Tuesday, September 20, 2011

The Knight with the Lion (pg. 353-380)

1. I feel that this romance was a bit off. I did not like the way things came full circle, or perhaps it could be called double circle.  In the beginning of the novel Yvain married Laudine out of the trickery of Lunette, just as in the end Yvain remarried Laudine out of trickery. The obvious message Chrétien is trying to get across is that when true love breaks apart, it will inevitably come back together. Before this reunion could be established, Yvain had to basically be reborn. Although Yvain went away the first year or two without heartache, he was hit by a train with an emotion soon after.  He was tearing at his eyes and ripping his clothes while running into the wild, or in simpler terms he was resorting to his inner nature. He lived naked in the woods and ate animal flesh, such as when man started out as cavemen. Next, he found the lion which represents him learning how to be a real man, courageous and brave. The final part of Yvain recycling his life is his battle between Gawain. Gawain and Yvain fight from sunrise to sundown, without knowing each other’s true identities. This shows how Yvain has progressed from an immature being, who sneaks out in the middle of the night to avenge an old mishap with Calogrenant to a mature person who stays and fights his battles with people head on. The whole journey is about how Yvain deteriorates and builds himself back up to the same level where he can accept love for what it is.

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