Yvain, The Knight of the Lion by Chrétien de Troyes (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of Yvain, The Knight of the Lion by Chrétien de Troyes. It provides a thorough exploration of the story’s plot, characters and main themes, including honor, love and the fantastic. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 31-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of Chrétien de Troyes
• Presentation of Yvain, The Knight of the Lion
• Summary of Yvain, The Knight of the Lion
• Character study
  • Yvain
  • The Laudine de Landuc
  • Lunete
  • The lion
• Analysis of Yvain, The Knight of the Lion
  • The medieval novel
  • Brittany
  • The canonical structure and the flow of a Chrétien de Troyes novel
  • The themes of Yvain, The Knight of the Lion
  • The marvelous
  • A particular style of writing

About Yvain, The Knight of the Lion

Yvain, The Knight of the Lion is a novel in octosyllabic verse which was first published in around 1177. The titular character stands out for his bravery and moral uprightness, is constantly on the lookout for quests to demonstrate his prowess, and is always prepared to help those who need it. The originality of the treatment of the novel’s themes and its exception legacy make it an essential work of medieval French literature.

About Chrétien de Troyes

Chrétien de Troyes was born in the 12^th century, and went on to become one of the major figures of medieval literature. He served as a clerk at the courts of Marie of Champagne and the Count of Flanders, Philip of Alsace, but is known primarily for his talents as a novelist. His best-known works include Yvain, the Knight of the Lion and Perceval, or, The Story of the Grail, and his writing played a major role in the popularization of a genre that was still relatively unknown during the Middle Ages.