Chrétien+de+Troyes

Chrétien de Troyes

Chrétien de Troyes was a [|French] poet who lived and prospered in the [|twelfth century AD]. He is predominantly remembered for his [|poetry] depicting the adventures of King Arthur, Lancelot and the Knights of the Round Table and so very little is clear of de Troyes’s personal life. Although the Arthurian tales had been recited by earlier poets and historians previous to Chrétien de Troyes, historians agree, that de Troyes’s unique romantic rendition and interpretation of the legend has allowed the tales to rise throughout the centuries and indisputably labelled him the //Father of the Arthurian Tales//. Success has seen the poetry survive the centuries and allowed historians the opportunity to interpret the medieval society in which Chrétien de Troyes lived.

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=Works =

Chrétien de Troyes's five poems are //Erec et Enide//, //Cliges//, //Yvain,// //Le Chevalier de la Charrette// (The Knight of the Cart, or Lancelot) and //Le Conte du Graal// (The Story of the Grail). Each offer significant insight into the beliefs of the medieval society at the time and portray chivalry and romance very uniquely. In his poems de Troyes focussed predominantly on the relationships between men and women portraying uniquely the idea of love within a marriage. Previous to de Troyes, poets recited stories of the heroic male succeeding in a great battle and, in the closing stanza’s, marrying the beautiful maiden. De Troyes did not follow this tradition. The sources for his poems are also unclear and sought after keenly by historians as it is not yet understood when or where the historical events which de Troyes brought to life took place however the stories he recited has transformed the Arthurian tales into a legend.

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=Themes =

Unlike other poets, who wished to base their poems around “forbidden castles” and other mythical topics, de Troyes although including such topics for the favour of the audience, enjoyed rather the psychological reasoning behind each of his characters decisions, providing a unique view of the Arthurian stories. De Troyes recited tales of a married man, focussing on love within a marriage and the problems associated. //[|Erec et Enide]// portrays the moral turmoil a man faces in looking after a wife, and fighting for his realm clearly. De Troyes also portrays the deeds of females as akin to animals. Although written very subtly the association between female and animal in de Troyes's poetry is very clear. =Importance =

The importance of Chrétien de Troyes is in his revolutionary writing techniques and medieval insight. Although the Arthurian tales, such as //[|Eric et Enide]//, had been previously told by many poets, it was his unique rendition which has made him so influential and remembered. This influence allowed the Arthurian tales to survive the centuries, revolutionising future pieces of writing and allowing historians to gain a glimpse at medieval society. The structure of de Troyes's poetry has been described by many as the beginning of the modern novel. Uitti writes,

// "With [Chrétien’s work] a new era opens in the history of European story telling…this poem reinvents the genre we call narrative romance; in some important respects it also initiates the vernacular novel." // His original writing style and unique themes made de Troyes so important. Th ere were many poets throughout the medieval period but none as influential or as important as Chrétien de Troyes.

 Personal Thoughts on the importance/influential of Chrétien de Troyes

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=External Links =

 [|Arthurian Romances] Chrétien de Troyes Wikipedia