The Song of Roland is a tale of many themes. There are conflicts of fear and courage, loyalty and betrayal, honor and disgrace. Masculinity is a concept that Turold, author of The Song of Roland, puts into each of these topics. The story is about Rolland, one of the warriors from the army of Charlemagne in Spain during the Reconquista. He is betrayed by his stepfather and is ambushed by Muslim troops (Turold, 2017). During the battle, he refuses to call for the emperor’s reinforcements and dies heroically (Turold, 2017). Charlemagne avenges his warrior, defeats the armies of Marsile and Baligant, conquers Saragossa, and captures Bramimonde (Turold, 2017). Later, Ganelon’s treachery is exposed, and he dies in the duel while Roland’s sacrifice is honored.
Lancelot, The Knight of the Cart is another medieval story about masculinity and chivalry. The protagonist is Lancelot, whose ultimate goal is to save his love, Queen Guinevere, from Meleagant. The only way he can do this is by taking a ride in a cart for the prisoners, which is shameful for a true knight (de Troyes, n.d.). This innovative and controversial plot event for medieval times sets the tone for the entire story. Lancelot always has to perform non-chivalrous deeds to overcome various obstacles, escape imprisonment, and reunite with Guinevere (de Troyes, n.d.). Unlike Roland, he both succeeds and survives his journey.
Masculinity in The Song of Roland lies in loyalty to chivalric ideals, courage, sacrifice, and service to the ruler. Lancelot’s masculinity lies in fidelity to the lover, courage, and fearlessness to break social taboos. The first work is written mainly for a male audience, whereas de Troyes’s story is for both women and men. Appeal to readers in both legendary works is done through the gender and significance of the key characters. The female figures are few and have no impact on the plot in The Song of Roland. For example, Bramimonde only serves as a reward for Charlemagne (Turold, 2017). The women in Lancelot, The Knight of the Cart, such as Guinevere and the antagonist’s sister, are critical to the story’s functioning. When compared, these tales create a conflict between the primacies of loyalties. Turold claims that a man is the real one only when he is loyal to his ruler to the death, while de Troyes states that true manhood is loyalty to the one he loves.
References
De Troyes, C. (n.d.). Lancelot, the knight of the cart. The Hero of Camelot. Web.
Turold. (2017). The song of Roland. Aegitas.