ENG 270 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Courtly Love
Document Summary
The wedding of sir gawain and dame ragnelle. Reverse roles -- ugly woman gets handsome man. Women have the power to save the men. Royal authority is wanted by women -- sovereignty. Gives her control not only over herself, but over her husband and social circumstances. Chivalry dictates the relationship between men and women. Man had a certain obligation to respect her, protect her, and love her. Love is very intricately tied to chivalry. Theory -- practice is a different story. Out there as an ideal -- something to aspire to. The ideas driving chivalry should mean in theory that women are the boss a majority of the time -- chivalry says you should listen to what the lady says. The code of chivalry applies most to men and women who were not married -- marriage change things.
