Knights of the medieval age as represented in film, are the representatives of an ancient code that men once lived by. In order to achieve knighthood, there were certain prerequisites. Nobility was one that some of the more touching stories overlooked. The next was that the recipient must have committed some extraordinary act of bravery to prove his worth. The code that they lived by included faith and loyalty to God and the King or Queen. They were defenders of the realm and sworn to uphold the code of chivalry as well.
We’ve gathered a collection of the top five knights in movies to share with you.
Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein
Heath Ledger starred in the film “A Knight’s Tale” in 2001 as William Thatcher, the peon who posed as Knight Sir Ulrich von Liechtenstein. The story followed the life of William who pretended that he was of nobility and a knight who competed in various tournaments and won numerous prizes. The character comingled with Geoffrey Chaucer adn Edward Prince of Wales. The inspiration for the movie was Chaucer’s Canterbury tales, taken from the tale of the same name as the film title.
Bowen
The popular 1996 film “Dragonheart” starring Dennis Quaid and the voice of Sean Connery featured the best hoax ever played in medieval times. Quaid starred in the role of Bowen ,the knight who pretended to slay the dragon. They took their show on the road and the dragon would terrorize a village. Bowen would chase him down and the dragon would feign death. Soon, Bowen was making a lot of money by ridding villages of dragons. The film was a big hit in the mid 1990s. Quaid spent time training with a sword master in preparation for the movie.
Lancelot
Lancelot was one of Arthur’s famous knights of the round table. He fell in love with Guinevere. In the 1981 film “Excalibur,” He defeats Arthur and his Knights until Arthur calls upon the magic of Excalibur (the sword in the stone) and wins the day. The film is packed with medieval action. Lancelot is a magnificent figure in the film. He loves Arthur and the woman he married as well. Nicholas Clay plays the part of this famous mythical knight in the movie which is but one of the many stories told about him.
Sir Galahad the Pure
This famous movie knight was well represented in the 1975 film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” The British slapstick comedy is a satirical approach to telling the tell of Arthur and his knights of the round table. It is one of the funniest tales of Arthurian legend in film to this day. Sir Galahad is said to have his power to conquor foes because he has kept himself pure and has never been with a maiden.
Ivanhoe
One of the most beloved movie knights is Ivanhoe portrayed by Robert Taylor in the 1952 movie with the same name. The plot of the story centers around Ivanhoe’s search for Richard the Lionheart who has disappeared on his way home from the crusades. The movie became a classic and Ivanhoe is a knight that everyone who has seen the film remembers.
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