Knighthood

“He could tell her nothing new of the wonders of his presentation and knighthood...” (Page 150)

In earlier times, being knighted was a considerable honor that meant far more than adorning one’s name with “sir”. In Great Britain, a person was often knighted if he demonstrated the ideal virtues of honor, chivalry, justice and compassion. Monarchs bestowed this honor on those who contributed in some way to the British Empire. Although it was not very easy, being knighted was one way a person could achieve nobility. It is interesting that Elizabeth finds Sir William Lucas the least bit engaging. One would expect that a person of such high nobility would be intriguing and not nearly as boring as Elizabeth seems to believe. Even though this could just be due to her familiarity with the knight, Austen may have included it for satirical purposes. This novel focuses primarily on the upper class, and it also emphasizes how a person’s reputation is key to their success. This excerpt contradicts this concept. By being uninterested in Lucas’ nobility, Elizabeth is, in a sense, ridiculing the upper class.

"History of Knighthood." Clan Lord. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. http://www.clanlord.com/history/humans/knighthood.html.

Being Knighted. Digital image. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. http://api.ning.com/files/K5-L6xdAaUzQqCXzTILusirmCTQlCQtwj-RfiUQXtvb8w4lxkdmDB7WzEWkalro0F7TlCdsDwrWzCtfoQ8-2xEMUL-LKmghf/TeamOGearBeingKnighted.jpg.