Chanson de Roland Commentary Plan PDF

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La Chanson de Roland Commentary: Laisses 263-265. Plan Intro: • The excerpt comes right after the vast Baligant episode • Key moment as Charlemagne has defeated Baligant • Previous laisses have strong religious tone which will be maintained. • Contrary parallelisms between the pagan and christian religions are used throughout • Baligant’s death is key moment in the epic as affirms Charlemagne’s greatness • The excerpt depicts the siege on Saragossa and the fall of Marsile. • Contrasts between pagans and francs it shows how the francs occupied Saragossa and ends with a succinct summary of the final events of the battle. • The final laisses before the Francs return to Aix - important as author has many goals: support for christianity, greatness of Francs, summary of events.

1) • On vv. 3625 the Pagans are fleeing as their overlord, Baligant, has been killed • Strong religious tone in the laisses: • Importance of God’s influence over the victory, “cum Damnedeus le volt” • Parallelisms between the two religions run throughout the next. • Pagans are abandoned by their God’s. Christian God supports the Francs and his willing causes the change in fortune. • Important as would be recited to a Christian audience - would have approved of this contrast between the two sides • Religious aspect is also supported by word order in first two lines • Hemistichs of first two lines: • “Paien, Franc” • “Damnesdeus, l’emperere” • Dual purpose of reiterating the oppositions in the chanson but also linking God with the emperor showing God’s support • Chanson de geste as an epic story of revenge and honour on both sides • On vv. 3627, Charlemagne urges his men to fight in one final push • Uses key themes of honour to encourage the Francs • Important repetition of “voz” shows how he is targeting them and their feelings. • Importance of changing “voz doels” and enlightening “voz coers”. - This is how a battle is one • “Vos vi plurer des oilz” - crying is key as is seen as a feminine response and thus weak. • Reminder to be strong. • The collective voice is used frequently throughout the chanson, often when king makes a speech a collective voice will respond, affirming the general opinion for the audience • Important change in the laisse from “li reis” and “voz” to “Franc” and “nus” • Overlord to his subjects, control and response shown through the pronouns. • Tense in the laisse is key • Present tense throughout which shows a key moment of action. However - controlled. • Repetition of present tense shows importance of current moment • One verb is in past, “vi”, significant as used to portray the feelings Charlemagne wants his men to put behind. 2) • Laisse 264 opens with a weather motif which are used throughout to different effect

• “Granz est li calz, si se levet la puldre” - something is happening. In the middle of the action • Audience can contrast this motif with “clers fut li jurz” which is often used at the beginning of day or action • Effect is to indicate to the audience that we are right in the middle of the action • In second line there is repetition of “Paien s’en fuient” • Not laisses similaire however the repetition allows the author to develop the action slowly • Gives the effect of pausing the main narrative event, fleeing, and adding more detail/progression • Highlighted by development of action that comes with fleeing • “Encalcent Franc” goes to “Franceis les anguissent” shows a development in the action and adds added tension for the audience • Something is going to happen • Important to note Bramimonde’s appearance here • Last time in narrative was for Marsile’s defeat, this time for Baligants • Image of Saragossa and portrays the distress and disruption caused • Laisse used to make important religious comments • Throughout chanson has been implied that there is great contrast between religions. One causes of the battles • Most likely written by christian author for christian audience so will be favoured and intend to remove any importance from other religions • Bramimonde is surrounded by “li si clerc e si canonie” • Assonance of “i” sound to highlight religious presence • This is immediately destroyed in the following line as the word order favourites “De false lei” • Narrator is confirming that their religion does not exist. Narrator’s omniscient point of view throughout poem portrays the deciding view on the two religions • Developments two key contrasts between the two: love/hate; presence/absence • Point of view backed up with “que Deus nen amat ankes” to show how they have no link with God. However this also portrays the Christian-centric nature of the epic as they have no religion because the Christian God doesn’t love them, not their own. • This use of Christian ideology and symbols to nullify their religion is used in the following line • “ne en lor chefs corones” - imagery of monks with shaven heads allows the Christian audience to create a contrast. Emphasising the pagans’s false religion • Author is purposefully mocking the Sarrasins’ religion here as shows key contrast between recent laisses in which the Christians’ God has saved them. They are now in need, nothing will happen • Bramimonde’s speech emphasises the Sarrasins’ desperation • Last time (after Marsile defeat) her speech was unusually composed. • Now speech is desperate with an exclamatory tone and short sentences crying for help. • “Aiez nos, Mahum !” “E !” • This is also ironic for the audience as we have been told that they have no religion or God so we know that this is in vain. • Importance of when Marsile “pluret des oilz” • Links to previous laisse when Charlemagne was criticising his men for this. Feminine emotion. In middle ages it was important to portray appropriately gendered emotions and the author is playing on stereotypes to show a character’s weakness • This negative emotion leads into Marsile’s death

• Evil and thus goes to devil “as vifs diables dunet.” • Distinct contrast with Roland’s death in which he gives himself to God with right hand (allegiance) • Descriptions of their deaths are complete contrasts which link to their religions • “L’anme den cunte portent en paradeis” vs. “L’anme den lui as vifs diables dunet.” • Further distinction can be made through the use of the verbs for the two deaths • Marsile “dunet” his soul whilst Roland’s is “portent” 3) • The final laisse at the end of the defeat of the Sarrasins opens with “Paien sont morz” • Powerful and abrupt after slow development of “Paien s’enfuient” • Laisse takes the form of a summary. One sentence per line, word order places main action verb at the end of each line - assonance rhyme for emphasis “vencue, abatue, n’est…defendue, venue” • Clear depiction of victory. The chanson has a back and forth nature describing the succeses and losses of each side however this laisses is a simple list of the victory of Christians • After narrative on the siege on Saragossa, move to description of Charlemagne • “Fiers est li reis” - word order emphasises the king’s power and ferocity. • Use of caesure balances Charlemagne’s power with his wisdom through the image of “sa barbe canue” - used throughout the chanson to demonstrate intelligence and age • The author is showing Charlemagne’s sheer greatness • Laisse begins with “E Carles” and he is the subject of all the subsequent verbs and connectives • “ad, ad, or, prent, fiers” • Laisse ends with “qui Damnesdeus aieut” - links to religious tone of the end of the battle and particularly last three laisses (“cum Damnesdeus le volt”) • Importance of God’s presence. Charlemagne is great but repetition of God’s willing shows they are all powerful.

Conc • The three laisses portray the end of the conflict but also the end of the vast Baligant episode. • Whilst the chanson portrays the strengths of both sides, the final laisses of the conflict are in clear support of the Francs (two main reasons: Christianity and Otherness) • After the excerpt the troupes return to Charlemagne’s home of Aix - deal with Ganelon....