Brittland Winters  

Breizmann, Natalia. “Beowulf as Romance: Literary Interpretation as Quest.” Modern Language Notes 113.5 (1998): 1022-35.   

In her analysis of Beowulf Breizmann takes a reader-response critical approach and discusses why the poem should be interpreted as belonging to the romance genre instead of as heroic epic. She begins by describing Beowulf as a story of a quest and adventure, but unlike epics, the adventure is not to describe legendary events or political beliefs, but to depict Beowulf’s actions and motivations, focusing more on the individual than a country as a whole. Breizmann also points out that Beowulf has the romance characteristic that allows the protagonist to participate in the narration of his own story, as seen in the elaborate stories told by the characters. The shift in focus from physical action to verbal action is another reason why Breizmann believes Beowulf should be classified as a romance. She mentions how the introduction before we actually meet the hero is lengthy, compared to other epics, while it is not uncommon in the romance genre. Finally, she describes the shift in tone and unorganized focus, which, she says, leaves the readers to discern the ideological message.  

I found this article to be useful because of its thoroughness and array of examples. Not only did Breizmann show both how Beowulf is similar to romance poems, but she gave several reasons how it is different than epic poems. While her attention to detail made her points very clear, the article was a bit tedious. I agree with Breizmann that Beowulf shows some traits of a romance poem, but I think that many works can be read and interpreted in different ways. I do not believe that genres are so clear cut and defined that a work can only be described as one genre.

Capels, Kathleen. “The Apple Incident in Laisse XXIX of The Song of Roland.” Romance Notes 14 (1973): 599-605.  

This essay asserts that the story of the apple in The Song of Roland is not just an “ornamental element” but actually conveys an important message that reflects on the poem as a whole. Immediately, she discards the theory that Ganelon is joking. Instead, she says that Roland’s gesture is meant to be an insult to the Saracens, since he is comparing the crowns of their king to a worthless apple. She interprets Ganelon’s actions and possible motives to determine his objective for telling the story. She gives two purposes for the story. Ganelon needs to provoke the Saracens to attack Roland, so he relates the insult that Roland has made. This specifically directs their anger toward Roland, helping him achieve vengeance while technically not committing treason. The other reason Ganelon delivers this insult is because of his own wounded pride. Blancandrin implies that the Franks are poor warriors; Ganelon can retaliate by relating Roland’s insult without bringing their aggression on himself.  

Capels uses formalist criticism to interpret the story of the apple in The Song of Roland. Her writing is clear and easy to follow; her tone is not overly didactic. I agree with her that the story has significance within the poem and is not just a minor past event. However, I would find it easier to agree with her if she took a more definite position on the specific meaning. She discusses several interpretations and seems to agree with each one a little bit more than the last. She mentions several different theories but only completely disagrees with one of them. I believe this topic may be analyzed more thoroughly if we look at a few of the other short stories that Capels mentions in her introduction.

Eisner, Robert. “In Search of the Real Theme of the Song of Roland.” Romance Notes 14 (1973): 179-83.  

Eisner believes that the traditional interpretation of the poem neglects one of the main themes. He examines the inconsistencies of Charlemagne’s personality, identifying scenes where he is passive and weak, and then when he is aggressive and powerful. Eisner explains that historically, Charles was a strong king. All males over the age of twelve had to swear fealty to him. However, they used negative terms; instead of promising to aid Charles, they promised not to interfere with his reign. Then, Eisner explains the concept of feudalism, and how monarchs were weakened by giving up their power to nobles, leading to evolution in the government. The treason of Ganelon shows how the nobles begin to challenge the king. Thus, a central theme in the Song of Roland is the changing world of feudalism, represented by the changes in Charlemagne.  

Eisner’s style of writing is a good example of sociological criticism. The article was to the point and easy to understand. He states his views clearly and backs them up with examples from the text and fills in with historical details. I agree that Charlemagne represents the strengths and weaknesses of feudalism, but I don’t think that this is necessarily the main theme of the piece. Perhaps we could achieve a greater understanding if Eisner had compared his interpretation of the main theme to the more traditional interpretations.

Fitz, Brewster. “Cain as Convict and Convert? Cross-cultural Logic in the Song of Roland” Modern Language Notes 113.4 (1998): 812-22  

The thesis of this article is that the Song of Roland suggests a new order of Christianity, its purpose being to judge, convict, kill, or convert anyone with a different identity, and that Ganelon represents both the “other” and a traitor. Fitz begins by showing how Muslims and Jews were differentiated from Christians but not from each other. He sites the illustrations in the Song of Roland to explain how Ganelon is compared both to Judas and to Jews in general because of the Judenhut he wears. He states that the way the Saracens are willing to sacrifice their sons to authenticate the false surrender denotes them as ancestors of Cain. Fitz also discusses Ganelon’s depiction of Roland as Satan, tempting Charlemagne with the apple and the crowns of all the kings. Ganelon justifies his revenge against Roland because he is protecting Christianity. Lastly, Fiez describes how at the trial, Ganelon is marked by God as a traitor after Pinable’s death, completing the image of him as a Cain and Judas figure.  

Using mythological criticism, Fitz analyzes Ganelon as the archetype of a traitor. I agree with his arguments. His clearly defined position is well demonstrated with examples from the poem itself as well as passages from the Old and New Testaments. Perhaps his point could have been strengthened even further if he had brought in examples of other, non-Biblical traitors and drawn comparisons to them. The article was a little bit difficult to read because many of the French excerpts and terms were not explained or defined, but overall, it was helpful in understanding the Song of Roland.

Fox, Dian. “Pero Vermuez and the Politics of the Cid’s Exile.” Modern Language Review 78. 2 (1983): 319-27  

This article discusses how Pero Vermuez is analogous to the Cid, beginning with the scene of the poem where Pero disobeys the Cid and carries the banner into battle even though they are clearly outnumbered. The Cid orders the rest of his men to follow and incredibly, they conquer the Muslims. Fox defines this “loyal rebellion” as a central theme to the Poema del Mio Cid and as a comment on the actual life of Rodrigo. She explains how, with a few forgivable errors, the poet has relative historical accuracy. Fox gives the historical background of how the Cid’s victories and conquests caused suspicion and jealousy in the courts of King Alfonso. She notes the difference of how the Cid’s actions were not immediately appreciated, while the Cid never abandons his vassal Vermuez during his impulsive attack. She goes on to draw more comparisons, illustrating Vermuez’s loyalty by referring to the second cantar. Then, she points out another display of Vermuez’s loyalty in the third cantar when he protects the Cid’s son-in-law, not because of his affection for Don Fernando but because of his devotion to the Cid. Yet the shortcomings of the Cid’s heirs and the Cid’s blindness to them seem to upset Pero Vermuez. Acting in what he believes to be the interest of his lord, Vermuez refuses to protect them any longer. Fox alleges that it is in the third cantar where Vermuez becomes a complex and essential character. Through his “loyal rebellion” he becomes symbolic of the Cid. Also, this motif reflects the transition from the feudal system to monarchial rule, that is to say, while the king’s authority was still absolute, subjects could reserve the right to oppose a ruler within the context of loyalty.  

Fox uses sociological criticism in her work to compare the actions and beliefs of the Cid and the analogous character of Vermuez to the changing attitudes in a feudalist society. I found her approach to be complex and tedious, very difficult to read. It may have been easier to follow if she had included short explanations or translations of the parts of the poem she quoted in her analysis. I do agree, however, that the idea of rebellion against the feudal lords is taking shape within the poem and I found the comparison of Vermuez and the Cid very interesting. She gave several examples of their similarities, both the loyal and rebellious traits, defending her position quite methodically. This comparison helps make the theme of loyal rebellion more obvious and increases understanding of the poem in general.