A study of Blancandin et l'orgueilleuse d'amour, a thirteenth-century Roman d'aventure : a thesis for the degree of Master of Arts in French at Massey University

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1980
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Massey University
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The present study of Blancandin et l'Orgueilleuse d'amour, an anonymous verse romance of the early thirteenth century, considers the two principal themes of love and chivalry the work has in common with many earlier romances. A close examination of Blancandin's first adventure illustrates the preparation of the hero for his career as a knight through his introduction to the world of chivalry and to love. The character and role of the hero, Blancandin, are examined in the light of three assessments which present him as a wholly conventional hero, undistinguished from those of contemporary romances. The heroine, Orgueilleuse d'amour, is studied through a detailed analysis of the portrait of her provided by the knight at the ford. The theme of love throughout the romance is considered with particular reference to the love of Blancandin and Orgueilleuse. Several forms of armed combat, the essential feature of the world of chivalry, are examined and the importance of combat in the formation of Blancandin's character and to the romance as a whole is evaluated. The detailed description of places and objects forms an integral part of the romance as well as serving to illustrate aspects of the principal themes. The story of Blancandin's adventures is a coherent and unified one, and examination of some aspects of the romance's structure and the poet's narrative technique helps to show how coherence and unity have been achieved. Reference is made in the course of this study to the works of Chretien de Troyes, and in particular the romance Yvain (le chevalier au lion), in order to illustrate the ways in which the poet of Blancandin et l'Orgueilleuse d'amour follows the conventions of twelfth-century romance as they were exhibited in Chretien's romances. An attempt is made to measure the extent to which Blancandin et l'Orgueilleuse d'amour conforms to the conventions of medieval romance, and to define and situate it more precisely within the romance genre.
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Blancandin
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