Amadas and Ydoine (Routledge Revivals)

Download or read book Amadas and Ydoine (Routledge Revivals) written by Ross G. Arthur and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-06-17 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This translation, first published in 1993, presents a little-known medieval romance to readers who do not know Old French, or who are generally unfamiliar with the literature of the Middle Ages. Probably composed between 1190 and 1220, the major interest of Amadas and Ydoine to modern readers is that its basic structure is unflinchingly conventional, its plot is predictable yet charming, and its social and moral attitudes reflect the context in which it was produced. The poet explores how love, chivalry and martial prowess can translate a would-be knight into a powerful lord. Its purpose is largely that of wish-fulfilment for young men, and as such it is highly indicative of the ethos surrounding marriage that prevailed in medieval French society.