The castle William built was not only able to protect his soldiers and other military assets, but also symbolized strength for those who tried to occupy his territory. This became the main objective for the castles built after. As time went on, castles advanced in both their defense tactics and architecture to meet these objectives. The wood that was used for the Motte and Bailey design was replaced with resources like stone and brick to prevent burning, and more defensive tactics like hidden spear holes within gatehouses were added to the castle to make it stronger during battle (Medieval Castle). These developments helped to ensure not only the protection of a lord and his soldiers but also enabled castles to protect entire kingdoms. 

Increased protection from castle development resulted in a higher level of maintenance being needed for the structure. To keep up with this maintenance, the castle's lords introduced the concept of feudalism, which was prevalent through the 9th-15th century (The Medieval Feudal System). This was an agreement made between the lord and those of a lower class, the lower class getting land in exchange for their labor within the structure. The existence of feudalism ushered in the expanse of social hierarchy between the castle workers. Each castle worker played a distinct part in ensuring that the castle was kept up to standards. Some of these workers were in charge of others and were responsible for the actions of their subordinates. Workers were split into different kinds of maintenance, such as domestic and administrative affairs (Life in a Medieval Castle-Officers & Servants in a Medieval Castle).