Erec and Enide

Enide is the secondary protagonist in Erec and Enide. The daughter of a poor vavasor (or nobleman), Enide is first introduced primarily through her physical description, with Chrétien noting both her unparalleled beauty and her ratty clothing: “To gaze upon [Enide] seemed a duty, / for she was made to be inspected […]” (14). However, Enide is also depicted as a maiden with impeccable character. When asked why the vavasor keeps his daughter in such clothing, he explains that he is waiting for a truly noble knight to marry her to, on account of her cleverness: “she is wise; / the Lord has never made her peer / in wisdom or in heart sincere” (15-16). Erec is almost immediately taken with Enide and proposes to the vavasor that he fight in Enide’s name in the challenge of the sparrow hawk before marrying her. Though Erec and Enide have hardly spent any time together, the two quickly fall in love, and Chrétien writes that “none such were joined by law and marriage” (44).

While Erec’s narrative arc is primarily defined by his need to establish his chivalric abilities through progressively more challenging feats of strength, Enide’s narrative focuses on her own interior struggles in relation to her love for Erec. When Enide speaks in Erec and Enide, she typically expresses worry or distress over Erec and his love for her. After hearing gossip that Erec has relinquished his chivalric duties on account of Enide, she stays up late one night lamenting: “Oh, woe is me!” (73). Enide’s worry causes Erec to become cold to Enide, and the two set out on a quest, where Enide continually breaks Erec’s orders not to speak unless spoken to first. Though Enide’s disobedience causes Erec to grow increasingly “hateful” of her, Enide remains steadfast in her devotion to Erec. She rebuffs Count Galoain’s advances toward her and tricks the Count so that she and Erec can make an escape. Later on, Enide proves the depth of her loyalty to Erec by remaining depressed and refusing to remarry even after she thinks he is dead. Enide thus becomes a symbol of marital loyalty, and when Erec comes back to life, the two reconcile due to Enide’s faithfulness.

King Arthur is a mythical king whose order of the Knights of the Round Table counts Erec as a member. King Arthur appears at various points throughout Erec and Enide. His call for the hunt of the white stag in the poem’s opening chapter sets into course Erec’s search for the mysterious knight and his subsequent meeting of Enide. Later on, King Arthur appears in the middle of Erec’s adventures with Enide, where he orders his servants to tend to Erec’s wounds and implores Erec to stay with his camp until he heals. Finally, King Arthur appears at the end of the book, when Erec and Enide have reconciled, organizing a lavish coronation for Erec after his father dies.

Throughout Erec and Enide, King Arthur is presented as a model of ethical behavior, always seeking to behave in a morally correct manner and never acting on the basis of selfish motivations. Chrétien also praises King Arthur for his generosity, comparing him to Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar and remarking that “all kings they tell you of by name, / bestowed no gifts of such acclaim / as at King Arthur’s celebration” (194).

Guivret is the master of a castle that Erec and Enide pass by, leading Guivret to challenge Erec as he does not know who Erec is. Though Guivret is a powerful knight, Erec overpowers him, and Guivret begs for Erec’s mercy. Erec grants it, and the two quickly become friends, with Guivret promising to come to Erec’s aid if he ever hears that Erec is in trouble. Later on, Guivret learns that Erec and Enide have been captured by Count Oringle, and he travels with his men to save them. When Guivret encounters Erec fleeing from the castle, he initially doesn’t recognize Erec and challenges him to a duel. However, upon realizing his identity, Guivret accompanies him back from King Arthur’s court, along the way bringing Erec to his sisters, who tend to his wounds.

Count Galoain is a count whom Erec and Enide encounter early on in their travels. The count quickly becomes enamored with Enide and proposes to her that he will kill Erec and she can become his mistress. Though Enide initially rebuffs Count Galoain, she then tricks him by pretending to accept his proposal, buying her and Erec time to flee. When the count realizes what has happened, he chases after Erec and Enide with his men. The count wears no armor as he believes he doesn’t need it, leading to his eventual defeat by the skillful Erec. Count Galoain’s advances act as one of many tests of Enide’s love for Erec, and it is thanks to her loyalty that Erec is finally ready to reconcile with her.