THE KNIGHT IN RUSTY ARMOR: SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS - ARTE - 2025

The protagonist, a knight of the Middle Ages, develops emotional, social and spiritual armor, and cares so much about his duties as a knight that he forgets his family and knowing himself.

This knight wears such beautiful armor, and of which he is so proud, that he never takes it off. However, one day, after his wife pleads with him, he finds that he cannot take her away. That's when a long journey begins to figure out how to remove it.

Although the gentleman thought he was good and kind, his actions did not quite display such positive qualities. "A virtue that needs to be demonstrated is ultimately not a virtue."

Although he does not realize it, he has low self-esteem and does not love himself, as he always tries to make up for his shortcomings with his constant crusades as a knight. He frees ladies and other people from enemies and evils, but fails to confront negativity himself.

Armor

The armor symbolizes different aspects on a physical, psychological and emotional level. It represents everything superficial and false; vanity, fame, prestige, pride… The more that armor shone, the more false was his relationship with his family.

He loves his armor so much that he even sleeps with it to enjoy its shine, that is, to protect himself from the image he has of himself, and in the end, he ends up not being able to take it off.

Only with sincerity, nobility and truth will he be able to take off his armor and find his true self.

2- Merlin's forest

The knight isolates himself to reflect and find himself.

Here his armor begins to be destroyed; when he stops giving importance to things like adventures and castles, that is, everything that made up his previous identity.

Merlin the wizard

The magician represents the person who does not exist in his world. Know the art of awakening consciousness. It teaches the gentleman that passions cloud reason and judgment, and that positive attitudes, such as collaboration, patience, kindness, courage, and perseverance, enhance life's journey.

The stop

There comes a time in the journey when the knight is too tired to move on. However, Merlin teaches him that a person cannot run and also learn, so he must stay in that place for a while. It is when the gentleman begins to understand the value of slowing down to reflect.

When a person is not able to slow down to think, illness or negative consequences can appear.

The cup of Life

The knight was thirsty for life, as the armor had dried up his existence. The emotional conflict blocked his body and his energy, clouded his judgment and hardened his heart.

3- The path of truth

In this part, the knight chooses the path that will lead him to his new life and self-knowledge and away from dishonesty, greed, hatred, jealousy, fear and ignorance.

4- The castle of silence

In the castle of silence, he feels more alone than ever in his life. He has to confront his internal dialogue that has imprisoned his silence and for this he must experience loneliness and silence for a time.

Silence ends your false self and gives way to knowledge. In this way, the knight begins to realize things like that he was wearing masks or that knowing silence requires more courage than any battle.

When his mind was in solitude, the perception of the world was more real and the illusory world of the ego disappeared, to give way to the real self.

5- The Castle of Knowledge

The great darkness that the knight encounters symbolizes ignorance. The shadow represents everything that you have forgotten or discarded about yourself.

6- The Castle of Will and Audacity

The bridge that the knight must overcome represents the will, the daring to go forward or go back. The false "I" is represented by the dragon. He is unable to rescue his true self, a prisoner of his inner dragon. His true "me" or being was so imprisoned that the knight did not know of its existence.

The victory over the dragon represents the rescue of qualities such as will, courage, daring and self-knowledge.

7- The Summit of Truth

The top represents the truth, the last phase of the purification process that will free you from the armor.

What do you think of the book? What has it taught you? How do you interpret it? Comment, I'm interested!