As far as romantic medieval tales go, Erec and Enide by Chretien de Troyes is a beautiful one. This story serves to satisfy the most tender of imaginations. A lonely knight, named Erec, is sent by Queen Guinevere to avenge her honor by defeating a foreign knight named Yder. In the process he meets and competes for the affection of a poor maiden, Enide. He pubically wins her approval and marries her, bringing her home to meet Arthur and Guinever. After several contented years of marriage, Enide learns that Erec has lost some of his public honor due to spending time with her and neglecting his knightly duties. They address the problem by embarking on a quest together. Enide supports Erec throughout his many adventures, several times saving his life. By the time they arrive in Nantes, they've both become essentially different people, having matured through combat and challenge. They become queen and king of Nantes.
This hero's journey reflects the malleability of duty. While Enide regrets the detriment their marriage has had on Erec's career, she doesn't realize that he willingly sacrificed to spend time with her. His devotion to her and to his king lead him to find a solution to the dilemma. He's a truly honorable man because he chooses to find a way to fulfill both his duty to his new wife and to his king in one act. By creatively solving the problem of reputation he earns for both himself and his wife unimaginable fame and wealth when they are eventually named king and queen of Nantes. All of this honor is a result of Erec's refusal to accept the face value of his obligations but rather to find a solution which ideally suits all parties. He takes a risk by allowing Enide to accompany him on such a dangerous quest, but he works especially hard to keep her safe on the journey.
The format of the poem is divided into four sections. Each reflects a stage of Erec's maturation, from ignorant assistant to Guinevere to King of Nantes. With each challenge life presents him, he finds a path of least resistance and a boon. He accepts Guinevere's challenge to defeat Yder and finds Enide as a result. Then he earns her honor in King Arthur's court by advocating for her beauty and merit before the queen, who is indeed oppressed. On the quest, he takes advantage of Enide's devotion in order to teach her invaluable skills and to teach her about himself and his character. The couple grows immeasurably close to one another during the trip. Finally, they revel in their newfound intimacy and reputations by turning their joint attention to helping the citizens of the kingdom, which in turn earns them assignment as king and queen in Nantes. From start to finish Erec learns to ask for specific desires and to work hard to accomplish them, meeting his goals with flying colors each time.
