XIV: Is chivalric love the true love?

Abstract

Romances dates back to the creation of stories. In English history, the romance genre has evolved from the middle aged chivalric romances in between 14th and 15th centuries, to Elizabethan romances in the 16th century, to Gothic romances in the 18th century and the romances of the 19th century. Anthony Giddens's theory of "The Transformation of Intimacy" proposes that romantic love which he sees as the outcome of modernization of Western societies emerges in the late 18th century onwards and is linked with romance as a literature genre. Giddens starts with the appearance of romantic love which is a paragon that is extensively distributed in the 19th century, when marriage starts to get rid of the monetary and kinship ties which have the utmost importance in pre modern societies. In this concept, love which is inconsistent with intimacy and sexuality in pre modern societies is transformed into a confluent love in modern societies with the appearance of more independent and emancipated individuals. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the idea of courtly love within the concepts of gender, sexuality, marriage and rape. Therefore, this paper examines the classic work of Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (1820). Ivanhoe (1820) is accepted as the classics of both English language- literature and Scottish literature. Although Ivanhoe is not accepted as 'non serious' popular romance novel, it employs the traditional development of the romance story line, which can be summarized as the struggle between good and evil represented in the main male figure and villains, the dangerous journey of the chief character, his specific battle and journey through ritual death as well as his saving the unprotected lady and wedding at the end. The story is set in medieval times and the issue of medievalism is inseparable from the characters' appreciation of love. At that time, there is no place for bodily desires and passion. Thus, the identities of female and male, love- marriage relationships, and the issue of rape reflect the early 19th century ideals which promote the values of chivalry. © Peter Lang AG 2021.