Chivalry in Marie de France
The chivalric code places an extremely rigorous standard of conduct on anyone who lives by it. To achieve it completely takes almost super-human qualities. One is expected to fiercely protect the honor of his liege, his love, and himself while remaining totally without pride. This is almost impossible; this lifestyle would unquestionably create pride. It is shown in Marie de France's "Lanval" how this code can often create a conflict. Lanval is shown to be the strongest of King Arthur's knights, but he still becomes a victim of this system. He is placed in position where doing one thing which he believes to be demanded by the code actually causes him to go directly against the code. This is a direct result of an unreasonable code which does not consider the basic humanity of its subjects.The Knight's of the Round Table are supposed to be exemplars of the chivalric code. Part of the code, and the symbolic meaning of the round table, is unity and equality amongst the knights. In "Lanval" all the other knights are portrayed as jealous of Lanval. "His men disliked him too; the lot/Were envious of his handsomeness/His strength, his courage, his largesse(20-23)" It is only natural for these knights to arrive at this jealous
Her mere presence immediately frees and cures Lanval, and he jumps on her horse behind her in the saddle. Unfortunately the real world does not exist in a vacuum, and people are unpredictable. One major facet of courtly love is the idea that it flourishes in secret and flounders in public. Several beautiful women come, and he is sure she is not among them. "`Lady` he said `hold me excused/Because your love must be refused/I've served the king for many a day/My faith to him I won't betray(263-266)" His duty to his lord is a valid and noble excuse, but Lanval is unable to resist a shot to his manhood. "In town there is no chevalier/Who badly needs a place to stay/Whom Lanval doesn't make his guest/And serves him richly of the best(199-203). The other knights act contrary to the code in their vanity in an attempt to better fulfill the same code. Chivalric love is truly a lofty ideal. When Lanval is approached by the Queen at the garden party he is forced into a situation where his humanity gets the best of his chivalry. The code itself is not completely problematic. When the Queen first offers herself to him Lanval reacts in the proper knightly fashion. When his amie does arrive, he is quite surprised. Quite simply it means generosity, but more accurately it means true generosity of the spirit, without hope of reward or credit. The pride which was naturally instilled in him by a lifetime of living by the code has caused him to break that very same code. Marie's critique of this society is meant to show the futility of setting unreasonable goals.
Common topics in this essay:
Round Table,
,
King Arthur's,
France's Lanval,
chivalric code,
code code,
courtly love,
voice reason,
lanval unable,
lanval love,
lanval exemplifies,
code actually,
revealing love,
love knight,
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