Date of Award
Summer 2023
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Department
Comparative Literature
First Advisor
Aria Dal Molin
Abstract
Though there is a lot of work on the development of the novel, there has not been sufficient analysis of how it was formed, especially the shift towards the modern protagonist. By analyzing two medieval works, one from the early medieval period and one from the middle of the medieval period, the seeds of this shift can be seen. The works chosen were La chanson de Roland and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as both have knights with fairly similar expectations, and both have been enduring characters in their respective national identities and literatures. Both Roland and Gawain, being Christian knights, need to be powerful, pious, and proud. However, they need to embody these characteristics in different ways, which provides a perfect place to study the aforementioned shift in protagonists.
Rights
© 2023, Clyde Tilson
Recommended Citation
Tilson, C.(2023). From Roland to Gawain, or the Origin of Personified Knights. (Master's thesis). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/7441