This is really stating the obvious, but our dear Knight of the Cart is (what a coincidence!) the epitome of our chaste girly-knight. He lies with the damsel strictly out of a sense of duty, suffering internally all the while. This virtuous knight is not only obeying our rules on love, but also obeying the theory put forth in a prior reading that this courtly literature relies heavily on unrequited love to suit its purposes: the knight grudgingly lies with this damsel out of a sense of duty, despite the fact that his heart belongs to another.
It would seem then, that this particular work is placing duty above even love, and perhaps this also follows the idea of literature of this tradition actually serving as a critique of love for anything other than one’s God. During this time period especially, one’s God goes hand-in-hand with one’s duty. It is because of duty alone […]
Original post by jordan