Prejudice in The Song of Roland Essay - 1718 Words

Prejudice in The Song of Roland Unfortunately, the role of ignorance and jealousy combining to breed fear and hatred is a recurring theme in history ultimately exhibiting itself in the form of prejudice. As demonstrated through the altering of historical events in The Song of Roland, the conflict between the Christian and Islamic religions takes precedence over the more narrow scope of any specific battle and is shaped, at least in part by the blind perception of a prejudice born of the ignorance and envy Christian Europe had for representatives of the non-Christian world. To fully see this prejudice and its effect on the participants, it is necessary to recognize the circumstances of the real battle along with the altering†¦show more content†¦Until the time of the crusades, Christians and Muslims had interacted at least on a surface level through trade activities. Christian Europe had been exposed to the wealth and knowledge of the Arabic world; however, with the movement to the crusades the attitude tow ards the Muslims shifted to one of religious intolerance. Recognizing that Roland deals with issues that are germane to the Europe of the crusades helps to establish the connection between the religious intolerance that had begun to surface in Europe and the events of the poem. Before examining the text for details, the two major forces need to be examined more closely. In the events recounted in The Song of Roland, the protagonists are the Latin Christians who follow the teachings of the Pope in Rome. Up until the time of Charlemagne the peoples of Western Europe fall into a category described by historians as barbarians (Koeller). 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