. Then Kriemhild kills him too, but the just Hildebrant cuts off her head.
It is believed that the image of the main character Siegfried (Sigurd) existed already in the 5th century. or even earlier in songs that have not reached us. It is found both in the Elder Edda and in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf. These sources tell of Sigurd's fight with the dragon and of a treasure that will bring misfortune to its owner. This hero has no real prototype; his exploits are clearly fabulous.
Siegfried - tragic hero "Songs of the Nibelungs". The prince from the Lower Rhine, the son of the Dutch king Siegmund and Queen Sieglinde, the conqueror of the Nibelungs, who took possession of their treasure - the gold of the Rhine - is endowed with all the features of an ideal epic hero. He is noble, brave, courteous. Duty and honor are above all for him. The authors of the “Song” emphasize his extraordinary attractiveness and physical strength. The name Z. itself, consisting of two parts (German: Sieg - victory. Fried - peace), reflects the national German identity at the time of medieval strife. Z. appears for the first time in the second adventure, and the mourning and funeral of the hero takes place in the seventeenth. The image of Z. whimsically combines the archaic features of the hero of myths and fairy tales with the features of a feudal knight, ambitious and cocky. Offended at first by the insufficiently friendly reception, Z. is insolent and threatens the King of the Burgundians, encroaching on his life and throne. He soon resigns himself, remembering the purpose of his visit. It is characteristic that Prince Z. unquestioningly serves King Gunther, not ashamed to become his vassal. This reflects not only the desire to get Kriemhild as a wife, but also the pathos of faithful service to the overlord, invariably inherent in the medieval heroic epic. So, in the fourth adventure, Z., who has just appeared in Worms, fiercely fights the Saxons and Danes who attacked the Burgundians. Z.’s main feat is getting a wife for his king Gunther. Z. plays a major role in Gunther's matchmaking with Brunhild. He not only helps Gunther defeat the mighty heroine in a duel, but also gathers a squad of thousands of Nibelungs, who must accompany the bride and groom returning to Worms. The powerful Burgundian ruler sends Z. to the capital city with the good news that he has mastered the warrior maiden, so that his relatives prepare a solemn meeting for them. This causes Kriemhild’s heartfelt joy, who hopes that Z. can now count on marrying her. However, the main thing is yet to come. The obstinate Brunhild does not obey Gunther in the marriage bed. Z., by cunning, helps his overlord to take possession of the bride: wearing an invisibility cloak, he defeated Brynhildr in a serious fight. Having removed her belt and ring, Z. handed her untouched to Gunther, and he himself, invisible, retired to Kriemhild’s bedroom, to whom he handed over the spoils of the marriage. What happened will cause the subsequent tragedy. The quarrel between the two queens turned into disaster for Z. Hearing from Kriemhild that Z. knew her before her legal husband, Brunhild decides to destroy the brave Nibelung, who, having bathed in the blood of the dragon, became invulnerable to arrows. Hagen found out from Kriemhild that the hero has his own “Achilles heel”: a fallen linden leaf covered the area of the body between the shoulder blades, which poses a danger to the brave knight. Trusting Kriemhild sewed a symbol on her husband’s clothes so that Hagen would cover this place with a shield in battles. The traitor Hagen kills Z. while hunting, throwing a spear at the unarmed hero leaning over the stream, aiming between the shoulder blades. The blow turned out to be fatal. Z., mourned by Kriemhilda, was buried with honors in Worms. Z.'s curse predetermines the future fate of the Burgundians; revenge for the death of the hero entails their own death.
Roland- The main thing actor"Songs" . R. is the nephew of Emperor Charles, who instructs him to remain in a mountain gorge in the rearguard of his troops leaving Spain in order to provide them with reliable protection in case of an enemy attack. R., his friend Olivier and twelve peers fight in the Roncesvalles Gorge with countless hordes of Saracens who entered into an agreement with the traitor, Count Ganelon, and R. and his comrades die in an unequal struggle for the sake of “dear France.” R.
A brave warrior who despises danger. His character is distinguished by pride and arrogance, typical of a hero accustomed to winning victories. When he notices that a superior enemy force is approaching their small detachment, he rejects Olivier's advice to blow the horn so that Charles's warriors will hear him and come to his aid. He, as expected epic hero, relies entirely on his own strength. The selfless devotion of the vassal to the emperor, the readiness to sacrifice his life at his first request is the main motive of the “Song”, in which there are no pictures of peaceful life and everyday life, but military councils, battles and duels are described in detail. We learn about R.’s bride, Alda, who dies of grief after learning about the death of her lover only at the end of the poem, and her image does not produce such strong impression, as figures of stern warriors and nobles of Emperor Charles.
R. appears in the “Song” as the embodiment of all the virtues that, according to the ideas of his era, a faithful servant of the emperor and a courageous Christian warrior should have had.
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If Guenelon is not a coward, then he still reluctantly accepts Charles’s order, and Roland, Naim and Turpin themselves sought this commission as an honor for themselves. Guenelon “would be glad to be behind the mountains” at the moment when he is presented with his embassy badges. Having insulted Roland (“braggart and fool”), Guenelon harbors hatred in response to the direct challenge posed to him by Roland, and finds himself completely in the grip of this hatred: Guenelon does not think about twenty thousand Frankish soldiers, nor about twelve peers, nor about defeat, - he thinks only about revenge and considers himself right in it. Let us not look for traces of repentance in Guenelon’s behavior. He's up to last minute gloatingly ridicules Karl, who is rushing to help Roland. At the trial in Aachen, Guenelon not only pleads not guilty, but seeks to resolve the case in his favor with a new crime - he intimidates the Charles barons with the revenge of his relatives. The power of feudal prejudices, blind and destructive force feudal revenge, is shown in the fate of Guenelon - an otherwise valiant knight and loyal vassal, ready to die for Emperor Charles, when he finally has to come face to face with death in the palace of Marsilia.
Karl in the “Song” is a gentle relative and a lord who values loyal vassal service. He yearns for Roland and, upon learning of his death, furiously takes revenge for his nephew. It is interesting to note that the “Song” shows some independence of the baronial council in relation to Charles: Guenelon is not afraid to put pressure on the barons, the barons are not afraid to demand forgiveness for Guenelon, and it is unknown what Charles should have done if not for the appearance of the courageous Thiedry, who stood up , in fact, I’m no longer for Roland, I’m for the insulted dignity of the emperor.
Emperor Charles is an image so popular and famous in medieval Europe that the author does not dwell in detail on his Character. The image of Karl embodies his people's dreams of a fair, wise and courageous master of the country, its guardian, its pride.
Charles is depicted in the “Song” as a sovereign who united all of Europe - the “Song” even attributed to him the conquest of England, which did not take place in reality.
Next to the image of Charles is the image of his faithful adviser, the elderly Duke Naim, whose judgments are decisive for Charles’ actions. It is Naim who advises Karl to put up with Marsilius, Naim advises him to hurry up to the call of Roland’s horn.
But behind this attractive appearance lies cunning, arrogance, vindictiveness, and blind selfishness.
The Barons of Marsilius - the leaders of the Saracen army - are not depicted in a uniformly negative manner; if for some the author finds only unflattering epithets of “scoundrels, traitors and scoundrels,” he endows others with attractive features: the emir from Balaget is “bold and bright in face” and is known for his “glorious disposition.” Ladies cannot look at Margherita without smiling - he is so handsome. In general, the author repeatedly pays tribute to the courage of his enemies and regrets that they are not Christians; then there would be knights!
The negative character and King Marsilius is cunning and at the same time unrestrained, fighting against the Franks either by deception or by stabbing him in the back. The image of Ambassador Blancandrim is masterfully outlined - a crafty, shrewd, coldly calculating courtier, who quickly manages to break the will of Guenelon, who is burning with every vengeance.
Element folk legend is felt most of all in the image of the old Emperor Charles. In the “Song” he is two hundred years old, and the poet repeatedly describes his gray beard.
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Roland's character in "Song" is portrayed through his relationships with four characters. The contrast between Roland and Olivier, his closest friend, who is very different from him in both disposition and character, is especially clear. The Song says: "Roland was brave, but Olivier was wise." Roland is hot and quick-tempered, which will allow him to be more later literature easily become "frantic". Olivier is more balanced; in fact, the ideal knight could be created if they were combined so that a sense of proportion restrained the scope of nature. It is noteworthy that in the European and especially French imaginary the leader is always the character who is characterized by excess and unbridledness. However, as Pierre Le Gentil has shown so well, Roland from the Song is not without weaknesses. First of all, nothing human is alien to him, and he fits completely into the concept of humanity, which, as we have seen, is shared by all the heroes of the medieval and European imaginary. Another couple is Roland and Charlemagne. It has been repeatedly emphasized that “The Song of Roland” is a poem about vassal devotion. This is a work that perfectly expressed the feudal spirit with its basis in the form of the relationship between vassal and overlord. On the stained glass windows of Chartres Cathedral, Roland is depicted next to Charlemagne. It seems to me that the main thing here is the figure of the king (here the emperor). Charlemagne is not an autocrat, he consults, accepts advice, assesses dangers, and regrets the difficult royal duties. His image shows that the supreme political power is not an absolute power in the European imaginary, and this turns the absolutist period of monarchical power of the 16th–18th centuries from an era logical conclusion European political ideology into a deviation within its development. Besides Olivier and Charlemagne, Roland has a friendly relationship with Archbishop Turpin. It is clear that this character, who will also be destined future life in literature, is a representative of the Church. This pair expresses the inviolability of the mutual ties between the layman and the cleric and vice versa, that is, an ideal that assumes that relations between representatives of one social role- these are those who pray, - and the second - these are those who fight, - should be as wonderful as between Roland and Turpin. Finally, in terms of relations between the sexes, Roland does not present anything unexpected. But Alda in "Song" is an unclear character. She is the very friend for whom the hero yearns, and the poem ends almost with the death of Alda. However, the whole intrigue unfolds between men. This is the “rough male appearance of the Middle Ages,” in the words of Georges Duby. The hero Roland also became famous for wearing and using objects marked with the seal of holiness. First of all, this is a sword, Durendal, it has given name, like a living being, and he is Roland’s inseparable companion. Next is the horn, or Oliphant, which he wears in his belt, and this is also a sacred object. It can make sounds, sound an inviting trumpet, and provide assistance, so it could be compared to a cornucopia in its sounding version.
The traditional image of Roland as a hero is emphasized by the importance attached to his death and his grave. The "song" is nothing more than a long agony. And the Roncesvalles Gorge is the most worthy of graves. Such a grave is all the more original because it highlights a very important characteristic feature image of Roland. The action of the entire song is literally immersed in nature, in Mountain landscape, against the background of which the heroic epic unfolds always and only under the sky. It is noteworthy that the legendary memory of Roland is most often found in nature. This is where he left his main mythological traces of his presence: the rocks that he cut in two with his Durandal, the passage of Roland in the Cirque Gavarnie mountain range in the French Pyrenees, or the rock in San Terenzo near Laia La Spezia. Many places, especially in Italy, keep traces of Roland's "tribes". The medieval hero, as we have seen, is always associated with certain place, with geographical space; Roland is a multidimensional hero. Roland also belongs to another group of heroes of the imaginary world - the region of outlandish creatures, giants. In Ronco di Maglio, near Savona, he left the footprint of his giant foot. The most impressive monument to the legend that immortalized Roland is the statue that was erected to him in the German city of Bremen in 1404. This is a five-meter tall statue erected in front of the city hall itself as a symbol of the rights and privileges of the city. It was often worn in processions throughout history and continues to this day.
And in that period, which is usually defined as a transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, - from my point of view, this is a phase of a long historical period Middle Ages, lasting until XVIII century, - an important transformation occurs with Roland. In Italy, he is picked up by ideological and cultural trends, and he falls into real favor with the large princely family of the del Este. Here Roland becomes the hero of those new epic poems in which the chivalric spirit is experiencing rapid flowering. This is one of the most beautiful fruits medieval imaginary, created during the period of flaming Gothic. The works depicting this new appearance of Roland were written by two great writers who enjoyed the patronage of the princely family of del Este. The first of them, Boiardo, is a humanist poet who wrote Roland in Love between 1476 and 1494. In the poem he combines the Carolingian cycle with the novel of the Arthurian cycle. His refined and ornate love experiences are especially developed, and in to a greater extent just in new couple– Roland and the beautiful Angelica. Boiardo inspires the great early 16th century Ferrara poet Ariosto, who wrote Roland the Furious from 1516 to 1532. The extensive poem tells of the war waged by the wicked kings Agramant and Rodomont (from whose name the word “rodomontada”, that is, “boast”) with the Christian leaders Charlemagne and Roland. It also tells about Roland's unhappy love for Angelica. Because of her, in fact, Roland falls into that frenzy to which the poem owes its name. But it also depicts the love of the Saracen knight Ruggiera for Bradamante, and his transition to Christianity at that time. historical time, when the rise of the del Este family began. In Ariosto, Roland becomes a hero of the medieval imaginary times of flaming Gothic, a hero of chivalry and refinement. Further fate Rolanda remains either close to the ancient "Song of Roland" or marked by the influence of the more modern "Roland the Furious". The Ariosto tradition received a special continuation in Sicily, from sculptures on carriage stands to - very often - characters puppet theaters. The transformation that Roland experienced in Italy, becoming “furious” there, gave rise to new type hero-knight - a type of paladin. This word comes from the French palatin, pronounced paladino in 13th-century Italian, a courageous, chivalrous character who felt almost equal to Charlemagne. This word is used by Ariosto in Roland the Furious and from there passes into 16th century French. Since then, Roland has belonged to a special type of chivalrous hero - the paladin type.
Christian Amalvi has described how another direction in the history of the imaginary led to France XIX century, a national and even secular image of Roland appeared. Like most medieval heroes, Roland was immediately taken up by the era of romanticism, and two of the great romantic poets of France dedicated their poems to him, which would be destined to be included in the school literature course. These are "The Horn" by Alfred de Vigny and "The Legend of the Ages" by Victor Hugo. In those same years, everything was done to popularize the “Song of Roland.” The first edition, both provided with a scholarly commentary and accessible to the general public, was published in 1837 by Francis Michel. After this, when in 1867 Victor Duruis introduced compulsory study of history in primary school, and from the moment more and more translations of the “Song” into modern French begin to appear, it becomes a source historical information. The final translation in its impact will be carried out by Leon Gautier in 1880, and this creation of the scientist, who in the same years published a large final work entitled “Chivalry,” will deepen the understanding of the virtues of this social class and its ideology. After 1870, Roland found himself in the company of other valiant "veterans" who were brought together for study in elementary and secondary schools under the sign of revenge in the war with the Prussians. Schoolchildren are told about Vercingetorix, Duguesclin, Joan of Arc, Bayard, Turenne, Gaucher and Marceau. Among them is the defeated Roland. He equally inspires monarchists and Catholics, which is quite natural, and secular republicans, which may already cause surprise. However, Michelet explained them that “The Song of Roland” should be perceived as a creation of the French national genius, as an emanation of the collective soul, Joan of Arc, canonized after the war of 1914–1918 and also recognized by all French, no matter what ideology they adhere to, will take that place. what period political activity Jules Ferry went to Roland.
The place of the hero Roland in today's imaginary Europe is very uncertain. For example, in Italy, in addition to puppet theaters, Ariosto's legacy was to some extent mastered by cinema in films such as Orlando and the Paladins of France (French title Roland, the Steadfast Prince) (1958) directed by Pietro Francisco and Paladins (1984 ) (French title - "Choice of the Seigneurs") by G. Battiato, then in France Roland, perhaps, served as material only for the archaic silent film by Louis Feuillade "Roland at the Gorges of Roncesvalles" (1913) and a work, although not devoid of attractiveness, is nevertheless the least left hopelessly marginal is “Songs of Roland” (1978) by Frank Cassenti.
“The Song of Roland” is one of the most striking works studied in school lessons. foreign literature. Many people like it main character- the glorious knight Roland, who, like a vessel, has absorbed all the most positive qualities, always stands on the side of good, which means that victory in life’s battles will be his.
The characterization of Roland must be considered in sufficient depth so that the full meaning and main idea conveyed in the work.
Roland is a knight, the standard of all the best qualities
The basis of “The Song of Roland” is real events historical events. They were subject to literary comprehension for correct perception by the reader.
The characterization of Roland is quite banal for works of literature of that time. Main character- a knight who seems to embody all the best ideas about the hero that he was seen as in medieval France. Thanks to this essay, each reader gets a unique opportunity to go through the entire hard way Roland, our hero will have only brave-hearted people as his companions.
Personal qualities
Studying the “Song of Roland”, the characterization of Roland turns out to be almost ideal: he is brave, a patriot to the core, and the main thing for him is to keep his previously given word. Roland is loyal to his king and will never betray him, as he despises traitors. Christian faith for him - a value that can be called more important than life itself, which is why Roland’s characterization appears in such noble tones, he is the person who puts religion and the church at the top of personal values, only such people could be called heroes by medieval France.
And he doesn’t lack courage
Of course, the characterization of Roland as a hero of the time implies that he will be the most valiant and the bravest. At the same time, the author adds one more quality to him: he is as smart as he is brave; probably, it is the merger of these two factors that makes Roland almost invincible in any battles. the main objective in the life of our hero it is also formulated quite clearly - the honor of France - the homeland - must be preserved at any cost.
Uneven fight
Even realizing that the last battle described is unequal, Roland accepts it. Of course, a person like him cannot give up, he will fight bravely to the end, even if the end is terrible death. It is also important that the hero devoted the last seconds of his life to thoughts about his beloved country - this is one of the most important moments in the work "The Song of Roland". The characterization of heroes like Roland always follows the same scenario - for your love of your homeland and the church you will definitely deserve eternal life in ballads.
As you can see, Roland is an excellent example of the ideal knight, who were so often praised and presented in literary works that time.
Image of Charlemagne
The characteristics of Roland and Karl are similar in that both heroes are hyperbolic compared to their real prototypes. And if Roland is the bravest and most faithful knight, then Karl is the wisest, the best king. It is interesting that, according to historical data, Charles was only thirty at the time of the start of the Spanish campaign, but our literary Charles is a two-hundred-year-old sage, whose appearance is truly patriarchal. The author also exaggerated the scale of Charles’s possessions, since many of the countries named in the poem were certainly not part of his empire during the period described here. Even the non-existent country of Normandy was also included in his domain. A similar step in literature was often used during the Middle Ages to make the reader admire their hero.
Today Karl would be called a superhero, because only such a person would probably be able to stop the sun in the sky. The power of the influence of Christianity on the literature of that time is also emphasized here, since the sun froze in the sky so that our king could punish all the infidels of the church, thereby guiding other people on the true path who had not yet accepted faith as the only source of truth and enlightenment.
A religious thread runs through the entire poem; we can draw many parallels with biblical stories. Karl and Roland are practically ideal and like apostles. This once again confirms that the literature of that period was quite monotonous and had a single goal - to turn people towards the church.
