There were only a few ways in which a person could become a knight. The first way was the normal course of action for the son of a noble. After the lord on the social ladder came the knight.

But before pretending to the title, there was many years of pain and suffering as a page. 

The path to knighthood began at the age of seven, when a vassal sent his son to the lord's house to become a page. For seven years a page was cared for by the women of the house, who instructed him in comportment, courtesy, cleanliness, and religion. At 14 the page became a squire, a personal assistant to the Knight, helping him don his armor, and making ready his horse and weapons. From the knight he learned riding and all the skills of war, as well as hunting, hawking, and other sports.

When he was judged ready (generally between the ages of 18 and 21) the squire was knighted in a religious ceremony after spending the night guarding his armor before a church altar. He had to swear to the knightly code which asked him to "protect the weak, defenseless, and helpless, and fight for the general welfare of all." This code was rarely lived up to, but it remained the standard for chivalry and proper behaviour amongst the nobility for centuries. A squire could also become a knight for valor in combat after a battle or sometimes before a battle to help him gain courage.

The new knight now served his liege lord (which may or may not be the king himself), bound to offer military service up to 40 days a year in peace time, more, as needed, in war time. Military duties included castle guard, serving in the lord's "bodyguard", and participating in battle.

Apart from military duties the knight could also participate in administering justice (as part of assizes--a medieval form of our modern juries), managing his estates (which was his prime source of income), and continuing to hone his combat skills in tournament.