Comparison of Loyalty and Honor in Lanval, Chevrefoil, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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- Category: English: Poetic Works
- Date Submitted: 06/27/2010 11:32 AM
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Comparison of Loyalty and Honor
Even though Marie de France integrated loyalty and honor into Chevrefoil and Lanval, the poet writing Sir Gawain and the Green Knight elevated both loyalty and honor to exceed previous works. While Chevrefoil portrayed loyalty and honor while exposing complex disloyalty and dishonor, Lanval depicted both loyalty and honor in moderation with minimal disloyalty and dishonor, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight characterized multifaceted loyalty and honor with minute disloyalty and dishonor.
Marie de France revealed loyalty with disloyalty and honor with dishonor in Chevrefoil through the actions of Tristran and Queen Ysolt. Tristran, the King’s nephew, and the Queen loved each other. “King Mark was full of angry spite / At his nephew Tristran because the knight / Loved the Queen” (11-13a). By loving Queen Ysolt, Tristran not only dishonored the King, but also showed his disloyalty to his uncle, and Queen Ysolt demonstrated her disloyalty and dishonor to her husband by loving Tristran. At the same time, the lovers showed their loyalty to each other, by keeping a forbidden love alive.
Being banished to South Wales by the King, “The King gave orders / Dismissing Tristran from his borders.” (13b-14), Tristran honored his uncle’s exile for one year. Yet, Tristran still loved the Queen and returned to Cornwall, again dishonoring the King, so that he may be able to see his lover, but honoring his love for Queen Ysolt in the process, “From his homeland he departed / To Cornwall where dwelled the Queen” (26-27). Tristran hid himself in the woods, prepared a note for Queen Ysolt, and waited for her to pass by, again demonstrating his loyalty to her and his honor of his love for her. When Queen Ysolt passed by and saw the note, she knew it to be from Tristran. She asked her accompanying knights to stop for a rest, and proceeded to search for her lover:
She asked the knights, riding beside her
As an escort, to abide her:
She wanted to get...
Even though Marie de France integrated loyalty and honor into Chevrefoil and Lanval, the poet writing Sir Gawain and the Green Knight elevated both loyalty and honor to exceed previous works. While Chevrefoil portrayed loyalty and honor while exposing complex disloyalty and dishonor, Lanval depicted both loyalty and honor in moderation with minimal disloyalty and dishonor, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight characterized multifaceted loyalty and honor with minute disloyalty and dishonor.
Marie de France revealed loyalty with disloyalty and honor with dishonor in Chevrefoil through the actions of Tristran and Queen Ysolt. Tristran, the King’s nephew, and the Queen loved each other. “King Mark was full of angry spite / At his nephew Tristran because the knight / Loved the Queen” (11-13a). By loving Queen Ysolt, Tristran not only dishonored the King, but also showed his disloyalty to his uncle, and Queen Ysolt demonstrated her disloyalty and dishonor to her husband by loving Tristran. At the same time, the lovers showed their loyalty to each other, by keeping a forbidden love alive.
Being banished to South Wales by the King, “The King gave orders / Dismissing Tristran from his borders.” (13b-14), Tristran honored his uncle’s exile for one year. Yet, Tristran still loved the Queen and returned to Cornwall, again dishonoring the King, so that he may be able to see his lover, but honoring his love for Queen Ysolt in the process, “From his homeland he departed / To Cornwall where dwelled the Queen” (26-27). Tristran hid himself in the woods, prepared a note for Queen Ysolt, and waited for her to pass by, again demonstrating his loyalty to her and his honor of his love for her. When Queen Ysolt passed by and saw the note, she knew it to be from Tristran. She asked her accompanying knights to stop for a rest, and proceeded to search for her lover:
She asked the knights, riding beside her
As an escort, to abide her:
She wanted to get...