Research Topic: Compare and contrast two literary sources
Source 1: Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances
Source 2: Miguel Cervantes, Don Quixote
Both Chrétien and Cervantes have left us with literary works in which knights play a central, but very different role. Chrétien wrote in the 12th, and Cervantes at the beginning of the 17th century. European society changed greatly in more than 400 years, and so did the military, social, religious, and cultural role of the knight. In this paper, you may choose to examine a theme such as prowess, nobility, beauty, wealth, or violence. This topic spans the periodization of this class, so be sure to contextualize, explain, and give evidence if you make any claim for change or continuity over time. Think also about the role of literature in these societies, and whether or not the authors were using satire or humor to poke fun at the idea of the “knight.” Did Chrétien begin chivalric romance, and Cervantes end it? If you believe so, explain why. Feel free to bring in secondary sources which debate and discuss these two pieces of literature, or discuss changes in the way war was waged. Was the “knight errant” still a potent military force by the late 16th century?
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• You can arrange your historical research paper chronologically or thematically depending on what you wish to say.
• You may bring in both history and historiography (what happened, and the debate).
• You must cite in your paper the two sources above and two more external sources.
• There must be primary sources cited in this paper. Sources and quotations need to be used to provide evidence of what you are arguing.
Requirements:
• 6-8 pages, double spaced, 12pt font, Times New Roman, 1 inch margins, includes page numbers
• Footnotes (bottom of page) AND Bibliography (at end) according to the Chicago Manual of Style.
• Mark quotations and information used with a footnote which includes a page number. Cite all sources used.