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Examples of courtly love in medieval literature
Courtly love in shakespearean times
Courtly love in shakespearean times
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In relationships today we have a set of boundaries that are what we think of as common knowledge. Clearly, it is a horrible thing to take a woman by force. What most of us don't know is that these rules and expectations derived from Eleanor of Aquitaine's Courtly Rules of Love. Eleanor has done may amazing things throughout her life, one of these was writing the Rules of Courtly Love with her daughter, Marie in 1174 to write down standards for relationships that Eleanor wished were expectations at the time of her marriages. Eleanor's adult life was one of tragedy in terms of love. She was married off to protect the Aquitaine in which she inherited at the mere age of 15. She was first married to Louis VII in 1137 and had a rough marriage until …show more content…
the annulment in 1152. Many events in this marriage led to the creation of some of the rules listed in the document. Eleanor, now single and sole owner of the Aquitaine had to marry off fast out of safety. She married King Henry of England later in the same year, 1152. The marriage with Henry was hellish because it started from greed and ended in betrayal. The Rules of Courtly Love is a compilation of rules and expectations that explain how a healthy relationship works and how women should be treated in those relationships. In the 1100’s the rights for women and the relationship expectations Eleanor dreamed up were really, just dreams. The whole idea of the perfect gentleman derives from the list of 31 rules made in Eleanor's court. Eleanor of Aquitaine wrote these rules in order to ensure the safety and fulfillment of future generation of women. Eleanor's first marriage to King Louis VII had a huge influence in the creation of her rules of love as displayed and connected to specific rules in the document. One of her most known rules is, Men, can't love until they reach the age of maturity, King Louis was young and intemperate still, and he made some decisions that ultimately lead to the demise of relationships he possessed including that of Eleanor. Louis chose to send his militia into a town to kill the citizens out of a personal dispute with one of the town counts. The conflict that ensued culminated in the massacre of hundreds of innocents in the town of Vitry, most of the people took refuge in a church, which was set on fire by Louis’s troops, killing over 1,000 people who were inside. When Eleanor caught wind of what her husband had done it drove a divide between the two of them. The immaturity and his impulsive decisions lead to many deaths of innocents but the massacre of Vitry was the biggest and a huge turning point in the king and queen's marriage because it brought to light the fact that Louis was just not capable of leading a kingdom well. All in all the creation of the sixth rule is clearly linked to her marriage with Louis. Eleanor of Aquitaine's first marriage was a clear representation of what an unhealthy relationship looks like today, and her rules were based upon many specific events that happened during this period in her life. Louis also made an influence on her 13th rule, stating that When made public love rarely endures. King Louis was known for making impulsive decisions and affecting many with those decisions, and eventually, the guilt caught up to him and in 1145 he and Eleanor went on a crusade in hopes to rid himself of the guilt he had from the events of the massacre he was responsible for. This was an ill-fated journey and both Eleanor and Louis were in the public eye through the entirety of the journey. Eleanor and King Louis’ marriage and personal life was pushed into the public eye on short notice due to the passing of Louis VI. Eleanor was the mere age of 15 when the two were married. While the young couple Louis the VII and Eleanor had to jump into the role of king and queen of France while they still didn't even know each other well. The two were immediately having little issues here and there just because they were so young and forced to make such huge and influential decisions, and act twice their age in front of all of France. The love between Elinor and King Louis vii soon dwindled for many reasons, but one main one was indeed the constant need to be “perfect” in the public eye. After the annulment of the marriage between King Louis VII Eleanor was forced to marry again soon after to ensure her safety and that of her prized land.
Eleanor married King Henry II. This marriage was doomed from the start and there are many rules that stand out of the Courtly Rules of Love that bloomed during her marriage with Henry. Her tenth rule especially, stating that Love is always a stranger in the home of avarice is true as proved by Eleanor's life. Henry was extremely avarice and it was a huge part of why the marriage between him and Eleanor did not go well. Eleanor had what henry wanted, the land. Eleanor needed a husband to keep her safe so the land wouldn't end up in the wrong hands and so she would be physically safe. Henry's lust for land was always strong and with the land, he got when he married Eleanor meant he technically had more land than the king of France, something he had always wanted. Their marriage was a political match, they both got what they needed but it was all politics, rather than a marriage of love and want. When you marry with avarice something is bound to go wrong. Another way Henry’s avarice played a part in the downfall of the king and queen of England was when he killed the Archbishop of Canterbury out of greed and selfishness. On December 29, 1170, he did one of the most horrific crimes against the church, he had Thomas A Becket hacked to death in the cathedral of Canterbury. Henry allowed his avarice to take over and the results of …show more content…
this were the start to the end of the marriage between Elinor and King Henry II. Eleanore could not forgive him for what he had done because he had no reason for killing him other than to get more power and more money. Following the murder of the Archbishop Eleanore truly had enough and ran away. The King had so much avarice he couldn't control what he didn't stop and think about anything he did personal or political, leading to an unsuccessful marriage. Throughout Eleanor's marriage with the King, Henry was guilty of longtime infidelity.
His actions are well known throughout the history books, and the affair influenced Elanor’s writing of the rules, as represented in her 3rd rule, No one can be bound by a double love. According to a bio of Eleanor on history.com, “While the reasons for the breakdown of her marriage to Henry remain unclear, it can likely be traced to Henry’s increasingly visible infidelities.” Henry had a longtime affair with The Fair Rosamond daughter of Walter de Clifford, throughout his marriage with Eleanor. King Henry was not very good at hiding his affair and he did eventually marry Rosamond. While the exact timeline for the affair with Rosamund is unknown it is proven through history that the affair was long. According to Teresa McLean, in the book, Medieval English gardens, “The bower was a maze, in the center of which Henry II made love to Rosamund Clifford, his mistress, where Queen Eleanor could not discover them.” Throughout the marriage, Henry made an attempt to conceal the affair from his wife by keeping Rosamund in a maze in his park at Woodstock. Eleanor however eventually found out and devised a play to take down her husband. This affair tore their marriage to shreds and caused the beginning of the fight against King Henry, and the creation of the Courtly Rules of
Love. As you can see, Eleanor's life was tragic when it came to love, starting at a very young age. Throughout her years she dreamed of how she thought life for women and marriage should be. She wrote her dreams down, she started a new wave of standards in society influencing those throughout the world. The Rules of Courtly Love represent what she always dreamed of but could never get because of the standards in her time for women of her stature. These four rules out of the 31 that were written are a roadmap that tells us the things that were missing from life in the 1100’s. The rules give us a snapshot of how life was and wasn't back in time. I believe we still have a ways to go when it comes to healthy relationships, but we wouldn't be as advanced as we are today without the influence of Elinor's rules. These rules were written hundreds of years ago and we still are influenced by them on a daily basis. All she did was write down her dreams. An inspiration to us all to take a stand for what we believe in because who knows you could be a part of a revolution too.
John Kempe, the husband of Kempe, was a relationship abuser. Although that term was unknown at the time, there is evidence that he had complete ownership over his unwilling wife. However, it is important to note what some of the laws were of marriage at the time, so they can be applied to the text. “It seems clear, however, that women, then as now, were most vulnerable in the home, at the hands of their own kin. Legislators gave great leeway to the men of the household to discipline their women…” (Bennett, Karras 107). Discipline, at the time, was legal to be given by the man of the house, and there were no repercussions for him to face; “Corporeal punishments of the wife and children were considered natural privileges of the father figure who acted as the king’s and ultimately as God’s proxy within the small family unit” (Classen 195). After giving birth to fourteen children, Kempe wanted to stop having sex, and stop having children. Without taking her wishes into account, John told her that she was not allowed to deprive him of sex. This is an example of how Kempe was used, in order for John to get what he wants:
Love waxes timeless. It is passionate and forbidden, and a true head rush. Marriage, on the other hand, is practical and safe, a ride up the socioeconomic ladder. In "The Other Paris," Mavis Gallant weaves the tale of Carol and Howard, a fictional couple who stand on the verge of a loveless marriage, to symbolize the misguided actions of men and women in the reality of the 1950s, the story's setting. By employing stereotypical, ignorant, and uninteresting characters, Gallant highlights the distinction between reality and imagination.
“‘La magnificence et la galanterie n’ont jamais paru en France avec tant d’éclat que dans les dernières annèes du règne de Henri second.’ (p. 35)... However, this image of classical perfection is quickly fractured by the mention of the event that guides the life of the court-the passion of Henry II for the Duchesse de Valentinois Later in the narrative, the heroine, like the reader, asks for further explanation for this unusual passion between a woman not only much older than the king, but one who, in addition to having been Henry’s father’s mistress, also has several other lovers..” (Judovitz, 1038-1039)
Like many other women of her time Eleanor came from a long line of noble and royal blood. Her lineage can be traced back to the earliest kings of both England and France.(follow link to take a look at Eleanor’s very long family tree http://www.my-ged.com/db/page/scokin/12251) Her father William X was the son of France’s first troubadour, William IX and Eleanor’s early life was saturated with culture and learning. The court of her father and grandfather was thought to be the main culture center of the time. At age 15, with her father’s passing, Eleanor became the sole heiress and ruler of the largest duchy in France – Aquitane. Eleanor was then betrothed to Louis VII of France in order to unite their vast territories. In fifteen years however, Eleanor’s marriage and queenship were over. The pope on the pretext of close kinship ties annulled her unhappy marriage to Louis. At age 30 Eleanor had given up her throne and her daughters and returned to Aquitane to rule. Within a few years Eleanor was married to Henry Plantengent, the Duke of Normandy and ruler of the second most powerful duchy in France (second to her own Aquitane). In 1154 Henry was crowned King of England and Eleanor was now Queen of England, duchess of Aquitane and duchess of Normandy. Eleanor and Henry had eight children together, including Richard the Lionheart and John. In 1173, afte...
...decided that he would marry Elizabeth’s oldest daughter but before that could happen , Tudor attacked England and conquered and executed the king ,Richard lll. After he executed him, he crowned himself as King Henry VII and married princess Elizabeth who was the descendant of Elizabeth Woodville. This marriage was a result of bonding the family of Lancaster and York and to strengthen his status
Hero and Claudio represent the Elizabethan norm in marriage. Claudio is the shrewd, hardheaded fortune hunter and Hero is the modest maiden of conduct books and marriage manuals, a docile young woman. It is important to note that Claudio is more concerned with advancement in Don Pedro's army than he is with love. Therefore, Shakespeare illustrates to the reader through the near tragedy of mistaken identity that Claudio must learn that marriage is more than a business arrangement and become worthy of Hero's love and affection. Source: Ranald, Margaret Loftus. "As Marriage Binds, and Blood Breaks: English Marriage and Shakespeare". Shakespeare Quarterly. Vol 30, 1979: 68-81.
The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight revolves around the knights and their chivalry as well as their romance through courtly love. The era in which this story takes place is male-dominated, where the men are supposed to be brave and honorable. On the other hand, the knight is also to court a lady and to follow her commands. Sir Gawain comes to conflict when he finds himself needing to balance the two by being honorable to chivalry as well as respectful to courtly love.
Henry VIII was a bad man who got away with beheading two of his wives and based his whole opinion about them on their looks. He had six wives Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Kathryn Howard, and Katherine Parr. Each wife had a different role in his life and each he loved differently. Henry VIII had a long life with some parts better than others.
During the Middle Ages, Courtly love was a code which prescribed the conduct between a lady and her lover (Britannica). The relationship of courtly love was very much like the feudal relationship between a knight and his liege. The lover serves his beloved, in the manner a servant would. He owes his devotion and allegiance to her, and she inspires him to perform noble acts of valor (Schwartz). Capellanus writes, in The Art of Courtly Love, “A true lover considers nothing good except what he thinks will please his beloved”. The stories of Marie de France and Chrétien de Troyes illustrate the conventions of courtly love.
In the Middle Ages, when The Canterbury Tales was written, society became captivated by love and the thought of courtly and debonair love was the governing part of all relationships and commanded how love should be conducted. These principles changed literature completely and created a new genre dedicated to brave, valorous knights embarking on noble quests with the intention of some reward, whether that be their life, lover, or any other want. The Canterbury Tales, written in the 14th century by Geoffrey Chaucer, accurately portrays and depicts this type of genre. Containing a collection of stories within the main novel, only one of those stories, entitled “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”, truly outlines the 14th century community beliefs on courtly love.
The tales of King Arthur and many of their numerous characters are well known in literature. The Arthurian world is one of the great myths of modern times. Those great pieces of literature have many common themes, one of them being courtly love “L’amour Courtois”. This paper talks of courtly love as seen in King Arthur’s world especially examining “Yvain or the Knight with the Lion” and “Lancelot: or the Knight of the Cart”. Furthermore, one of the goals is to show how that courtly love could be seen in today in our world.
He was a human that had emotions, he experienced grief with the multiple miscarriages and deaths of his sons and the betrayals of his wife’s, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard. Also the death of Jane Seymour, the only wife to give him a male heir, brought him into a depression. These events changed Henry’s perspective of his own self, that he was without a legal heir, his health was horrendous and he was being betrayed by those closest to him. Lipscomb describes the transformation of Henry from the popular prince to the tyrant king know today. As shown, “the last decade of his reign, Henry VIII had begun to act as a tyrant. The glittering, brilliant monarch of the accession, toppled into old age by betrayal, aggravated into irascibility and suspicion as a result of ill health and corrupted by absolute power, had become a despot”. Henry is not thought of as the good Christian, but Lipscomb writes throughout this book that Henry was very serious about his religious affiliations. Lipscomb portrays Henry VIII as, “a man of strong feeling but little emotional intelligence, willful and obstinate but also fiery and charismatic, intelligent but blinkered, attempting to rule and preserve his honor against his profound sense of duty and heavy responsibility to fulfil his divinely ordained role”. In other words he was an emotional mess that did not know what to do with his feelings, so he bottled them up and south to seek
Luckily for his career, Henry VII died that same year, allowing him to become active once more as an under-sheriff of London, where his mannerisms and process of decision earned a reputation for impartiality and fairness that went echoing about the city . Life once again resumed a steady pace, until in 1511, when his life was shaken by his wife , Jane, died in childbirth, giving rise to another inner crisis – once again he had the chance for a sort of monasticism, but rather than fear sin, he remarried within a month to Alice Middleton before entering the decade of his life where the sights of current Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, as well as the King’s began to create the stage for his downfall after having seen his talents in Parliament, hearing of his reputation, and his time as under-sheriff, he soon was recruited as an ambassador to the Low
...better worth keeping than Eleanor” (220) proves to be a correct evaluation, because Henry and Eleanor apologize profusely for their father’s rude treatment of Catherine, and nothing could be a better demonstration of their regret than Henry’s proposal to her.
King Henry VIII didn’t even claim Queen Elizabeth I until she made it obvious that she was respectable at everything she did and was very intelligent to be so young. On top of all her knowledge, she was a girl and in that time period girls weren’t respected like they are today. Because Elizabeth’s mother, Anne, could not provide the King with a son she was executed on false charges of incest and adultery in 1536 on May nineteenth (“Queen Elizabeth I Biography”). Elizabeth was only three years old when her mother was accused of such actions. Following her mother’s death, Elizabeth went through countless step mothers. One of which giving the King his longed for son, King Edward VI (“Queen Elizabeth I Biography”). King Henry VIII married Jane Seymour twelve days after Elizabeth’s mothers’ execution. However, Jane passed away due to childbed fever ("Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits, Primary Sources."). It was Henry 's sixth and final wife, Katharine Parr, who had the greatest impact upon Elizabeth 's life. A kind woman who believed passionately in education and religious reform, it seemed as if Katharine was a devoted stepmother and took pride in helping Elizabeth further her