Fantasy Fiction, General & Miscellaneous European Poetry, French Poetry

Arthurian Romances

Name: Arthurian Romances
Author: Chretien De Troyes
ISBN: 9781449910525

by Chrétien de Troyes

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Overview

An idyllically happy marriage in which a husband is so involved that he neglects his duties as a knight; love endangered by husband who is more interested in athletic chivalry than his wife; timorous young love; and adulterous passion--together these stories offer the most complete expression we possess from a single author of the ideals of French chivalry and of courtly love.

Synopsis

In "Arthurian Romances," Chrétien de Troyes takes the legends surrounding King Arthur and weaves in new psychological elements of personal desire and courtly manner to fashion a new form of medieval Romance. "The Knight of the Cart" is the first telling of the adulterous relationship between Lancelot and Arthur's Queen Guinevere, while in "The Knight with the Lion" Yvain neglects his bride in his quest for greater glory. Erec and Enide explores a knight's conflict between love and honor, Cliges exalts the possibility of pure love outside marriage, while the haunting "Story of the Grail" chronicles the legendary quest. Rich in symbolism, the evocative talks in "Arthurian Romances" combine closely observed detail with fantastic adventure to create a compelling world that is the basis of the Arthurian legends we know today.

About the Author, Chretien De Troyes

TOC: Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason and Seeking Truth in the Sciences; Meditations on the First Philosphy; The Principles of Philosophy; Demonstrations of the Existence of Deity; Notes by the Translator: Perception, Idea, Objective Reality, From or Through the Senses, Thought, Innate Ideas, Formally and Eminently, Pure Intellection, Motion, Second Element.