Four Arthurian Romances

Description

Four Arthurian Romances brings together the four complete works of Chrétien de Troyes, the twelfth-century poet who invented the Arthurian romance as we know it. This volume contains:

EREC ET ENIDE — The oldest surviving Arthurian romance. Erec, a knight of the Round Table, must prove that marriage has not softened his knightly valor. His journey with his beloved Enide becomes a profound meditation on love, honor, and trust.

CLIGÉS — A tale of forbidden love and identity set against the backdrop of Constantinople and Arthur’s court. Cligés, son of Alexander, must win the heart of his uncle’s bride — the beautiful Fenice — through wit, disguise, and daring.

YVAIN (The Knight with the Lion) — Perhaps Chrétien’s most beloved romance. Yvain wins the love of the Lady Laudine, but when his quest for glory causes him to break his promise to return to her, he loses everything. His redemption, aided by a loyal lion, is one of medieval literature’s greatest stories.

LANCELOT (The Knight of the Cart) — The first known telling of Lancelot and Guinevere’s tragic love. Lancelot’s willingness to suffer humiliation — including riding in a cart of shame — for the Queen’s honor establishes the chivalric ideal of selfless devotion.

Translated by William Wistar Comfort, this edition presents Chrétien’s eight-syllable rhyming couplets in spirited English prose. An extensive introduction provides historical context for understanding the world of King Arthur, Camelot, and the Round Table.

A cornerstone of medieval literature and the foundation of the Arthurian tradition that inspired Malory, Tennyson, and countless others.