ENGL 2100Y Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Fabliau, Chivalric Romance, Courtly Love
23 Feb 2016
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Document Summary
The pilgrims have just listened to the knight"s tale, a long story concerning two young prisoners who fall in love with the same women, emily, who for years doesn"t even known they exist. They end up fighting to the death over her in a tournament. As befitting his knightly status and love of courtesie", the knight tells a tale about aristocratic characters who adhere in some respects to the ideals of courtly love in the genre of romance. Social context: an aristocratic or courtly society which prides itself on adhering to. Main characters are from the upper classes. How will the hero reconcile love for a woman with loyalty to his lord or male. The woman (the love object) is idealized and placed on a pedestal; she is often unattainable, and worshipped almost as a goddess. The male lover must suffer for love his love for his lady should be refined" (fin amors) as he seeks to win her favour.
