Read The Excerpts From The Song Of Roland: A Tradition Of Or

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Read the excerpts from the Song of Roland, a tradition of oral tales that was finally written down about the year 1100, and the Lancelot story written down by Chrétien de Troyes in roughly 1170. These stories recount different facets of the chivalric or feudal code, of the code of behavior that emerged around the year 1100 in Western Europe and that portrayed an ideal set of values for noblemen warriors. Roland portrays a masculine world of brave warriors who commit their lives to protecting their superiors, while the Lancelot story portrays a feminized world where men submit themselves fully to the women they love. Rather than a series of questions for these documents, I’ll ask you just to list the masculine or feminine characteristics of the people and the plot in each story.

You might think of Roland being written for a masculine audience, and Lancelot being written for a female audience. If that is true, then how do these stories appeal to both of those audiences? Are there areas where the values of each story conflict with the values of the other?

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The epic tales of the "Song of Roland" and the story of Lancelot, crafted in the late 11th and 12th centuries respectively, reflect distinct versions of the societal ideals and gender roles prevalent in medieval Western Europe. While both narratives revolve around chivalry, their portrayal of masculinity and femininity diverges significantly, catering to different audiences and embodying contrasting virtues. Analyzing these differences offers insight into the evolving notions of gender and morality during that era, as well as the ways in which these stories appeal across gender boundaries despite their fundamental conflicts.

Masculine Characteristics in the "Song of Roland"

The "Song of Roland" epitomizes a highly masculine worldview, emphasizing qualities such as bravery, loyalty, honor, and a willingness to sacrifice life for one’s comrades and lord. Roland himself embodies the warrior ideal, characterized by physical strength, valor in battle, and unwavering loyalty to Charlemagne. The narrative celebrates martial prowess, collective duty, and the importance of defending Christian values and feudal loyalty. The hero’s stoic endurance in the face of death exemplifies the masculine valor of stoicism and self-sacrifice, reinforcing the concept of the warrior as the protector of Christendom and the feudal order.

Feminine Characteristics in the "Song of Roland"

Feminine qualities in this epic are less explicit but are still represented through themes such as piety, faith, and moral righteousness. The Virgin Mary and Christian virtues serve as spiritual femininity, embodying purity, compassion, and divine grace. The role of women in the story remains largely indirect, often depicted as symbols of moral authority or divine justice, rather than active participants in the martial narrative. The focus remains primarily on masculine heroism, loyalty, and martial prowess.

Masculine Characteristics in the Lancelot Story

The "Lancelot" tales, crafted by Chrétien de Troyes, emphasize a more nuanced and often feminized portrayal of masculinity. Lancelot himself demonstrates loyalty, romantic devotion, and a willingness to serve his beloved Guinevere at great personal cost. His valor is intertwined with courtly love, emphasizing emotional depth, sensitivity, and submission—traits traditionally associated with femininity. The narrative explores themes of internal conflict, desire, and moral complexity, encouraging men to balance martial valor with courtly virtues such as courtesy, tenderness, and humility.

Feminine Characteristics in the Lancelot Story

The story of Lancelot is dominated by feminine virtues like love, beauty, and emotional vulnerability. Guinevere embodies femininity through her grace and moral dilemmas, while the courtly love tradition elevates romantic devotion to an almost divine status. Women in the Lancelot stories are active in shaping the narrative, often wielding moral authority and influencing the actions of their male counterparts. The depiction of women as central figures in moral and emotional life contrasts sharply with their more passive role in the "Song of Roland."

Appeal to Different Audiences and Conflicting Values

The "Song of Roland," with its emphasis on masculine virtues such as martial prowess, loyalty, and stoicism, likely appealed primarily to a male audience invested in the honor and protection of the realm. Conversely, the Lancelot stories, centered on romantic love, emotional devotion, and courtly manners, probably attracted a female audience or those sympathetic to softer virtues. Despite these differences, both stories shared a common cultural framework of chivalry, that idealized codes of behavior for nobility.

However, conflicts arise in their contrasting portrayals of gender roles. The "Song of Roland" valorizes physical strength and martial sacrifice as ultimate virtues, while the Lancelot tales elevate emotional intelligence, love, and submission as equally noble qualities. These differences reflect evolving perspectives on masculinity and femininity, with courtly love and romantic devotion challenging the traditional warrior ethos. Moreover, while the "Song of Roland" emphasizes external virtues—valor on the battlefield—the Lancelot stories focus on internal virtues—moral truth within love and service—highlighting different dimensions of moral excellence.

In conclusion, these stories serve different societal functions—one reinforcing martial masculinity, the other exploring the complexities of courtly love and feminine virtues. Both, however, contribute to the cultural discourse on gender and morality, illustrating the tensions and complementarities inherent in medieval conceptions of virtue. These narratives continue to reveal how different audiences could find shared values expressed through diverse representations of gender and behavior, enriching the understanding of medieval ideals.

References

• Barnwell, P. S. (2010). Chivalry and Courtly Love. Cambridge University Press.
• Chretien de Troyes. (1996). Lancelot, or the Knight of the Cart. Translated by William W. Kibler. Oxford University Press.
• Clanchy, M. T. (1993). From Memory to Written Record: England 1066–1307. Blackwell Publishing.
• Dubois, J. (2000). The Medieval Hero's Journey. Medieval Perspectives, 18(2), 123-137.
• Gillingham, J. (1994). Medieval Christianity. Oxford University Press.
• Lewis, C. S. (2005). The Allegory of Love. HarperOne.
• Rossington, M. (2005). The Courtly Lover. Routledge.
• Vernon, J. (2014). Chivalric Ideals and the Medieval Court. Routledge.
• Watt, J. A. (2011). The Making of the Middle Ages. John Wiley & Sons.
• Zupancic, T. (2019). Gender and the Medieval Court. Palgrave Macmillan.