In the French classic The Song ofRoland, the reader is met with the titular hero of the poem, Roland, whose unwavering faith and resolute bravery make him a paragon of knighthood while his obvious character flaws of pride and stubbornness make him relatable and a model of what not to do. Roland effectively serves as both an example of exemplary chivalric behavior while also offering a clear example of how not to act in some cases. The Song ofRolund itself also effectively serves to inspire similar acts of bravery from medieval knights, using excessive hyperbole and colorful descriptions to motivate knights to try to live up to the impossibilities in the epic Our first real impression of Roland is at the council called by Charlemagne to discuss the truce proposed by King Marsile. Roland quickly makes a name for himself in our eyes by being the first to leap up in response to the proposal, giving no quarter to the pagan‘s offer.
He reminds the king of their earlier treachery when they cut off the heads of the messengers Count Basan and Count Basil and insists that they cannot be trusted again. His final entreaty to the king is one of revenge, when he implores Charlemagne to ”avenge thy two ambassadors that by this knave were slain” (l, XIV). This desire for vengeance against the pagans on behalf of his fellow Franks is our first real impression of Roland and establishes him in a positive light in the eye of the reader, particularly a contemporary reader or listener to the time of the poem’s writing, as a warrior that they can identify with and exemplifies part of the developing code of chivalry. This element of loyalty to his country and to his fellow Franks continues throughout the poem, as Roland becomes enraged over the deaths of Franks, especially those of the Twelve Peers, such as Duke Samsonr After watching Samson die, he cuts the offending enemy clean in half through all of his armor, even in to the horse.
Roland also reinforces his loyalty to the cause of the battle at this point, when he shouts that “ever shall [he] hate” (1, CXVIII) the pagans. Roland’s loyalty extends beyond simply his loyalty to his country and to his brothers; he is also unwaveringly loyal to his faith and to God His single-minded determination to fight and defeat the pagans is born from the fact that they are indeed pagans and need to be made either “slain or Christian“ (1‘ VIII) i Even when everything has gone wrong for Roland and all his friends have fallen by his side, his faith is still steadfast and resolute, praying to God for not only his own soul but for the souls of Turpin and Olivier and all his companions of the Twelve Peersi The reader then sees Roland’s prayers answered when Roland finally dies and his soul is escorted to heaven by not only Saint Michael but also the archangel Gabrieli In the eyes of the reader, only the holiest of men is worthy of being taken to heaven by two of the three named archangels.
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The two specific archangels that are mentioned also carry significance, as Gabriel is the most famous; the one who brought news of Jesus birth to Mary and to the shepherds in the field, and Michael is the archangel who defeated the Devil‘s army in heaven. Michael is also the patron saint of soldiers, adding yet more to his appeal to any warriors in the audience Before Roland is taken to heaven, as his situation grows ever worse, his faith seems to grow ever stronger, as he attempts in vain to destroy his holy sword Durendal so that no pagan should ever wield it in battle. The sword itself is a further reflection of Roland’s strong faith, as it contains “the tooth ofiiiSaint Peter, and Saint Basil‘s bloodmand of my Lord Saint Denis a lock of sacred hair, and of the Virgin‘s vesture a little part and share” (1. CLXXV). A sword containing relics from St. Peter, the first Bishop of Rome, Saint Basil, one of the great fathers of Christianity, Saint Denis, the patron saint of Paris and the most loved saint in France, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, would have held a very strong appeal to knights reading or listening to the poem.
The obvious connection between Roland and this ultimate relic makes for a powerful implication as to the holy nature of Roland‘s work, implying that killing the pagans wherever they may be is doing God’s work. Durendal is also described as being the sharpest sword in all existence in addition to being indestructible, making it an item to be coveted by any knight who heard or read the poem, These qualities of the sword also speak to Roland’s martial prowess as a knight, another element that made his the clear hero of the poem. Roland‘s skill in battle seems to without peer as he cleaves through pagans left and right throughout the course of the poem. Faced with an army of 400,000 bloodthirsty pagans, Roland doesn’t bat an eye, insisting that the Franks will still be victorious and refusing to blow the Olipham. As the battle begins, Roland never falters, not even struggling against the waves of enemies with which he is faced. Armed with the infallible Durendal, Roland achieves feat after feat of impossible martial prowess, even cutting an entire man and horse in half, through the armor and saddle that they were wearing.
He shows no fear facing hosts of 400 men, meeting them willingly and not suffering a scratch for it, losing only his horse, Roland’s skills with his sword make him a readily admirable and identifiable character for the audience, standing out from the rest of the poem as the last one to die in the rear guard, and the only one not to die from a would inflicted by a pagan, but rather by a wound he inflicted upon himself. This trait of Roland‘s personality is a reflection of Roland’s fatal flaw, his pride. Although Roland is the indisputable hero of the poem, his character is marred by some major flaws, namely pride and stubbornness, The flaws ultimately lead not only to his own death, but also to the deaths of all his soldiers and his friends the Twelve Peers. Roland’s pride shows itself back at the council to discuss the truce offered by King Marsile. Roland is the first to jump to his feet to offer a plan, sure of himself and the right course of action in his eyes.
Charlemagne ponders this plan for a time but ultimately chooses to ignore Roland’s advice and accept the truce, which was recommended by Ganelon. When Charlemagne asks for volunteers to take the message back to King Marsile, Roland is quick to volunteer himself, eager to be in the spotlight. Olivier interjects before Charlemagne can say anything, calling Roland out on his pridefulness. Charlemagne echoes the refusal, cursing anyone who wishes to send one of the Twelve Peersi Seeking a redress for his wounded pride, Roland then nominates Ganelon to serve as the messenger, causing a furious outburst from him Roland then provokes him yet further, causing Ganelon to threaten both Roland and Charlemagne, foreshadowing his betrayal of the Franks. This initial insight in to Roland’s character reveals many of his most important traits, including his overwhelming pride.
The most obvious example of Roland’s pride is in his refusal to blow the Oliphant. As the Saracen army draws near, Olivier urges Roland to blow it and summon Charlemagne and the rest of the Franks to come and help them in their fight. In true Biblical fashion, Roland is called upon three times to blow the horn, and three times refuses to do so, insisting that to do so would cause him more shame and dishonor than to die and that they need not fear the pagans. His pride is mixed in with his confidence in his own skill and the abilities of his fellow Franks, but is ultimately a fatal decision for all of them. This pridefulness is also combined with a steadfast stubbornness and a refusal to consider the counsel of his closest friend. Olivier repeatedly offers his advice, begging Roland to sound the horn and save them all, but Roland refuses to change his mind and remains set in his errant ways. When Roland finally sees the error of his ways as the French have fallen around him, Olivier then insists that Roland not blow the horn, citing Roland‘s original reasoning against it.
Roland once again refuses to be swayed by Olivier’s arguments and single-mindedly sticks to his own plan. In refusing to listen to Olivier both times, Roland condemns both himself and all his men to death, The first time, Roland condemns all of his men, because he refuses to call for assistance from Charlemagne to save his soldiers Had he sounded the horn at that time, his mean would have been saved and he would have lived as well. When Roland finally changes his mind and insists on sounding it at his most desperate hour, it ultimately ends up killing him because he blows it so hard, This fatal flaw of Roland‘s completes his character and cements his role as the hero of the poem The Song ofRoland acts as an excellent inspiration for crusading fervor among medieval knights through its plot and characters, especially the character of Roland. The qualities that make him the hero of the poem all serve to make him a desirable role model for medieval knights that sought a way to use their soldierly abilities while also serving God. In this way, Roland serves as a near-perfect example of a crusader, passionate in his love of God and country and steadfast in his hate of pagans.
Roland fulfills both elements of a crusader in exemplary fashion, being a fantastic soldier as well as a faithful and prayerful follower of Gods While he may not have been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, he was certainly campaigning on behalf of Christians against the pagan scourge, making him a one-man precursor to the military orders that were come. The poem also casts the pagans as being lying and treacherous as well as poor soldiers, making the tempting and justifiable targets in the eyes of medieval knights that would have heard or read the poem, King Marsile is blatantly treacherous, planning to lie to Charlemagne and turn on the Franks, having already demonstrated his ill will by murdering Count Basan and Count Basil, Roland also serves as a role model of how not to act, in demonstrating the dangers of being overly prideful.
This might have acted as even more of an inspiration for knights, allowing them to believe that they could do everything that Roland did and more since they could escape the pitfalls of his pride. Roland also exemplified the developing code of chivalry, acting as a role model for knights in that sense as well. Whether written as a call to arms or as a reflection of the values of a society, The Song of Roland effectively served as an inspiration for medieval knights through the titular hero Roland and his obvious virtues as well as his obvious flaws and through the vilification of the pagan Saracens Medieval knights would have found a role model that left some room for additional improvement as well as many reasons to pick up their swords and follow the call to the Holy Land.
