"And so that he does not know his name,
The Beautiful Son he is not
But instead the Beautiful Unknown."
This quote appears at the beginning of the poem when Le Bel Inconnu arrives for the first time at King Arthur's court. Upon meeting the King, the young man reveals he does not know his name and he only knows he was called by his mother the Beautiful Son. King Arthur tries to give the son a new identity and names him Le Bel Inconnu, or the Beautiful Unknown. This beginning of the poem is extremely important for the character because it marks the moment when the young character began his long journey.
"He is the Knight."
The first time when Le Bel Inconnu is called a Knight is after he saves Esmerée. At that moment, Le Bell Inconnu is introduced by Esmerée's servant as being the man but also, the most important, the knight, who saved her. The title he is given in this context boosts Le Bel Inconnu's confidence and feeds his desire to be recognized officially as a knight by the King. This quote also reveals how a man does not necessarily to be named a knight by the King but rather that his actions are the ones that make a person valuable.
"And so, the Beautiful Unknown returned to court.
And he was granted his reward."
This quote appears at the end of the poem after Le Bel Inconnu finished his quest. Le Bel Inconnu had the possibility of choosing between living a happy life together with the woman he loved or risk it all to be named a knight at King Arthur's court. The main character chose the last option and gave up the possibility of a happy and fulfilling life. The knighthood is described as being a reward, thus transmitting the idea that for the character, it was the most important thing he could be granted.
