How do you feel about Roland ?why does he not sound the olifant to call king Charmalegne s army for help at the very beggining?
Answers
Answer:
I think his refusal is an act of pride and confidence. It might as well has anything to do with honor and respect.
The Song of Roland is an epic poem based on the Roncevaux Pass Battle in the year 778, during the rule of Charlemagne who was the king of Franks.
EXPLANATION:
With regard to what I feel about Roland, then, Roland perceives the war opposing the Saracens (Muslims in Spain) as being a question of religious commitment. He is daring, however not wise or prudent. That is, Roland is impatient and brave, which wins both praise and criticism from his friends. Roland is also impulsive to the point of recklessness and dearth in foresight.
Debatably, his decision not to blow the oliphant early in the battle at Roncevaux Pass results in the deaths of 20000 men, amongst who are his dearest friends. And nevertheless, Roland is indisputably the poem’s most desirable hero. His death scene is one of the most memorable and powerful scenes in the literature, and he dies by his unpretentious chivalric code after encountering the enemy and carrying out prodigious deeds of valor. That is, he dies a glorious martyr's death where his soul is carried away to heaven by angels and saints.
Seeing in what way the Franks were severely outnumbered they are, Olivier asks Roland to blow his (hunter’s horn), which was made from an elephant tusk, to seek help from Franks’ chief body of the army. Roland pompously refused to blow the horn claiming that they did not require help, that the rear-guard can easily defeat the Saracens.
While the Franks fought brilliantly, there was no possibility that the Franks could continue to fend off the Saracens, and the battle starts turning evidently against them. Roland’s refusal was centered on the question of honor, thereby dooming his army. Being a great warrior, Roland did not blow the oliphant because of his pride; he considered that blowing the oliphant meant that he would have to surrender implying he would have lost the battle.
Almost all of his men were dead and Roland knew that it was too late for Charlemagne and his army to protect them; nonetheless, he blows the oliphant so that Charlemagne can witness what had happened to his men and revenge them. Roland's refusal can be considered as an act of his pride based upon an over-abundance of confidence.