After the decline of Chivalry, the former stratum ofknighthood began to polarize.Gentry and the middle lever emerged so the socialstructure changed from two-tiered structure to three-tiered structure.

• 骑士制度衰落后，原有的骑士阶层发生分化，乡绅兴起和中间阶层出现，英国社会结构从原有的两层式社会结构向三层式社会结构转化；