Sir Kay's Sneering
When Calogrenant tells the story of his duel seven years previously, Sir Kay sneers at him because he was unseated and therefore a little shamed. When Yvain vows to avenge this humiliation, Sir Kay sneers again. When King Arthur and his knights meet Yvain in full armor after the storm, Sir Kay is sneering again and so disdainful of the knight that he wants to be the one to duel with him. He is unseated and on the ground with lightning speed which is ironic because he is the knight who is the most scathing of others' fighting prowess and always has a lot to say about his own skills.
Women Saving The Day
Knights in King Arthur's time were valiant and courageous and really the first and last line of defense against attack. It is a great irony then that it is women who step in to save the Knights from certain death. Lunete saves Yvain from retribution by making him invisible with magic rings. Lady Noroison restores him back to sanity with a soothing potion. Although the knights are seen as defenders it is the women in the text who really save the day.
Yvain Enjoys The Tourmaments
It is difficult for Sir Gawain to persuade Yvain to accompany them back to Britain to participate in tournaments because he is devoted to Laudine and likes his role as Lord. However this turns out to be ironic because he enjoys the tournaments so much once he begins participating that he forgets about his wife all together and does not remember the promise he made to go home.
The Presence of the Giant
The giant is the character who tells all travelers passing by about the spring that starts a storm if dropped on a nearby stone. It seems a great irony that the knight at the stone always challenged the offending visitor to a duel because he I angry about the storm that they started, yet never makes any attack or challenge towards the giant to stop him telling people how to start the storm in the first place.
Yvain's Love For Laudine
Yvain forgets all about his wife because he is so caught up in his victorious participation in tournaments but when she dispatches her damsel to tell him she is disowning him and no longer wants anything to do with him, he is bereft and ends up wandering the forest as a hermit. It is ironic that he does not realize how much he loves her until she does not want to be married to him anymore.
