Love With a Cost

 Lanval, a knight who lived in a kingdom with the name of Breton. Although Lanval had the necessities and some benefits of being the son of the king, he was missing one critical aspect of life: love. Ashe long for such feeling, he was in a juxtaposed state, "very thoughtful, very sad". While on a stroll with his horse, two ladies came across him and led him to what would soon dicipate the missing feeling. The Queen of Babylon approached him and gave Lanval all he could ever want emotionally and materialistically but with a cost; Lanval could not speak of or be seen with the Queen of Babylon. So, no matter how powerful the love became, he could not tell anyone. The two had moments memorable and would be soon reminisced over by Lanval while theor love grew rapidly. The knight had to go back to the kingdom but even though he was lavishly prepped by the Queen and the girls, he "feels great fear and grief? Thinking of his adventure, he goes along; doubts fill his heart". Something like having everything imaginable to soon missing an essential piece of love you tasted and cannot anymore, melancholy can creep in. Lanaval became a great giver with the riches he now possessed. The literal cost of product and gifts to all people, "to citizens and to strangers" Lanval spent. But overall, no matter how happy and grateful he made other feel, he experienced the same feeling close to never. Through Lanval, we learn love melancholy doesn't necessarily mean you're in a state because something is fully missing, but rather you have something but cannot reach it. Lanval has love, he knows who gives him this feeling, but again he cannot speak of it and can only see the Queen in specific circumstances. So to add on, melancholy can also be because of the weight you carry in negligence of speaking of such. Instead, it is the feeling or necessity (in Lanval's case) to bottle it up no matter if the emotion is good or bad. 


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Comments

  1. meghanJanuary 23, 2023 at 7:46 AM

    I really like your analysis of love melancholy, and the way you described how it can also be something just out of reach. Also, it's interesting to think that their love may not be happy because though it exists, it's only conditional

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  2. McKenna HolzJanuary 23, 2023 at 7:52 AM

    I think your point of Lanval not ever reaching that first high of love he received with the fairy maiden is very important. I definitely would not have thought of that on my own as I viewed their love to not be melancholic in my first analysis. There is definitely more to be said about that point because, to me, their love was more idyllic. Thank you for that new perspective!

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  3. Justus UllmanJanuary 23, 2023 at 7:52 AM

    I like the way you talk about happiness not being a constant thing. I've always thought of it as a relationship between your expectations and your reality. Once you achieve great wealth or power or anything, it doesn't guarantee stable happiness because people's expectations are always changing. Lanval has to learn to balance the two.

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