1. Gawain gives a speech on pp. 326-327. What is the outcome of this speech (in other words, what does this speech accomplish, for better or worse)? How do you interpret the agreement Yvain then makes with Laudine? What kind of agreement is this? Would you want to accept such an agreement? Why or why not?

Gawain's speech appeals to Yvain's senses of logos, ethos, and pathos - he's like a miracle worker of rhetoric! In any case, he convinces Gawain to leave his wife behind in search of that glimmering ideal: adventure! Gawain convinces Yvain to accompany him and the rest of King Arthur's court back to Britain, in order to joust and fight and do other silly (yet violent) knightly things.

However lofty Yvain's goal in going out to re-make a name for himself (he's in the same boat as Erec, isn't he?), the underhanded way in which he goes about doing it bodes ill for a happy and timely reunion with his wife. Yvain already knows that Laudine won't like what he has to say - and that's why he, in effect, makes her sign a contract without reading it. Actually, the way he takes his leave here reminds me of the beginning of this tale, when Yvain left King Arthur's court ahead of everyone else, "having no desire for their company [and] set off alone, whether it might bring him joy or grief" (303). The refreshing thing about Yvain's character is that he is a complex mix of conventionally positive elements (chivalrous, brave, etc.) and unexpectedly sneaky, down-and-dirty ones - like his odd habit of leaving to go on a journey while leaving a bad taste in everyone else's mouth.

Personally, I would not be happy at all to be in Laudine's shoes - but I would also hesitate to agree to something before knowing at least some of what it would involve. People have common sense so that they can use it. So while I think it is a nice gesture that Laudine trusts Yvain enough to agree to his wishes before knowing what they are, the outcome of the situation shows that her trust is, unfortunately, misplaced.