🧌Medieval Literature Unit 4 – Medieval Romance: Love and Chivalry

Key Concepts and Themes

• Courtly love involves the idealization and pursuit of a noble lady by a knight, often in secret and with great devotion
• Chivalry encompasses the virtues and code of conduct expected of medieval knights, including bravery, loyalty, and honor
  • Knights were expected to defend the weak, fight for justice, and serve their lord and lady with unwavering dedication
• Quest narratives feature knights embarking on journeys to prove their worth, often facing challenges and supernatural elements
• Arthurian legends revolve around King Arthur, his knights of the Round Table, and their adventures (Lancelot, Gawain)
• Love triangles frequently occur, often involving a knight, his lady, and a jealous husband or rival (Tristan, Isolde, King Mark)
• Supernatural elements, such as magic, prophecies, and mythical creatures, are common in medieval romances
• Allegory is often employed to convey moral or spiritual messages through symbolic characters and events
• Honor and shame play crucial roles in motivating characters' actions and determining their social standing

Historical Context

• Medieval romances emerged in the 12th century, during the High Middle Ages, and remained popular throughout the Late Middle Ages
• The rise of courtly culture in France and England influenced the development of chivalric ideals and romantic literature
  • Eleanor of Aquitaine and her daughter Marie de Champagne were notable patrons of troubadours and romance writers
• The Crusades (1095-1291) exposed European knights to Eastern cultures and inspired tales of adventure and exotic lands
• The growth of literacy and the increasing use of vernacular languages contributed to the spread of romance literature
• Romances were often performed orally by minstrels and troubadours before being recorded in writing
• The concept of courtly love was influenced by the Occitan lyric tradition of the troubadours in southern France
• Arthurian legends drew from Celtic mythology, particularly Welsh and Breton tales, and were popularized by Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Historia Regum Britanniae" (c. 1136)
• The ideal of chivalry was influenced by the Catholic Church's attempts to regulate warfare and promote Christian virtues among knights

Major Works and Authors

• "Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart" by Chrétien de Troyes (c. 1177) tells the story of Lancelot's quest to rescue Queen Guinevere
• "Tristan and Iseult" (12th century) is a tragic love story involving a love triangle between the knight Tristan, the Irish princess Iseult, and King Mark of Cornwall
  • Multiple versions exist, including those by Béroul, Thomas of Britain, and Gottfried von Strassburg
• "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" (late 14th century) is an alliterative poem featuring a mysterious green knight who challenges the honor of King Arthur's court
• "Le Morte d'Arthur" by Sir Thomas Malory (1485) is a comprehensive compilation of Arthurian legends, including the rise and fall of King Arthur and his knights
• Marie de France (12th century) wrote influential lais, short narrative poems often dealing with love and magic (Lanval, Chevrefoil)
• Wolfram von Eschenbach's "Parzival" (early 13th century) is a German adaptation of Chrétien de Troyes' "Perceval," focusing on the Grail quest
• Giovanni Boccaccio's "The Decameron" (c. 1353) features tales of love and adventure, some of which draw from the romance tradition
• Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Knight's Tale" from "The Canterbury Tales" (late 14th century) is a chivalric romance involving two knights vying for the love of the same woman

Literary Techniques and Styles

• Romances are typically written in verse, often using octosyllabic or decasyllabic couplets, or alliterative verse
• Narrative structure often follows a quest or journey, with the hero facing challenges and obstacles along the way
• Repetition and formulaic phrases are common, particularly in oral performances, to aid memorization and create a sense of familiarity
• Hyperbole and idealization are used to emphasize the extraordinary qualities of characters and their actions
• Foreshadowing and prophecy often hint at future events and create a sense of destiny or inevitability
• Allegory is employed to convey moral or spiritual messages through symbolic characters and events (Grail quest as a spiritual journey)
• Irony and subversion of expectations can be used to challenge or comment on chivalric ideals and societal norms
• Framing devices, such as a storyteller recounting tales to an audience, are sometimes used to structure the narrative (The Decameron)

Characters and Archetypes

• The chivalric knight is a central figure, embodying ideals of bravery, loyalty, and courtly love (Lancelot, Gawain, Tristan)
• The noble lady is often portrayed as an object of desire and inspiration for the knight's heroic deeds (Guinevere, Iseult)
  • Ladies are expected to be beautiful, virtuous, and sometimes unattainable or married to another man
• The wise old man or mentor figure provides guidance and advice to the hero (Merlin)
• The rival or villain challenges the hero's prowess and often competes for the affections of the lady (Meleagant, King Mark)
• The faithful companion or sidekick supports the hero and often provides comic relief (Gouvernal in Tristan and Iseult)
• Supernatural beings, such as fairies, wizards, and dragons, test the hero's courage and resolve (Morgan le Fay, the Green Knight)
• The Grail knight is a pure and virtuous hero destined to find the Holy Grail (Galahad, Perceval)
• The courtly lover is a poet or musician who expresses his devotion to his lady through songs and poetry (troubadours)

Symbolism and Motifs

• The Grail is a powerful symbol of spiritual purity and divine grace, often the object of a knight's quest
  • It is sometimes associated with the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper or the vessel used to catch his blood during the crucifixion
• Swords and lances represent a knight's martial prowess, honor, and phallic power (Excalibur, the Spear of Longinus)
• Rings and tokens serve as symbols of love, loyalty, and commitment between knights and their ladies
• The forest represents a wild and untamed space where knights face challenges and supernatural encounters
• Dreams and visions often provide prophecies or revelations that guide the hero's actions
• The wound, particularly the "dolorous stroke," symbolizes the hero's vulnerability and the consequences of his actions
• The love potion represents the irrational and overwhelming power of love, as seen in Tristan and Iseult
• The bed trick, where one character is substituted for another in bed, often leads to mistaken identity and complicated relationships (Lancelot and Elaine)

Impact on Later Literature

• Medieval romances influenced the development of the novel, particularly the genre of chivalric romance in the early modern period
  • "Amadis de Gaula" (14th century) and its sequels were widely popular and inspired many imitations
• The Arthurian legends continued to inspire writers, poets, and artists throughout the centuries (Edmund Spenser, Alfred Tennyson, Pre-Raphaelites)
• Courtly love and chivalric ideals influenced the poetry of the Renaissance, particularly the sonnets of Petrarch and Shakespeare
• The quest narrative and the hero's journey, as seen in medieval romances, have become archetypal patterns in literature and film (Joseph Campbell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces")
• Romantic love, as portrayed in medieval romances, has become a central theme in Western literature and popular culture
• Medieval romances have been adapted, reimagined, and subverted by later authors, often to comment on changing social and cultural values (Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court")
• The idealization of the Middle Ages and the popularity of medievalism in the 19th century were partly inspired by the rediscovery and appreciation of medieval romances

Modern Interpretations and Relevance

• Feminist scholars have examined the portrayal of women in medieval romances, highlighting both the idealization and the limitations of female agency
  • The role of women as patrons and consumers of romance literature has also been explored
• Queer readings of medieval romances have identified homoerotic subtext and challenged heteronormative assumptions (the relationship between Lancelot and Galehaut)
• Postcolonial interpretations have explored the representation of the "Other" and the construction of cultural identity in romances (the Saracen knight in "The Song of Roland")
• The tension between chivalric ideals and the realities of medieval society has been a subject of historical and literary analysis
• Medieval romances have been adapted into various modern media, including films, television series, and video games (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Witcher)
• The enduring popularity of Arthurian legends and medieval-inspired fantasy demonstrates the ongoing fascination with the romance genre and its themes
• Contemporary authors have reimagined and subverted medieval romance tropes to explore modern concerns and challenge traditional narratives (Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon")
• The ideals of chivalry and courtly love continue to influence popular perceptions of romance, gender roles, and relationships, even as they are questioned and redefined