yvain

Chrétien de Troyes’ Yvain is undoubtedly a most important source in studying the social elements at play during the twelfth century. Throughout the often idealistic plot of the story, de Troyes’ chivalric hero faces many conflicts which reflect the personal, social and political ideals of his time. From the beginning of the story when Yvain sets off for his journey to avenge his cousin’s defeat, until his reunion with Laudin, the hero goes through a drastic change. While Yvain had been great, but not a perfect knight when he left King Arthur’s court for the spring with the basin, at the end of the story, after his many adventures, he manages to emerge as a “paragon of virtue†; resolving all of his conflicts. Some of the most prominent conflicts that shape Yvain’s story are the ones between love/hate, love/duty, madness/wisdom, honor/dishonor, good/evil and chivalry/impoliteness. While all of these conflicts are important in analyzing the social implications of the story, the two most prominent conflicts are the ones between love/hate and love/duty, which in turn lead to other, less significant ones. While it is true that Yvain faces a series of dangerous external conflicts to reach happines

when he falls in love with Laudin, who has to despise him due to her situation. While the sentiment is strong in this encounter, it is in no way close to the one present during Gawain and Yvain’s battle. While the two are not aware of the person they are fighting against, each is filled with intense hatred. This hatred is matched with the great love they both have for each other. Since the two emotions are mutually exclusive, Yvain faces the most demanding inner conflict possible, although he is not aware of it. The conflict is resolved as soon as Yvain recognizes Gawain whom he had been fighting. However, remnants of the guilt they both feel are apparent in the way they both want to declare their own defeats. Very symbolic of 12th century ideals, the fight between good and good does not end with a clear result, no one side can be beaten.

When Yvain realizes that he had broken his promise to Laudin, his love leads him into another conflict. From the moment when the damsel delivers Laudin’s furious message, Yvain is thrown into madness. In his madness he discards his cloths, resorts to a hermitical life and becomes unrecognizable. In his madness, the crucial values of compassion, strength, honor, courage which define a true knight abandon Yvain. Thus the conflict of madness and sanity demonstrate the crucial elements that make up a great knight. From his madness, Yvain is restored by a magical potion which is put on him by a damsel. The sanity the magical potion provides Yvain with is perhaps a re-birth, a second-chance the hero gets for resolving his conflicts and earning back his lady’s love.

The first conflict he has after regaining his sanity is against a lord who is threatening the lady, who had restored Yvain’s sanity. The lord whom Yvain has to fight is a cruel and vile person, depicting the conflict between the honorable and the dishonorable. By beating the lord, Yvain proves that the honorable person always wins. This fight also implies many ideals of the 12th century. While the lord of one of the numerous castles that sprung up in the 12th century is depicted as a vile and malicious person greedily seeking profit, Yvain, the knight, is portrayed as the defender of justice. The rising values of the time, honor, peace, and jus