Final answer:
The disadvantages of being a knight during the medieval period included the changing nature of warfare, the decline of the crusading ideal in popularity, and the challenges in managing knightly violence and behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
The disadvantages of being a knight during the medieval period included the changing nature of warfare and the emergence of new weapons and tactics that made mounted knights less effective in battle. The use of longbows by large professional standing armies paid for by monarchs rendered the cavalry-focused armies of the feudal era obsolete. This led to a decline in the traditional feudal prerogatives and prestige of knights as well as a decrease in the power and privileges of the aristocracy.
Another disadvantage was the decline of the crusading ideal in popularity during the late Middle Ages. The power struggles within the church, accusations against crusading orders such as the Knights Templar, and the revival of royal power diminished the enthusiasm for crusades and the prestige associated with being a knight.
Lastly, the reformers' efforts to Christianize knightly violence and behavior through codes of conduct, such as chivalry, aimed to curb violence but were not entirely successful. The idea of Christianized warfare was part of a broader secular interest in a newly defined chivalric culture of knighthood, but it did not alleviate the dangers and hardships faced by knights.