Summary:
A comparison of the codes of chivalry between the knights Ivanhoe and Guilbert in Richard Thorpe's movie "Ivanhoe." Through the codes of chivalry, one could easily determine the characteristics of the knights, as the codes helped to distinguish the bad from the good.
Codes of Chivalry Comparison
In "Ivanhoe", which was directed by Richard Thorpe, knights were supposed to follow the code of chivalry. Some knights had more loyalty to follow the code, while others broke it. The code of chivalry can be distinguished by the knights and how they followed through with it. One of the knights will be classified as bad and the other good. The difference between the good and the bad will be deciphered through which knight follows the code of chivalry the most.
Ivanhoe followed the code of chivalry with the utmost flawlessness. The first code of chivalry he followed was keeping his word. Keeping his word was shown in the movie by Ivanhoe promising to use Rebecca's mother's jewels for a horse and armor. He accomplished this with flying colors because he was seen using the horse and armor in the jousting competition he fought against the Normans. The second code of chivalry he carries out is fighting all sources of evil no matter what. The code of chivalry of which, he is supposed to fight all sources of evil no mater what is proven when Ivanhoe turns down Prince John's offer to join his side during the jousting competition. The evil was Prince John who did not wish to save Richard, which was the person Ivanhoe was fighting for in the beginning. The third code of chivalry Ivanhoe followed was showing respect and pity for the inferior. He showed respect and pity for the inferior by standing up for Rebecca in her trial for being a witch. Standing up for Rebecca was possible because Ivanhoe challenged one of the Norman knights to a duel to save her from being scorched in the fire.
Guilbert was a malevolent knight who served Prince John. He broke the code of chivalry of giving his word by arresting Ivanhoe without giving freedom to his friends, which he promised to do. He just took advantage of Ivanhoe as if he did not even care about the code of chivalry. Then Guilbert broke the code of chivalry of the willingness to defend no matter what. Then breaking the code of chivalry of having the willingness to defend no matter what was done by Guilbert retreating from the castle that he was supposed to defend. He then broke the code of chivalry that included respect and pity for the inferior. He broke this code by seizing Rebecca and using her as a shield to escape the castle that he was defending. Encompassing respect and pity for the inferior was one of the worst codes he broke because women were highly regarded in the code of chivalry.
Through the codes of chivalry the characteristics of the knights could easily be determined. It helped distinguish the bad from the good. The good knight was Ivanhoe who lived up to the expectations of the codes of chivalry. On the other hand was the bad knight, Guilbert, who did not live saintly upon the codes of chivalry. The differences between Guilbert and Ivanhoe show that some knights reside on the side of the codes of chivalry and others do not.
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