...The Knight’s Tale Courtly love, according to Mr. Windham, is the idealized view of an extra-marital relationship between the sexes in which a knight performs brave deeds to win the approval of a lady. Courtly love occurred mostly during the 1066-1485, otherwise known as the middle ages. This form of love can be found all throughout The Knight’s Tale, a tale of two cousins, who do everything from the proclaiming of their love for Emily, to fighting an epic knight battle in an arena; this tale seems to be courtly love through and through, but there is something that is prohibiting this tale to be a true tale of courtly love; their proclaimed love, Emily, is not married. The first reading of courtly love is the knights’ proclamation of love towards Emily. These two knights, Arcite and Palamon, are cousins with a brotherly bond. They have a chivalrous honor and promised to watch after each other no matter what. This is their code of honor emphasizing loyalty to each other. After the Battle of Thebes, these two knights are found wounded on the battle field. Theseus, the king of Athens who marched on Thebes, spares their lives but condemns them to life in an Athenian tower. On one day of their imprisonment, Palamon wakes...
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...Amanda Whitley Ashley Morgan ENG 2003 D2 29 November 2015 Courtly Love – Annotated Bibliography Boase, Roger. The Origin and Meaning of Courtly Love: A Critical Study of European Scholarship. Towota, New Jersey: Manchester UP, 1977. This rather compressed study covers an amazing variety of sources, taking up how numerous periods of literary scholars commented on courtly love, the various locations where courtly love arose in the medieval period (and why), and how the significance of courtly love itself has been understood across time, geography, and literary movements. Eventually, after surveying the field, Boase argues that courtly love appear on behalf of as a wide-reaching traditional trend, arising predominantly in a court-based Christian culture, influenced by predominantly Spanish (and relatedly, Arabic) concepts of love and relationships between men and women. He detects courtly love strictly in the fictive world of poetry, denying that any person actually meant to apply its principles to the ‘real-world’ – this element of ‘play’ recognized courtly love as an acceptable aristocratic manifestation of passion. Cherchi, Paolo. “The Ambiguity of Courtly Love in Andreas Capellanus’ Model.” Andreas and the Ambiguity of Courtly Love. Toronto: U of Toronto P, 1994. 3-41. The emphasis in this chapter is on courtly love as it is conveyed by musicians – among the many poets and geographies to choose from. Troubadours focus on...
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...Romantic stories of courtly love were spread throughout Medieval Europe by troubadours and minstrels. These wandering minstrels and troubadors sang ballads about courtly love and were expected to memorize the words of long poems describing valor and the code of chivalry followed by the Medieval knights. This new style of expressive writing transcended everything from ballads of battles and monsters like Beowulf to romantic adventures, such as the Arthurian legends. The romance of courtly love popularized during the Middle Ages was combined with the code of chivalry. There were strict rules of courtly love that were practiced and observed by the members of the courts across Europe during the Middle Ages. These rules allowed knights and ladies to show their admiration regardless of their marital state. It was a common occurrence for a married lady to give a token to a knight of her choice to be worn during a Medieval tournament. Despite the existence of these rules, the parties who started their relationship with such elements would sometimes become deeply involved. A famous example of a relationship which was stirred by courtly love is described in the Legend of King Arthur, where his Queen, Guinevere fell in love with Sir Lancelot. Many illicit court romances were fuelled by such practices. The Comtessa de Dia or Beatritz (born c. 1140) was perhaps the most famous of a small group of trobairitz, or female troubadours who wrote songs of courtly love during the twelfth and...
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...Introduction The familiarity with the love tradition makes it easily mistakable for a natural and universal phenomenon and even brings a laxity of enquiring into its origins. However, it is difficult of not impossible to show love to be anything more than an artistic phenomenon or construct- a literary per formative innovation of Middle Ages. Courtly love was a medieval European formation of nobly, and politely expressing love and admiration. Courtly love was secret and between members of the nobility. (Simpson). The term "courtly love" was first popularized by Gaston Paris in 1883. It has since come under a wide variety of definitions and uses, even being brushed off as nineteenth-century romantic fiction. Its understanding, beginning, and weight persist as an issue of significant question. Origin of the term ‘courtly love’ The term courtly love was given its original definition by Gaston Paris in 1883 in the journal Romania in the article "Études sur les romans de la Table Ronde: Lancelot du Lac, II: Le conte de la charrette" a treatise inspecting Chretien de Troyes's Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart (1177). The term courtly was derived from the term ‘amour courtis’ which according to Paris was an admiration and an ennobling discipline. The lover accepts the autonomy of his mistress and tries to make himself worthy of her attention by trying to act bravely and doing whatever deed she desires. In order to prove to her his passion and his unwavering commitment and, he...
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...Troubadours of the middle ages Different eras provided different kinds of lifestyles, and can be seen through the music that people listened to, or the architecture that was prevalent in those times. The middle ages lasted from about 476 to 1420 AD, and ended at the fall of the Roman Empire. In the middle ages, music was played through either the church, or the within the secular places such as the streets or the divine office. Also, at those times, only monophony was used because music was mainly made for chant. Also so people can participate by singing along as well as provide a better voice to the audience because of the bad acoustics of chapels. Furthermore, the Middle Ages was a time when a lot of growth happened, such as the rise of troubadours. Troubadours became known within the secular portion of the empires in the middle ages, and became popular within monarchs and noblemen very quickly. The troubadours were well known for their expressions for chivalry and courtly love. Troubadours become popular in the 12th and 13th centuries of the middle ages. They were very popular in the middle ages because the rise of troubadours was a significant movement in the arts. The influence of the troubadours became so large in the Middle Ages that it spread through different countries of Western Europe, such as Spain and Italy. Troubadours became so popular in the middle ages because they played music and poetry together. This was something unheard of before the starting of the...
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...Dalairis Amaro Professor Riebman HIST 103 December 6, 2013 Courtly Love: The Emancipation of Love Woman have never been viewed equally in society, they are expected to be pure, innocent, and silent while men are not held to that same standard. Men have always been allowed to have multiple women, and been put in a position above their woman. She is merely a possession that owes him loyalty, respect, and honor. In Medieval times a woman was simply an acquisition like acquiring land. This idea that women are held to higher expectations in morality and purity is something instilled by the church centuries ago, but something that still remains current. Just in 2009 there was an incident in Sicily where a man decapitated his wife in front of his family because she was having an online affair. Giuseppe Castro, 35, stabbed his wife Gia Scuto, 41, in the neck, then sawed her head off after seeing messages she was sending back and forth with her online lover (Nelson, “Jealous Husband”). Castro stated “She was chatting with other men I just couldn’t take it anymore” (Nelson, Jealous Huband). The possession that Castro felt over his wife is an entitlement that has been passed down through centuries. His wife owed him loyalty even if they were unhappy or she was being mistreated. The institution of marriage has never been about love, but more about economic gain or accomplishing political goals. Most women were married off to complete strangers. If they loved each other it came...
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...spread of it and how it impacted the different cultures within the medieval age. From the rise of the Christian Churches to the time of courtly love, troubadours and the romantic love era vernacular languages impacted the people of France throughout Western Europe and the rest of the world. Though the people of the general population where not able to interpret and understand the Latin language known as the language of the elite (the educated or the people of higher and political authority) until mid to late middle ages, they began to write and speak through the common languages within their countries to make it easier to communicate and understand laws, romantic love and to also spread the words of god within the Christian churches. The Catholic Church was established in 325 CE (Sayre,2013), approximately 300 years after the death of Jesus Christ. By 476 BE, the Germans had taken over the Roman Empire under the rule of Constantine as he started to build his empire known as the Byzantine Empire . Constantine, the first Christian ruler, a believer of Jesus Christ, moved the Roman Empire to Instanbul, formerly known as modern day, Turkey. Upon establishing his empire and the Christian church Constantine named that city after himself, Constantinople. After the Christian Church was established came the Medieval Ages which took place in Britain. The Medieval Age was also known as the dark or the middle ages. Not many things changed or were created during this time, as the people...
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...answer. At the end he promises to grant a wish to an ugly old hag in return for the right answer. When he has given the answer in court and secured his liberty, the old hug jumps up and demands that he marries her. The Knight begs her to reconsider and wish for something else but the old hag stubbornly refuses. The Knight marries her secretly. At night as they lay in bed, the Knight keeps on turning restlessly. The old hag asks him if he would prefer her ugly and faithful or beautiful and faithless. The Knight allows her to decide. The old woman is delighted to have won ‘sovereignty’ over her husband and rewards him by becoming faithful and beautiful all the time. The Knight’s Tale describes how two kinsmen Arcite and Palamon fall in love with the same woman named Emily, whom they first see out of their prison window. Emily is the niece of King Theseus. Arcite gains his freedom but is banished from Athens. He comes back masked since he cannot bear to live away from Emily. In the meanwhile Palamon breaks out of prison and coincidentally meets Arcite in a forest grove. Here Theseus discovers them fighting a bloody duel. Theseus puts an end to their fight and organizes a contest to resolve their quarrel about Emily. Before the contest Arcite prays to Mars for victory while Palamon prays to Venus for the sole possession of Emily. This creates uproar in heaven and finally both the wishes are granted. Arcite emerges victorious in the joust,...
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...ASPECTS OF MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE (1066-1500) Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Anglo-Latin After the Conquest: dramatic changes in language and cultural temperament Old English literature: Middle English literature realistic,matter-of-fact,unromantic, growing audience, a panorama of most serious, often melancholic, diverse folk of many social classes (castle, monochrome gray, loyalty to the lord, barnyard, town); the appearance of leasure desperate courage in defeat, class and an audience of women rigorous adherence to the tribal code; new type of secular entertainment: major theme: agony of the lordless man, code continued but became chivalric social alienation, noble and heroic deeds; agony of alienation, physical hardships for audience: almost exclusively male;lords and the sovereign lady thanes - no mention of lower classes, strong courtly flavour, …So they duly arrived The sumptuous bed on which she lay in their grim war-graith and gear at the hall, Was beautiful. The drapes and tassel, and, weary from the sea, stacked wide shields Sheets and pillows worth a castle. of the toughest hardwood against the wall, The single gown she wore was sheer … And made her shapely form appear. … And the troops themselves She’d thrown, in order to keep warm, were as good as their weapons. Then a proud warrior An ermine stole over her arm, questioned the men concerning their origins: White fur with the lining dyed ...
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..."The Humours" • Values of "courtly love" • The Code of Chivalry(CF) The Poets and Authors: Caedmon: First English poet; author of "The Dream of the Holy Rood." Venerable Bede: wrote the Ecclesiastical History of England and the scientific treatise, De Natura Rerum. Geoffrey Chaucer: Famous Medieval author of the Canterbury Tales. Margery Kempe: Author of the first autobiography in English. John Gower: Medieval poet and friend of Geoffrey Chaucer Francesco Petrarch: Italian poet, and a humanist. Famous for his poems addressed to Laura. Dante: Medieval poet and politician. Christine de Pizan: Medieval author and feminist. William Longland: English poet who wrote the Vision of Piers Plowman. Boccaccio: Italian writer who was famous for writing the Decameron. Raphael Holinshed: Medieval author of Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland. (KM) Romance: • Chivalry was the reason behind this type of literature. • The greatest English example of the romance is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. • The romance hero-who often has the help of magic-undertakes a quest to conquer an evil enemy. (KM) Chivalry: • A system of ideals and social codes governing the behavior of knights and gentlewoman. • The rules included: taking an oath of loyalty to the overlord and observing certain rules of warfare. • Adoring a particular lady was seen as a means of self-improvement. (KM) Courtly Love: • The idea that adoring...
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...The Chivalrous Ideal and Courtly love in Medieval England Dobrea Andrada-Cristina Anul III Engleză-Japoneză As contoured by the pages of time and history, each and every Era of our evolutionary process has offered the next one the privilege of witnessing a fascinating world, jewelled in magnificent ideals and a specific behaviour, beautiful even in its flaws. Among these, a haunting and mesmerizing Era captures the thought of literary critics – the Medieval Period. A period marked by powerful beliefs, conflict and self-knowledge, and inhabited by a spirit torn between Christianity and paganism, between virtue and sin, between light and utter darkness. An Era portraying a country trying to adapt to drastic changes brought on by the Norman Conquest of 1066, a country fighting to establish its own history in order to gain independence. A Period of knights and ladies, of valour and good faith, which gives life to some of the highest ideals mankind has ever known. It has introduced us to concepts such as chivalry and courtly love, pure expressions of spiritual essence. Of these ideals poets and authors wrote with lively passion, embroidering them in poems such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, or The Wife of Bath. Although its poet remains unknown, the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight remains instilled in our minds as one of the prime examples of chivalry, Gawain representing the chivalrous ideal of the period. His story begins at New Year, in a court filled...
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...Unit 2 Individual Project HUMA215-Topics of Cultural Studies Abstract This is a paper about how more common vernacular languages influenced positive changes to the new world of art, agriculture and lifestyles. The Black Death almost collapsed Europe with so many citizens dying, but the Renaissance brought growth and rich culture to Europe. VERNACULAR LANGUAGES “Latin was the main vernacular language for the educated upper class and clergy.” (MUSE). All court documents and medical books were all written in Latin. This language separated the upper class from the rest of the lower class, less educated citizens; which also limited the less educated from moving up in class for a better life a new more common-man vernacular languages were created. Charlemagne aka Charles the Great (742-814) was the first "Emperor" in Western Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire. Alcuin of York (730 – 804) was a scholar, teacher and poet who created a successful curriculum of reading and writing for children. This combination of King and scholar changed the future of student’s curriculum. After being introduced to Alcuin of York, Charlemagne invited him to come and teach at Charlemagne Palace School. He taught all the royal children and young clerics that were attached to the palace chapel. “Alcuin became a leading scholar and teacher at the Carolingian court and joined the royal court in 781, and became one of Charlemagne's chief advisers on religious and educational matter;...
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...role of women in it. The Canterbury Tales reveal his view of behaviors and manners of people of the late Middle Ages. He depicts two contrasting women through the personages like May and Dorigen. By the use of the description of her gestures, words and actions in the Merchant’s Tale, May serves as an illustration of a dissenter female, that most fully acts on her desire. On the contrary, we see Dorigen, who is a finer model of womanhood of that period; she is virtuous and of a moral high ground. These Chaucer’s opposing characters demonstrate how women behave in society, both the correct and incorrect ways. In The Merchant's Tale, Chaucer depicts January, who lives “in great prosperity” as a bachelor for “sixty years”, who one day decides to be a “wedded man”. He believes that a wife is a “gift of God”, who is going to obey him and make him live like in “paradise” on earth. After “clever and prudent negotiations” he marries a beautiful girl, named May. Therefore, we assume that this is an arranged marriage between an aging man and a young maiden. Subsequently, one can undertake that, a younger, more handsome male would cuckold the old man. Chaucer pictures May as a less passive personage than many other women in his tales. Her desire for sexual pleasure is as strong as the desire of any man. Chaucer doesn’t reveal how May feels about her marriage and old husband; during love consummation, she obeys her husband, “weather it was agreeable to her or loathsome”. And only in a course...
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...The literary era of this poetry love ushered in a gentler period which placed greater emphasis on humility, courtesy and the elevation of womanhood into a source of reverence and inspiration. Leading to enrichment between men and women which had an uplifting effect on the society around them. In this era, it was established as a the formal means of expressing reverence of romance and love that was entirely new in Europe. There was no tradition of passionate love literature in the European middle ages before the twelfth century with the exception of Spain and Sicily where there was exposure to Arabic love poetry, to which a lot of our modern ideas about romantic love can be traced back. But this time show or tell that they expressed more complaints about their unfaithful lovers than happiness. I’m not really surprise. Woman always find something to complain about when they don’t get what they want. There is difficulty in labeling the trobairitz as either amateurs or professionals. The distinction between these two roles was complicated in the medieval era, since professionals were generally lower class, and amateurs had as much time as professionals to devote to their craft. The poem written by the Contessa de Dia is a canso. When discussing troubadour and trobairitz poetry, it is important to realize that they were a piece of entertainment .These poems were largely of political or moral nature. The troubadour would sing or recite poetry while playing harp during the Medieval...
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...Although entertainment in the Middle Ages varied greatly between nobles and commoners, both classes enjoyed the holidays and festivals that broke the monotony of everyday life. Noble entertainment consisted mostly of refined, expensive hobbies and lavish feasts. The most popular game was chess, which was played in almost exactly the same way as it is today. Gambling and dice games similar to modern-day craps were prevalent as well. Bets were on a multitude of things, “including the number of soldiers in a company, the winner of a mock combat, or the conclusion of a successful hunt.” In addition, lords enjoyed reading courtly literature such as Arthurian romances that told tales of “classical heroes and knightly bravery.” Those who weren’t...
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