"The Knight with the Lion (Yvain)" pgs 354-380

1. Yvain begins to refer to himself at "the knight with the lion" when asked what his name is. Yvain does this because he wants to start a new reputation for himself. He does not want people to think of him as a knight who has failed in the past. Yvain wants to be known for the things that he has done, not the baggage that comes with his name. Yvain's new identity parallels that of someone moving to a new district for school and starting over. No one knows who they are or were in their past town, and creating a new identity keeps those from being rejected or scorned for who they once were.

3. I think that Yvain and Laudine meeting at the end of the story is very interesting. Yvain professes to her his regret for not remembering to come back in time, and the love that he has for Laudine. Laudine basically says that she'll take him back so she is not accused of perjury. I found it quite funny, because Laudine does not take him back because of her love for him, but to escape being accused of something. It is not a very fair reconciliation for Yvain, mainly because he loves her and she is just thinking about herself.

"The Knight with the Lion (Yvain)" pgs 325-353

1. On pages 326 to 327, Gawain gives a speech about what kind of knight Yvain has become. Because of this speech, Yvain becomes embarrassed and shameful of the kind of knight that he has become. He then asks Laudine to allow him to go with the king on adventures and she agrees, but says that he is only allowed to go for a year or else her love for him with be gone. This agreement is very interesting because it relates back to a modern day married couple only giving their spouse a certain time frame to do something and a consequence if it is not done in time. Laudine is giving Yvain a certain time frame to achieve his happiness, while she is being left alone for a year. I would not agree to this deal. I think that one year is a very long time to be separated from your love especially when they only thing that they are trying to accomplish is a better reputation. The only reason why Yvain goes on this journey with the King is to reinstate what he used to be known for, and gain his respect back. One year is far too long to wait for something as small as a bad reputation.

3. When Laudine's messenger tells Yvain that he has been gone too long and that Laudine no longer loves him, Yvain goes mad. He runs into the forrest, takes off all of his clothes, and begins to live off the land like a savage. This reaction is very interesting of Yvain because he believes that without love, he cannot live, and does not deserve the life that he is living. In the wilderness, he hunts for his food, and is fed bread and water by a stranger in the woods. It becomes a routine where he hunts for the food and brings it back for the stranger to cook, which begins a small relationship between the two strangers. Yvain changes throughout this part of the romance due to the fact that he no longer shares this love with Laudine. I also think that the "cure" is very interesting because it puts him out of his savage mindset. He suddenly snaps out of it and does not understand why he is naked in the woods. From there, the first thing that he wants to do is fix what has gone wrong in his life.

"The Knight with the Lion (Yvain)" pgs 295-324

Comparing the opening prologue of "Erec and Enide" and the opening of "The Knight with the Lion (Yvain)," the setup is very different. In "Erec and Enide," Chretien creates a prologue with parallels that will be seen throughout the story. In "The Knight with the Lion (Yvain)," he opens it with an explanation about how these stories were told in King Arthur's courts and the types of stories that were told. Although Chretien does not give us a proverb, he gives us a small lesson about love. He says that love used to be for people who were "courtly and valiant and generous and honourable" but now peasants have the right to love. Chretien says that the peasants just "claim" to know about love but really just make "a mockery of it" (295). This suggests that possibly there is no way to parallel what is going on in the story with a proverb. The romance of Yvain and Laudine cannot be characterized, therefore a proverb cannot be placed at the beginning of the story. I think that the small lesson about love is very interesting, considering the large theme of love in this story. I thought that it was very interesting that Chretien capitalized the word "love" to make is more of a person than a thing that happens to you. The word "love" is thrown around a lot in the text where Yvain first sees Laudine and he is in love with her and how love makes people slaves. It is all very interesting how love is the most important theme in Chretien's works. Other than it being a classic story of a knight who falls in love with a beautiful maiden, why is love so important to and imperative to have in these stories?

"Erec and Enide" pgs 90-122

In the last several passages that we have read of "Erec and Enide," Erec has tested the depth of Enide's love for him. Through this, Erec realizes how much Enide is in love with him which strengthens, yet changes their relationship. Erec is now not bothered by Enide's speech when she is looking out for him- he has grown used it. Also, later in the story when he is "dead," he is awakened by the sound of Enide's voice. Her speech which ones annoyed him and made him angry, now saved her from getting married to another man, and him from being buried alive. Erec takes Enide on this long journey for a few reasons. He ultimately wants to prove to Enide, himself, and the rest of the kingdom that he is still the same knight that he was before he married Enide. He wants to reestablish his name and make sure that it stays preserved in a positive light. Also, Erec takes Enide on this journey to test her love for him. In the beginning, he does not know how to react to her choice to speak, rather than hold her words. By the end of the story, Erec understands that Enide is only looking out for his own safety.

Chretien also speaks about Erec's "death" and "rebirth" in the third section. When he is referring to Erec's "death," he is more referring to the death of who Erec used to be. He is not as full of himself or pompous. That part of him dies and there is a rebirth or his love. During his "rebirth," it is a kind of new beginning for him and Enide. They are reunited with a new kind of desire for one another which signals why Chretien stresses his "rebirth."

"Erec and Enide" pgs 60-90

1. In the transition from Erec's part to Enide's part is very evident. After catching the white stag, Erec and the court plan Erec's wedding. We still do not know Enide's name until after the first 3 pages of the second movement. We learn of her name at the altar when they are about to wed. In the story, Chretien writes that in order for a woman be recognized as married, she must "be named by her proper name" (62). Once Enide and Erec get married, we start to see Enide's character emerge. She is very "one-toned" with her emotions, and not a very conventional character. This which is very interested to see as a reader, and is a very interesting experience for Erec.

2. Enide first speaks in the text the morning after they had slept together for the first time and she thinks that Erec is sleeping. She begins weeping and talking about how unhappy she is with herself and what she has made Erec become since he has married her. Her first first words are "wretch, unhappy me!" (68). With her speech, Erec wakes up and does not understand her reasons for being upset. Erec is surprised to hear Enide speak, considering that up until that moment in time, he had never heard her utter a word to him or anyone else. Erec interprets her speech as banter at first and tries to make her feel better by trying to comfort her. As the story goes on and Enide begins speaking more, Erec gets more annoyed and frustrated by her lack of confidence in him. Enide is truly in love with Erec and wants the best for him. She frequently says that she would be lost without him if he ever died. Many times, throughout the text, Erec tells Enide to stop speaking and that he will only forgive her once for speaking out. Enide is genuinly in love with Erec and actually afraid of losing him- Erec does not understand her gestures. He would rather a woman who is capable of looking pretty and one that preferably, does not speak.

"Erec and Enide" pgs 37-60

1. In the opening of the romance, Chretien provides us with a proverb about value. The proverb explains that many times, we take things for granted and do not realize the pleasure that it gave us until it is gone. It also states that in order to make intelligent choices, they have to give themselves "free reign" (pg 37) to learn new things. They must experience many different things in order to form an opinion and make a wise decision. Chretien provides us with this prologue in the beginning of the story in order for the reader to understand what kind of problems might arise in the story. The proverb is there to warn us about the possible problems that might arise between the two main characters.
5. The scene in which Queen Guenevere is dressing Enide implies that although Erec is trying to dress Enide in nice clothes, she does not need them. Whatever Enide wears, she will always be the most beautiful woman, in Erec's eyes. Even though the first time Erec saw Enide was when she was wearing a worn out dress, he still noticed her for her beauty. He obsesses over how Enide needs new dresses and must look beautiful which puts into question whether or not Erec loves Enide for her looks or her personality. His obsession with getting new clothes for Enide is great, when Enide could really careless about what she wears.

Tristan 14-19

3. Tristan's madness, although it can be seen as a disguise to trick those who once knew him, is actually a result of his suffering. Because of his long separation from Yseut and his uncle's anger towards him, Tristan has become depressed and made crazy. He no longer knows who he is exactly and falls into a deep contemplation. His heartache drives him crazy and causes him to alter his appearance and name. It is very easy to relate this to our "love stories" today. Many times today when we would like to hide from our true feelings, we fake our emotions to appear happy when we are not. Sometimes, we will fake being someone we are not in order to escape ourselves.

4. Tristan and Yseut must die at the end of the text for many reasons. It is a story where true love conquers all something as big as death cannot even stand in its way. As Tristan said, Yseut was his one and only love. It is only proper in a story like this to have both die at the same time. The two twisted branches also signify their everlasting love. Every time King Mark tries to cut down the branches and destroy their connection between each other, [like when they were alive] their love overcomes it and grows even stronger.

Tristan 7-13

3. When the forester first recognizes Tristan and Yseult in the woods, their bodies are entangled and obviously sleeping with each other. When King Mark goes into the forest to confirm what the forester saw, he sees Tristan and Yseult faced away from each other, sleeping, with a sword in between them. This body language suggests that they are just friends. They are keeping their distance from each other to prove that they are not committing a wrongful love. The sword in between them suggests a friendship and not a relationship where they would be lovers. The sunlight signifies the new way in which King Mark is looking at the couple. He does not see them as a couple.

5. I was not very surprised by the letter that was given to King Mark. Tristan and Yseult find it easy to lie to King Mark. I am also not very surprised by King Mark's reaction. He is very trustworthy to Tristan and Yseult. When he asks Tristan and Yseult if there is anything else going on with their relationship, they say no. They know that King Mark will always believe the words that come out of their mouth whether they are lying or not.

Tristan 1-6

The character of Yseut is much like the common stereotype given to maidens in the medieval times. She drinks the love potion, along with Tristan, and falls deeply in love with him. From then on, Yseut is incapable of living a life without Tristan. The story suddenly becomes the stereotypical love lorn maiden pining over a knight she cannot have. Of course, it is different because Yseut is married to Tristan's uncle and sleeps with Tristan at the same time. The character of Tristan is also very stereotypical to a knight in the medieval times. He is devoted to his king, King Mark, and is passionate, love lorn, and determined. The only flaw that Tristan possesses is his dishonesty to his uncle and king. In this story, King Mark is portrayed as a fool. His trust in his nephew and wife make a fool out of him to the whole kingdom.

In reading the first 6 chapters, I found that the story teaches us a lot about love conquering all. Despite all of the problems that Tristan and Yseut could run into in their love affair, they continue on with it. Their affair teaches us that no matter what circumstances, love comes first. This story also teaches us how easy it is to fall in love. Tristan and Yseut fall in love by the mere act of drinking "love potion."