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Arthur Q7: Physical vs moral tests
Yvain and Lancelot are tested in many ways. Some of them are physical, but many are moral in nature. What did you think of this emphasis on morality?
Related, how about the places where characters were driven by passions, often in opposition to what a "rational" good choice would be? For instance, Lancelot risks all to sleep with Guinevere.
Comments
Rational thought was not a thing. Ones reasons were not rational, and ones actions flowed from one's reasons. Again, pre-modern minds. We do not think that way, but they did.
I think it is a rational basis for morality... just a different one. It's not rule-based like a written constitution or the Ten Commandments or whatever, but rather an honour-based one resting heavily on loyalty to the king and adherence to one's own vows - with the second of these considerably outweighing the first. So I don't think the main question was "is this a lawful act" but rather "is this in keeping with the words I have spoken and promises I have made".
So much of the decision making seemed to be driven by momentum. Once you started on a task, that was it. You completed it and it was dishonourable to let yourself be distracted, even if those reasons would have been otherwise "better" things to do. The scene where Yvain needs to rush back to try and rescue Lunete, but then the daughters elsewhere are going to be raped by the giant. He makes it clear that he will do what he can but he made the commitment to Lunete first so if times runs out he needs to take off.
It seems like there is a lot of crossover between the moral and the physical, where people who can physically dominate must therefore also just be more moral because of that.