Gendered Subjectivity/Objectivity in Arthurian Literature

Introduction

The main purpose of this research report is to make an analysis on the gender subjectivity/objectivity in Arthurian Literature. In King Arthur's court represented in Arthurian literature, women play a centrally important role. Not only do they often influence the heroes of such stories in many ways, they even exert a strong influence on the events in the story and thus on the storyline itself (Alfred, 56). In the following seminar paper I will elaborate on the roles of women in Arthurian literature. On that account I will concentrate on the medieval romance The Knight with the Lion (Yvain) by the French romance writer Chrétien de Troyes as well as on the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Chrétien, 100). In these two pieces of Arthurian literature, the reader encounters different types of women. In the following, I will take a closer look at these women.

Discussion

In the following seminar paper I will elaborate on the roles of women in Arthurian literature. On that account I will concentrate on the medieval romance The Knight with the Lion (Yvain) 1 by the French romance writer Chrétien de Troyes as well as on the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Not much is known about the author of Yvain, Chrétien de Troyes, other than that he wrote the five earliest Arthurian romances; some of them for his patroness Eleanor of Aquitaine as well as for her daughter Marie de Champagne (Brian, 90). In addition to Yvain, which was written between 1177 and 1181, he produced the romances Erec and Enide, Cligés, The Knight with the Cart (Lancelot) and The Story of the Grail (Perceval).

In Yvain he presents to the medieval audience a virtuous Arthurian knight, who, after hearing his cousin Calogrenant tell the queen the abashing tale of his defeat by an extrinsic knight, leaves his King's court to seek honor and reestablish the pride of his shamefaced cousin as well as his own. Doing that, he kills Esclados the Red and falls deeply in love with Esclados' mourning wife Laudine when seeing her the first time (Chrétien, 100). Yvain is aided by Laudine's handmaiden Lunete who hides him from the guards looking for their master's assassin and talks her mistress into marrying Yvain. Laudine, in fear of having to live with her magic spring unprotected, consents to that idea. She marries Yvain and hereupon grants him a year to escort King Arthur and his fellow knights to go to tournaments and seek adventure.

However, enjoying himself with the other knights at the tourneys Yvain forgets to come back to his lady (Alfred, 56). Laudine then sends out one of her damsels to tell him that the period of time she has given him has expired and that she does not want to see him again. Subsequently, Yvain is faced with even more adventures, helping out wherever he can and saving damsels in distress to regain his lady in the end.

Similarly, the poem Sir Gawain and the Green ...