Twentieth century critics have begun to reconsider Chretien de Troyes' romances as literary works, paying less attention to source studies, historical analyses, and exegeses of possible Scriptural or Patristic symbolism. Using the principles outlined in the rhetorical manuals in wide use during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, scholars have sought to enumerate the techniques of ornamentation available to Chretien de Troyes and examine how the champenois master embellished his romances with them. At the same time, modern critics recognize the limitations of textbook rhetoric and acknowledge that while it may be fundamental to the poet's style, it is by no means exclusive of original, personal poetics The Rhetorica ad Herennium, widely read and imitated in the twelfth century, makes a distinction between effictio, physical description, and notatio, character drawing. Although much more discussion is devoted to the latter figure than the former in both the Rhetorica ad Herennium and its subsequent imitations, little if any modern critical attention has been paid to character drawing as a commonplace in the vernacular literature of the Middle Ages. The relationship between physical appearance and character has been mentioned occasionally, but not analyzed. However, Chretien frequently follows the dicta of the manuals in balancing effictiones with notationes, permitting great natural beauty to reflect a surpassing exquisiteness of virtue In his first Arthurian romance Chretien includes three minor female characters who demonstrate the poet's capacity for portraying secondary personages. The weeping amie of Cadoc illustrates Chretien's skill in depicting mood changes, while Enide's two cousins represent extemes of generosity and selfishness. Enide is a woman of perfect virtue, completely idealized by the author. Her lack of self-interest and her absolute submission to Erec attest to the dominance of a pre-courtois ideal in the romance Chretien introduces the interior monologue into his Arthurian romances in Cliges. This permits a new perspective upon character drawing by bringing about a shift from descriptio to ratiocinatio and interpretatio. In both sections of the romance, the poet permits his audience access to the thoughts of the personages in order to elicite subjective recognition of them Two of the damsels encountered by Lancelot in the Chevalier de la Charrete demand favors from the great knight: one asks for the head of Lancelot's defeated adversary, while the other requires a sexual recompense for her hospitality. Guenievre, the object of the chevalier's search, is the central figure among Chretien's female personages. She is the only woman who appears in all the romances, and the variety of feelings that she displays permits the poet to embellish his portrait of her with a plethora of figures With the Yvain, Chretien begins to shift from representation of the courtois ideal to a more realistic appraisal of the role of women in medieval society. This notationes of minor female personages reflect this shift as he portrays maidens who suffer as a result of injustice, rather than love. Lunete and Laudine are the poet's finest examples of counterpoint characterization; the rational, articulate brunette stands in contrast to the highly emotional, imperious blonde In Perceval, Chretien continues his reduction of the roles of female personages. The three women of whom there is extensive notatio differ from all others in the preceding romances. Blancheflor uses her beauty to minipulate Perceval into doing what she wants, la pucele as mances petites demonstrate the innocence and frivolity of childhood, and la male pucele incarnates cruelty. The secondary female characters, with one exception, are women who suffer because of injustice and alienation / acase@tulane.edu
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_25794 |
| Date | January 1981 |
| Contributors | Spillman, Mary Susan Fitch (Author) |
| Publisher | Tulane University |
| Source Sets | Tulane University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Access requires a license to the Dissertations and Theses (ProQuest) database., Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law |
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