How Does Chretien Use The Imagery In The Knight Of The Cart

In his Romance, The Knight of the Cart, or Lancelot, Chretien used a variety of devices to tell the story of a couple’s ineffable transcendent love for one another, in a way that would be positively received by vast audiences. In doing so, the rhetoric used invites the Christ imagery to shine through. Thus, a heroic protagonist is born, the epitome of all that is good and just, who acts solely on his love for another. From the beginning of the romance, Chretien is very clear about where the idea for the romance came from. When the lady of Champagne requested of him to write the story, she undoubtedly had certain requirements that the romance should include in it. Taking into account the audience that he was writing for was largely religious, Chretien created a character who showed similarities to Christ, so that he would be able to slip in a subject that, standing alone, would not be received well by the audience due to religious beliefs. In doing so, this allowed him to dramatize certain wholesome characteristics to use as a “red herring”, in order to distract his audience from the underlying immoral behavior between Lancelot and Guinevere. In the …show more content…
The parallels between him and Christ are ever present throughout his journey. He was publicly shamed, just as Jesus was. He was tempted by the damsel who offered him lodging, just like Jesus was tempted by the devil. He is able to open a tomb that no one else can, saving the captives of the land of Gorre, in parallel with the resurrection of Jesus and his salvation to the captives of sin. Lancelot was not the best knight in the kingdom, however, his actions proved him worthy of the admiration that he received from those he met. His coming was even prophesied – just like the Messiah. Jesus was not of high status, His earthly father was a carpenter, but his actions allowed others to see Him for who He truly was and thus worshipped