Medieval authors: Shaping their world through the literature of courtesy and courtly love

According to many authors, "courtly love" (as it was termed by Gaston Paris) was a widely popular convention in medieval European literature. Involving the romantic love between a dedicated lover and his lady, courtly love is said to require an adulterous relationship. Critics cite examples such as the legend of Lancelot and Guenivere. Yet the works most commonly seen as embracing this convention seem to present it differently. Courtly behavior involved much more than a love relationship; it involved humility, courtesy, deference, consideration, and always esteeming others as higher than one self. Thus, courtly love was simply a small aspect of courtly literature, whose purpose was to instruct knights in proper and fitting behavior.;Courtesy (put simply, politeness and civil behavior) was also required of every successful knight. The vassal had to be polite and respect any wishes or orders that were given by his lord. EP-21410 He must also treat all that he met with respect and civility, following specific guidelines expected of him. In return, all other members of the court treated him in the same manner. Courtesy also included good manners, honesty, integrity, and self-control, all of which made the battlefield an interesting place. The characteristic of courtesy encompassed all members of courtly society.;This courtly behavior existed not only as a social custom but also as a literary tradition. Thus, much of the literature of the time embodies this courtly behavior. Today, scholars look back to the medieval period as a time of romance, chivalry, and Christianity. However, few give Christianity the credit it deserves for the impact it had on society and the literature of the time. If examined closely, one can clearly see that all of the principles of courtliness originate from biblical teaching.;For example, the writing of Cretien de Troyes, who is credited as the first extant author of courtly love literature, embraces biblical values and recreates them in a fictional context. His writing could easily have served as a guidebook for living for the knights and ladies of his time. In fact, there is an obvious correlation between the teaching of the Bible and the writing of Cretien de Troyes. One can see unmistakable parallels, which seem to indicate that Cretien's purpose was to advance the teaching of the gospels. In fact, the fiction of the The Knight of the Cart indicates that this, the only adulterous relationship in his writing (that of Lancelot and Guenivere), is actually a warning against such behavior.;Humility, defined as the state of being unpretentious and not proud, was a requirement for the knight, who always recognized the superiority of another person. This extended beyond the feudal relationship and included deference to other knights, to all ladies, and to others who offered him courtesy. However, it was most obvious in the vassal/lord relationship, which included not only the lord but also the lord's lady. Each vassal became the servant of his lord and lady, performing all of the tasks assigned to him without complaint, hesitation, or expectation of anything in return. Thus, humility is a common characteristic in courtly literature.;A close examination of this so-called literature of courtly love reveals that it was the authors' intent to instruct their readers in proper and fitting behavior and to warn against adultery and other destructive behavior that could only lead to their downfall.