... was a continual illusion of grandeur, romance, and power. During the Middle Ages, Christianity was considered a unifying force of culture and chivalry was supposed to serve as the embodiment of the grace of Christians. According to Huizinga, most people consider the Age of Chivalry as one of gallant behavior, honor, duty, courtly love, and bravery. Thus, the image of the knight quickly becomes a combination of aestheticism and eroticism (89). Huizinga agrees that knighthood and chivalry helped shape the rise of optimism in the late Middle Ages, but he states that the institution also served as a source of unfounded aestheticism. Chivalry was a goal that allowed men to dream about a life of heroism, good deeds, and spiritual wealth. It is easy to see why knights were often elevated to a nearly Christ-like position, and even today every man wants to be a knight and every woman wants a ...

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