In the literature of the Middle Ages, the relationship between a son and his guardian plays a huge role in the development of the novel. Three writings in particular demonstrate how this relationship is useful for showing the responsibilities of a father and son in the novel. The relationship between a father and song can be seen in the Song of Roland where Roland is the nephew of King Charlemagne. Roland is given the responsibility of guarding the army's rear flank and refuses to show his weakness to Charlemagne when he dies defending him. In the story of Beowulf, Hrothgar acts as a father figure to Beowulf. Hrothgar fails to successfully defend his kingdom from Grendel and despite being older than Beowulf, he asks Beowulf to help him get rid of the monster. In Lancelot's story, the relationship between Meleagant and his father shows how, despite being related by blood, what is right prevails. The relationships between father and son in these texts are prevalent in revealing family relationships over time. From the beginning of Beowulf, we learn of the connection between Beowulf himself and Hrothgar. Hrothgar had saved Beowulf's father from a bloody feud and this is what makes Beowulf trust Hrothgar from the beginning. She claims she "knew him (Beowulf's father) when he was a child!" and for this reason Beowulf is a "proven ally!" (Beowulf, pages 62-63). The relationship between the two gives the story more importance and meaning, as there is a dependence on each other to succeed. When Beowulf first arrives to meet Hrothgar, we believe that Hrothgar is still as strong and powerful a king as he was in times gone by, however, we discover that he is actually "old and gray-haired among the earls' guard" (Beowulf, page 62). Below... in the center of the paper... he was killed. In Lancelot, the relationship between King Bademagu and Meleagant shows how in the Middle Ages family meant a lot, even though he knew that what Meleagant was doing was wrong he still took care of his safety and prevented his death in the first fight against Lancelot. The relationship also shows how a son's life purpose is to live up to his father's standards and become a respectable and formidable knight or warrior. we learn how the relationship between father and son furthers the novel's plot and context as we learn more about socioeconomic culture in the Middle Ages. Both authors use the relationship between father and son to give more depth to their novels and to show the reader what life was like in the Middle Ages. Through these novels we can see what relationships were like in the Middle Ages and how debts were paid.