Arthurian Literature: Erec and Enide

Having just finished this short story, Erec and Enide, by Chretien De Troyes, I cannot help but feel lost in the medieval world of King Arthur and his loyal knights. However, there is still a part of my mind, even in the midst of a thick plot scene, that is unable to imagine this story as having ever occurred. The writers of this time period create characters that are so unreal that it is very difficult trying to picture them in my mind. Erec is described as the most handsome, intelligent, and gallant of all the knights in King Arthur’s court, except for Gawain, and that no other man had achieved as much success as a knight at his young age. Enide is illustrated to be the most beautiful woman that Nature could have fashioned, and it is said that Nature had spent so much time on her that no other woman has ever been as beautiful as her. Not only that, but she is also full of good sense, of noble birth, and is humble. Now, after reading about these characters I have learned two things about those who lived during that time. First, they did not attempt to make the characters believable, since they are basically described as perfect, or even the story overall, which includes giants and dwarves. Second, men had very high expectations for woman, just as they do today. Women were expected to be beautiful, or they were worthless. They were expected to obey every command of their husbands without a second thought, and this was considered being “well bred.” As much as I enjoy these magical stories because of the heroism and the dreamy knights and battles in the name of love, I realize that all of these things are fantasy, and that sometimes a touch of realism can go a long way.