"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.