The foundations of chivalry, which are courage and loyalty, are present in today's literature and films. Loyalty is present in the book The Count of Monte Cristo while courage is present in the film National Treasure. The Count of Monte Cristo is about a man who is unjustly imprisoned but remains loyal to his family in his quest for revenge. National Treasure is about another man who acts courageously in his search for treasure. Chivalry was the code of conduct for knights in medieval Europe. The word chivalry comes from the French word “chevalier” which means “knight”. This code of conduct for knights originates from feudalism, the political-social system that governed medieval Europe. The nobility constituted mainly the chivalric order, but not all of it (Dickerman, 611-12). Feudal qualities included skill at arms, courage in battle, courtesy towards rivals, and helpfulness towards the lower classes. The main qualities were loyalty to a lord and the ability to protect him. Glory and honor were the highest qualities of a knight. Social skills were also required, such as conversation, dancing, and the ability to play a musical instrument (Dickerman, 611-12). The knights had a contradictory lifestyle. They were good Christians. However, the Church was against their idea of ​​courtly love. Furthermore, the courage, skill, and willingness of chivalry were close to selfishness, brutality, and prodigality (Dickerman, 611-12). The Count of Monte Cristo begins with a sailor named Edmond Dantès. Edmond has a best friend named Fernand who sails with him on the Pharoan (Dumas and Celestine, 1). Pharaoh's captain falls ill. Edmond stops on an island where Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled. Bonaparte gives Edmond a note to deliver to a friend and Edm...... middle of paper ......n who is unjustly imprisoned but remains loyal to his family in his quest for revenge. National Treasure is about another man who acts courageously in his search for treasure. Works Cited Dickerman, Edmund H., "Chivalry." Encyclopedia Americana: International Edition.Vol. 6. Danbury, CN: Goiler Inc., 1993. Print.Dumas, Alexandre and Roger Celestine. The Count of Monte Cristo. Reduced. NewYork: New American Library, 2005. Print. National treasure. Director: Jon Turtletaub. Artists. Nicholas Cage, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean and Diane Kruger. Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., 2005. DVD. Ruined endings. “Synopsis of the Count of Monte Cristo”. May 20, 2010..The Internet Movie Database. “National Treasure Synopsis.” May 24th 2010..