Research Portfolio (Take Two): Review # 1

December 9, 2006

Research Portfolio (Take Two): Review # 1

Ramey, Lynn Tarte. “Representations of Women in Chrétien’s Erec et Enide: Courtly

Literature or Misogyny?” Romanic Review, 84:4 (1993 Nov), pp. 377-86.

 

            Lynn Tarte Ramey argues that Chretien de Troyes’ Erec and Enide validates misogyny and the suppression of women within marriage. By placing Chretien in historical context, Ramey concludes that his Arthurian romance serves as a cautionary tale to Chrétien’s largely female medieval audience.

            Ramey begins her essay with a survey of major critical reactions to Erec and Enide. She claims that scholars tend to read into the tale a positive message about marital unity and communication. Ramey rejects this optimistic interpretation, arguing that we should discontinue categorizing Erec and Enide as a tale of courtly love. Instead, she argues, we should view the tale for what it is… an intentionally misogynistic, moralizing tract. Ramey points out that as a court writer, Chrétien’s audience was primarily composed of women. Therefore, it is possible that he exploited his role as court writer in order to spread misogynistic lessons about female passivity to the court ladies who were reading his texts.  Within the tale, Ramey uncovers two distinct types of misogyny. One encompasses negative stereotypes of women perpetuated in the Middle Ages, and the other warns against the tyranny of female rulers.

According to Ramey, Chretien invests Enide with characteristics that medieval anti-feminism viewed as negative. She is sensual, beautiful, and is above all “defined by the speech act” (378). She characterizes the traits that an ideal medieval wife should not possess.  Enide’s most unforgivable sin, her self-expression, initiates the central quest of the tale. Throughout their journey, Erec continually silences his wife, despite the fact that she speaks only to warn her husband of danger. Ramey argues that through Erec’s gagging of Enide’s verbal expression, Chretien warns women that their verbal agency is unacceptable under any circumstance.

Further, Ramey believes that Enide fulfills the medieval stereotype of a conniving woman, in that she manipulates the tale’s villain, the count. Even though her cunning saves her husband’s life, the fact remains that she is a deceiving female.

The misogyny apparent in Erec and Enide, Ramey claims, is a reaction to the increasing power of women in the Middle Ages. At this time, the Crusades carried away male landowners and left their property under the management of women. In addition, female rulers, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, gained political power. All of these developments threatened men with the loss of power and the increased agency of women. Therefore, by viewing Erec and Enide in the context of the turbulent political and social changes of the Middle Ages, Ramey determines that it is a misogynistic attempt to maintain masculine power.

Ramey’s interpretation of Chretien de Troyes’ Erec and Enide bears striking similarity to that of Peter S. Noble, found in his 1982 book, Love and Marriage in Chretien de Troyes. My objection to Noble’s argument applies with equal force to Ramey’s argument. In my own reading of Erec and Enide, I believe that Chretien is generally sympathetic in his portrayal of Enide. His harsher judgment falls on Eric, who must learn to accept Enide as an active participant in their marriage.

It is interesting that Ramey’s interpretation of Chretien aligns so thoroughly with Noble’s interpretation, particularly as an eleven-year gap separates their respective publications. In addition, in her essay Ramey indicates that current scholarship views Erec and Enide as a positive tale of gender-relations. Does Ramey’s interpretation represent a backwards glance to earlier literary scholarship? 

            In defining Erec and Enide as a misogynistic text, Ramey presents a problematic contradiction. She asserts that we cannot categorize Erec and Enide as a text of courtly love because it is misogynistic. This statement implies that Ramey does not believe that courtly love is misogynistic. However, courtly love is inherently misogynistic. The game of courtship espoused by courtly love turned women into objects, valued only for their sexuality. I believe that if Chrétien’s tale frowns on the objectification of women. Early in the progression of the narration, Erec values Enide only for the sexual gratification he receives from his body. By the end of the tale, however, he learns that he must respect her verbal agency as well.

Rebecca Harpine

University of Mary Washington

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