Knights of the medieval era were asked to "Protect the weak, defenseless, helpless, and fight for the general welfare of all." These few guidelines were the main duties of a medieval knight, but they were very hard to accomplish fully. Rarely could even the best of knights achieve these goals.

Knights and the ideals of knighthood featured largely in medieval and Renaissance literature, and have secured a permanent place in modern romance literature and are reenacted at numerous "Medieval / Renaissance Fairs" generally held in the fall across the country.