Everyone has heard the story of a young, handsome, virtuous man who embarks on a quest to save or win the heart of a beautiful young woman . This type of story is known as a courtly love story. The theme of courtly love is very common in medieval literature and especially in Arthurian legends. Most of these medieval tales of courtly love centered on a knight in shining armor going to great lengths to prove his worthiness to a beautiful young woman. Chivalry and nobility are two of the important themes in stories of courtly love. Marie de France, one of the few authors credited for her work in this era, wrote a lay titled Lanval that does not fit the traditional mold of courtly love that was common in her time. Through my analysis of Lanval and the use of Gareth's tale, a more traditional tale of courtly love, I will show how Lanval's story does not fit the typical structure of a tale of courtly love. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In some ways this story follows typical courtly love quite well, except that the roles of the man and woman are reversed in this story. He is the brave and handsome knight who is chased by the beautiful woman. This is evident when the fairy says: “Sweet love, for you I have come from my land; I have come to look for you from afar" (de France, 156). Not only is she the one who sought him out, but she is also the one who is demonstrating her love for him through gifts and service. Another way the roles are reversed is that it is Lanval who submits to the fairy's authority out of love. Usually, once the knight in shining armor has won the young maiden's heart, she submits to him, yet it is Lanval who says to the fairy, "If you could feel such joy as to love me, there is nothing that you could command." , in my power, which I would not do for you, neither foolish nor wise” (de France, 156). In medieval male-dominated society this idea of ​​a man submitting completely to a woman was very rare. In many tales of courtly romance the man must perform a great act of heroism to save the woman from some great threat, such as a dragon or a wizard. In Lanval she is the fairy who rides a white horse to save Lanval from the wrath of Queen Guinevere. Lanval's story altered the traditional roles of courtly romance. Instead of having a knight in shining armor and a damsel in distress, Lanval has a damsel in shining armor and a knight in distress. It wouldn't be difficult to argue that Sir Gareth is the ideal knight in shining armour. First of all Gareth looks the part, he is described as handsome and fair at the beginning of the story. Someone would have to search several roundtables to find a knight who embodies the idea of ​​chivalry better than Sir Gareth. The knights' code of chivalry imposes on the Arthurian Knights a high code of honor that sometimes seems paradoxical. A chivalrous knight must be bold, courageous, and fierce on the battlefield, yet loving, humble, and kind when serving a woman. Gareth fights his way through knight after knight in this tale, but allows Lynet to mock and belittle him for much of the time they spend on their journey together. Then, after all he has already done for Lynet, Gareth still has to serve Lynet for a year and win a tournament to win her affection. It's not the fact that he does all this that makes Gareth the ideal knight in shining armor, but the fact that he does it with humility andcavalry. Gareth clearly fills the stereotypical male role in a story of courtly love. Jack Parsley Lanval and Gareth have many similarities in these two stories. Both knights are described as handsome, kind and virtuous men. Lanval and Gareth both had to work to earn the prize respect of their fellow knight. Although both were beautiful and kind, neither had fallen in love before the tales they found themselves in. At the beginning of his tale Lanval was a stranger and a loner who was not well liked by the other knights. Gareth was ridiculed and mocked by knights shortly before he became one, and his reputation revolved around his "beautiful hands" and being a scullion boy. Lanval and Gareth also had many differences. Lanval was the opposite of the knight in shining armor archetype, while Gareth embodied everything about being a good and chivalrous knight. Gareth had to defeat evil knights, fight thieves, fight in a tournament, and offer a year of service to earn Lynet's love. Lanval had the fairy's love offered to him on a silver platter. In addition to being haunted by his love, Lanval was also spoiled with his gifts. These two knights have very similar personalities, but find themselves in extremely different situations. If Lanval had been placed in a traditional tale of courtly love, I have no doubt he would have made a great knight in shining armor. If a beautiful and powerful fairy had sought out Gareth, I believe he would also have behaved much like Lanval. Ultimately it was the plot that provided the differences between these two very similar characters. Lanval is not your typical Arthurian legend, so I'll use Gareth's story from Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Gareth's story begins with Gareth arriving at King Arthur's Pentecost feast as an unknown guest. Gareth is mocked for his appearance and is called "Beaumains" or beautiful hands. Gareth doesn't take offense at the teasing and doesn't take offense at being forced to go and help in the kitchen. A young damsel named Lynet arrives at King Arthur's court and asks Arthur to send knights to help rescue her sister whose castle is under attack by the Red Knight. Arthur refuses to send knights to help the young damsel, but Gareth asks Arthur to send him on this quest and he asks to be knighted by Sir Lancelot. Arthur agrees to these requests and knights Gareth and sends him away with Lynet. Lynet is not happy about being sent away with only the help of this kitchen boy. Lynet abuses Gareth throughout all the trials they go through to save Lynet's sister. These trials included fighting the thieves, fighting the Black Knight, fighting the Green Night, and finally fighting the Red Knight. It is only when Gareth defeats the Red Knight that Lynet becomes attached to him, but in order to prove his love for her he must serve her faithfully for a year. At the end of his year of service Gareth and Lynet organize a tournament for Gareth to win Lynet's hand. Gareth fights his way through several knights in this tournament and then marries Lynet. Marie de France wrote the story of one of the lesser-known knights in King Arthur's court, Lanval. Lanval is the son of a king from a distant land. Lanval could actually play the role of the knight in shining armor or Prince Charming very well if Marie de France had written this story differently. At the beginning of the story Marie de France states: "For his valor, for his generosity and his courage, most men envied him" (de France, 154). Although Lanval is described as the kind of man that any woman of the time would have.