The Song of Roland and Ywain: A Changing Society as Viewed Through Its Literature When comparing the epic poem of The Song of Roland to the romantic literature of Ywain, the differences between the early medieval period and the high medieval period become evident. Both The Song of Roland and Ywain depicts the societies from which each story derives its fundamental characteristics. Through close observation, one is able to see the shifts in customs and mentality that make the move from the epic
Love and Prowess in The Knight with the Lion The chivalric ideal demanded many things of a knight. To the military ideals of prowess, loyalty, and honor it added the aristocratic ideal of largesse and, with the rise of the troubadour lyrics and romances, the ideal of courtly love. At times a knight could find these demands in conflict with one another. Such is the case with Chrétien de Troyes's romance The Knight with the Lion. In this story, the hero Yvain finds love while pursuing prowess;
All women have power in Arthurian Literature and all those portrayed are always a threat to patriarchy. They all have the ability to do or to use magic [possible exception is Isode, she seems to simply be a victim of it]. Maidens use magic almost constantly [Lunete and Lyonet], beloveds have access to it [Isode is victim to the potion, whilst Laudine has a magic ring and is plagued by ownership of a particularly vicious Jungian fountain]. Enchantresses are slightly more complicated. Although there
Women in Ywain by Chrétien de Troyes In Chrétien de Troyes' Ywain, women represent the moral virtue and arch of all mid-evil civilization. Women of this time had to be an object of love, which meant they had to have beauty, goodness, and be truthful. They had to be a representative of all chivalrous ideals. They also act as civilizing influences throughout the story. Women are put in the story to give men a reason for acting brave and noble. Men become knights in order to demonstrate
Calogrenant, his cousin. Calogrenant is anxious about going on a journey. Rather than continuing his life path, and considering that a journey he was looking outside of his life. After Calogrenant brings shame upon himself, Ywain decides to take retribution for his cousin. Ywain wants to fight the knight of the stream. In reality Ywain’s intentions were far from what he made them
In the historical poem, ‘Sir Gawain and the green knight’ it is easy to pick the two protagonists Sir Gawain and the Green knight. They are both knights and their heroism is developed through high power and their Christian faith. However, the mode of characterization varies as both Sir Gawain and every other man in the poem argue about the advancement of a Christian hero. Every man including sir Gawain all have real individual characteristics such as self pity, fear, and dishonesty, and though they
“Those emotions will guide us home yet, Sir Galahad. We must have faith,” Mithian declared from the top of the stone stairs leading to their number. She carried her bow in her right hand. Her left clasped Merlin’s right. Along with them, Lancelot and Ywain proceeded reverently. Behind their numbers, Malodius escorted Elaine who was carried on a bier borne by four courtiers. She turned to Lancelot. “Say your good byes, Lancelot, ere we depart.” “Thank you, my Queen.” Lancelot bowed graciously to them
The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a story mixed with historical truths and exaggerated fiction. The legend of King Arthur, known as the Arthurian Legend, comes from the Middle Ages and is both fact and fiction. There really was a King Arthur who was king of the Britons. He was a type of military leader who fought Germanic invaders. Many of the Tudor monarchs claimed lineage to King Arthur to justify and prove their right to the throne. Most of the knowledge of Arthur