Chétien De Troyes - Arthurian Romances 37-60

At this point in the given text the characters, Erec and Enide, represent a well-established stereotype of medieval literature and times. Erec stands tall as a courtly and honorable knight, without blemish and beauty to match; Enide bashfully conceals her thoughts as a gorgeous damsel, reserved and noble, waiting patiently for her righteous lord. At first glance the two seem to be a perfect fit, the text goes on to embellish upon this fact in a nature suggesting the two belong together in the fates. Although it seems that this perfect match results purely from a status-driven and shallow point of view. Erec took Enide as his maiden for competitive motives, to champion her as a trophy and challenge Yder. Enide’s union with Erec would result in her climbing the social hierarchy; perhaps this was the motive of her father. I’d like to see his purposes to result from love and a yearning for a safe haven and an elegant life for his daughter.

The text portrays these likely lovers as a harmonious match fit and refined by nature herself. The text, at this point, never reveals Enide’s name; perhaps this is to emphasize her unparalleled beauty. The utter awe she inspires leads her to bear little to no use of passing her name, leaving those who envelope themselves in her looks without a title to apply; although this detail may imply a role of submissive or inferior importance as well.

One gazes into a mirror to be transfixed by the image. We usually see ourselves as we gape into a mirror, we see ourselves differently though. We see what the people and world around us see, we see every blemish and imperfection or every highlight and perk. We are either engrossed and fascinated or afraid and filled with rage, for we don’t often glance upon this almost unfamiliar face and when we do it intrigues us. One can spend ours hours gazing into a mirror. In mythology mirrors represent the truth or even a physical depiction of what we desire. Sinking into the painted illustration or even deceptive illusions inside a mirror dangerously clasps ruthlessly to the soul, and even more so, tangles with the mind.