Robert the Devil Allegory
The story is allegorical of another earlier legend, that of Robert the Devil, who is born to an evil spirit and who is used as a Pagan tool of destruction.
Uther Pendragon Allegory
The Duchess of Tintagel is deceived when King Uther Pendragon is made to look like her own husband by Merlin the Wizard. This tale is an allegory of the Arthurian legend, replacing the English King and Queen for the Duke and Duchess of Austria.
Sir Orfeo's Wife Allegory
The wife of Sir Orfeo was accosted by a fay whilst relaxing outside and the fay was cast in the appearance of her husband by a wizard. The story of the Duchess of Austria is allegorical of this legend as the same experience befalls her, the fay in her case fathering Sir Gowther.
Penitence Motif
The main motif throughout the text is that of penitence. This begins with the Duke of Austria who is so riddled with guilt about the actions of his son that he literally dies from shame, a penitent man unable to hold up his head anymore. Until Gowther is truly penitent his life does not change for the better. He takes on one of the lowliest roles in society and still manages to become a grateful and loyal man, taking up arms for the Emperor whom he feels has allowed him to be saved. When he is seen to be truly penitent he receives redemption and at the end of his life is almost canonized.
Hordes Symbol
The Sultan's troops are not knights of any kind, but "hordes", which is a symbol of the way in which the Moorish Empire was seen at the time of the poem's writing. The Arabs were seen to be unprincipled on the battlefield and to have no knightly valor whatsoever, juxtaposed with the brave knights on horseback fighting for the Emperor and his lands. This is symbolic of the geo-political situation of the day and the way in which battle lines were drawn both theoretically and literally.
