Characteristics of the Medieval Romance by Loyola University New Orleans

 

Characteristics of the Medieval Romance

by Loyola University New Orleans

A tale of High Adventure. Can be a religious crusade, a conquest for the knight's leige lord, or the rescue of a captive lady or any combination.

Characterized by:

1. Medieval romance usually idealizes chivalry
2. Medieval romance Idealizes the hero-knight and his noble deeds
3. An important element of the medieval romance is the knight's love for his lady.
4. The settings of medieval romance tend to be imaginary and vague.
5. Medieval romance derives mystery and suspense from supernatural elements.
6. Medieval romance uses concealed or disguised identity.
7. Repetition of the mystical number "3." (Repetitions of the number or multiples of 3)

Characteristics of the Hero-Knight

1. Birth of a great hero is shrouded in mystery
2. He is reared away from his true home in ignorance of his real parents.
3. For a time his true identity is unknown
4. After meeting an extraordinary challenge, he claims his right
5. His triumph benefits his nation or group.

Point out to the students that Arthur himself is a Hero Knight and the events surrounding his rise to power as King is a Medieval Romance. "The Tale of Sir Gareth" is an excellent example of the Medieval Romance because it contains all elements. (Some romances do not contain all elements).

Also point out that this genre is still exciting for people today. The new interest in Stars Wars is wonderful because the first trilogy (Episodes 4-6) is a perfect contemporary Medieval romance. George Lucas explains how and why he chose this form in TLC's Great Book Series film, "Le Morte D'Arthur: The Legend of the King." That video is an excellent resource. Also there is room for a great discussion about other film, comic book or literary figures (Superman, Batman, Conan and with a stretch-- Indiana Jones). The students really enjoy this discussion because they see the tales in a different light and enjoy understanding another connection between people in the Middle Ages and now. People are people and a terrific adventure is always going to be welcomed.

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The Appeal Of The Bad Boy Hero by Alice Gaines Chambers

The Appeal Of The Bad Boy Hero
 

by Alice Gaines Chambers

You’ve read him. You’ve loved him. Most of all, you’ve lusted after him. He’s the bad boy hero – a fixture in romance novels, especially ultra-sensual and/or erotic romances. What makes him so irresistible to readers?

For one thing, a bad boy knows how to make a woman feel good. He learned at an early age to question authority, especially when authority seemed bent on convincing him that whatever felt good had to be bad. This applied equally to fast cars, tall drinks, and long, slow lovemaking. As a result, when the well-behaved kids were at Student Council meetings, our bad boy hero was out behind the bleachers trying to persuade the captain of the cheerleading squad to say “yes.” In order to get what he wanted, he taught himself every little trick to winning female compliance. All those years of experience – from the moment he discovered the pleasures of the flesh right up until he encounters the heroine in the boardroom or the crowded roadhouse – makes him the consummate lover. The kind of man who can melt a woman with a look and then take her to heaven with his hands.

A lover of such super-human ability allows the heroine – and by extension, the reader – to relinquish personal responsibility for her own sexual behavior. After all, who could blame a woman for surrendering to the sweet persuasion of such a man? For me, this escape from responsibility is an important element in the fantasy necessary for ultra-sensual romance. No amount of reality should intrude to dampen the reader’s excitement, even in a contemporary story set in the “real” world. The bad boy hero not only allows the heroine to take a walk on the wild side; he compels her to.

We should note at this point that the bad boy hero is still a romantic hero. He does have a code of ethics, but it’s his own, not a set of rules imposed by the society around him. He very often has experienced injustice in his personal life, which led him to find his own path to right and wrong. Usually, his personal moral code includes protecting the less powerful around him, all the while stubbornly insisting he cares for nothing and no one. As Willie Nelson put it in a song, “his pride won’t let him do things to make you think he’s right.”

Much has been made in the past (let’s hope it’s not as true now) of women’s supposed rape fantasies. According to this thinking, women want to imagine themselves being forced to have sex. Critics of the romance genre, who normally don’t take the time to read a romance, have opined that our books foster fantasies of rape and submission. I believe it’s true that our fantasy life is enriched by some surrender of responsibility (see above). But readers don’t enjoy graphic depictions of violence and humiliation. Women’s so-called rape fantasies run more along the lines of the most delicious man in the world not taking “no” for an answer.

The bad boy hero can fill all these fantasies. Far from forcing sex on the heroine, his expertise allows him to arouse her to the point where refusal of her own pleasure isn’t an option. He can allow her to experience the forbidden but within a context where she’s not going to be brutalized or degraded.

There is real danger for the heroine, of course – that she’ll lose her heart to an uncontrollable man. But a truly strong woman is willing to take that chance in order to enjoy a larger-than-life sensual experience. And the reader is happy to take that dangerous journey with her.

© Alice Gaines Chambers , All Rights Reserved.

 

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About the Author

Alice Gaines Chambers writes humorous historical romance for Leisure and ultrasensual romance for Red Sage. She's the author of four full-length books and two novellas. A University of California, Berkeley Ph.D., Alice lives in Oakland, California with her husband of 22 years. When she's not caring for her garage-door-full of mounted orchids, she can be found in her garden with her best friend, pulling weeds and killing snails.

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