Duty defines the relationships in the Song of Roland: feudal duty as knights to Charlemagne (through obedience, reverence, and military service); patriotic duty to France (preserving her "fair" name, increasing her wealth and prestige); duty to families and to family names (so reputations aren't tarnished); duty to God and the Christian religion to spread it as widely as possible, wreak as much damage on the pagans, and reclaim as much land for Christianity as possible.
For Roland this means doing God's will in all things, even if that means becoming a martyr. And finally there is the duty to yourself: all dead knights will receive poetic justice, and the fear of having bad songs sung about them inspires Roland and Oliver to supreme acts of bravery.
Questions About Duty
- Does Roland love fighting too much?
- Why would Roland consider asking for help dishonorable?
- What does it mean that "fair France" would "fall into disgrace" (84.1064)?
- How is religious duty different than feudal duty?
Chew on This
Roland's fatal flaw, in the tradition of classical tragedy, is his fanatically rigid devotion to duty.
Ganelon and Roland both bring about their own downfall by not doing their true duty.