In the Middle Ages, one of their most famous subjects was that of knights. Of course, not just anyone can be a knight. Typically, the boy was a member of the aristocracy or related to a knight. Becoming and being a knight was very difficult and included many factors. Knights were expected to show mercy to the weak, loyalty, display courage in the face of danger, and protect the innocent. All their lives, these brave men lived and trained for their kingdom. To achieve the knighthood, it took many years of training and apprenticeship. Young boys, aged eight or seven, “were sent to the neighboring lord’s castle where he was trained” to become a knight. A boy in training was called page. Pages had to train, race, learn manners, learn education and many other things. Although the page did many things, they generally spent their time "strengthening his body, wrestling, and riding horses." Additionally, they had to know how to fight with weapons. Typical weapons were swords and spears, as these were the most popular weapons used by knights. The boys had to practice fighting with a quintain, which is a “wooden dummy”. Even if sometimes it was just a very big bag. Additionally, he had a shield and stood on a pole. The apprentice had to strike the center of the shield, and after being hit, it rotated; and the page should avoid being touched. A schoolmaster also taught the page how to read, write and sometimes speak different languages ​​such as French and Latin. She would also be taught “to sing and dance and to behave at the king’s court.” When the page reaches the age of fourteen to sixteen, he becomes a squire and “is apprenticed to a knight.” His job was to help the knight, which included dressing himself, serving meals, taking...paper in the middle...about thirty-two pounds. It was placed in a holster, worn on the knight's left side and fastened around the man's waist with a belt. They also used spears, but they were reserved for jousting or tournaments. The knights had to learn and do many things to become and become one. They have trained for around thirteen years to protect their kingdom. It was very difficult and expensive too. You had to have certain qualities that were often difficult to have. These men had to be mentally and physically ready to protect the innocent. Becoming and being a knight was very difficult and included many factors. Works Cited Gravett, Christopher and Brett Breckon. The world of the medieval knight. New York: Peter Bedrick, 1996. Print “THE MIDDLE AGES: THE MEDIEVAL KNIGHT.” ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, nd Web. March 23. 2014. .