Resumo de The Song Of Roland

The Chanson de Roland, or Song of Roland (asis more familiar to English- speaking readers), is an anonymously written,291-stanza poem of 4001 lines about the count Roland and his KingCharlemagne. While the story takesplace in eighth century AD Spain and France, the poem wasn?t composed untilsometime in the eleventh century AD.The chanson was composed as entertainment to knights in the courts ofthe king (possibly King Henry I, who was the French king of the time); hencethe story takes place around 780 AD while the knightly values of around 1050 ADare applied to it. Ergo, The Song ofRoland has become a valuable tool not necessarily for knowing the historyof the time in which it was written, but for conveying the ideals of whom itwas written for, the knight. The French, led by King Charlemagne, are in Spainfighting a crusade against the Moslem Saracens. The Saracens try to trick the ?Emperor? Charlemagne into thinkingtheir King Marsilion wants to convert to Christianity. Christianity is the prime motivation for theFrench knight to fight the Saracen. Theknights fight so they might be saved.??Confess your sins, and pray to God for mercy; / to save your souls,I?ll give you absolution. / If then you die, you?ll all be holy martyrs / andtake your seats in highest paradise.?? declares Archbishop Turpin just beforethe battle. Turpin is a combatant monkand whether he actually believes the soldiers will be saved or whether he issimply trying to spur them to battle can be debated. Roland nominates his stepfather Ganelon to meet with Marsilion, adangerous mission indeed, considering the last two knights bestowed with thishonor lost their heads. Ganelon hatches a vengeful plan with Marsilion to endthe life of Roland. Ganelon is angrywith Roland for nominating him to be Charlemagne?s emissary, for emissaries toMarsilion often come back with no head.In order find an ally in the quest against Roland, Ganelon pledges hisfaith to Blancandrin (a Saracen).Later, in order to save his life, he makes nice with Marsilion. The Saracen king soon becomes very angrywith the French knight after Ganelon reveals Charlemagne?s motive to convertand subdue Marsilion. After Marsilionyells Ganelon at and threatens his life, he realizes his harsh retort andoffers these words; ??I swear to you that, by these sable pelts / ..., / beforetomorrow night I?ll make amends.? / And Ganelon replies: ?I won?t refuse it. /And if it please God, you?ll be well rewarded!?? Ganelon knows if he can convince Marsilion thatRoland is the cause of all of this fighting, Roland will become the Saracens?prime target. So this is exactly whathe does. Ganelon discusses withMarsilion what he believes about Roland.The two then decide how Roland can be killed, and Ganelon formulates aplan to lie to Charlemagne so the king will return home to France. When Ganelon returns to the French army, hefabricates a story in which Marsilion has agreed to convert. He lies again to Charlemagne, saying much ofthe Saracen army was swallowed up by the sea.Ganelon soon nominates Roland to the rear guard, where if there is anenemy attack he is sure to be killed.Ganelon?s mistake is that in order to betray Roland, he must also lie tothe king.Later, it all happens as Ganelon has planned. While the French are heading home, asurprise attack is given by the Saracens to their rear guard while Roland is intheir command. Every one of the men iskilled. Holding out unto the lastmoment, Roland finally blows the alarm horn, which causes his temples to burst. Charlemagne returns and defeats Marsilion?sarmy on the battlefield. Ganelon isexposed as a traitor, saying his actions were not treason but revenge(something that Ganelon has not planned at all). In the final scene, Charlemagne hangs the hostages he securedfrom Marsilion, Ganelon is executed, and the captured Queen of Spain becomes aChristian in Charlemagne's castle. Charlemagnebelieves Ganelon is a traitor. He hasultimate authority but delays executing Ganelon becausehis knights are tryingto convince the king to let Ganelon off.Charlemagne is not convinced; nor is Thierry, a vassal. Thierry argues that ??Betraying made Ganelon a felon; / he broke his oath to you and did youwrong.?? Pinabel, another vassal, takesthe side of Ganelon. Charlemagne, stillundecided on whether to execute Ganelon gives the decision to God via a battlebetween Pinabel and Thierry. If Pinabelwins, Ganelon goes free. If Thierrywins, the prisoner is executed. Thierryends up the victor in the contest even though he is badly wounded; the Franksconsider it a miracle. Charlemagne thenhas Ganelon and anyone who supported him hanged, deciding that, as God has shown,Ganelon is indeed a traitor.

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