L'ironie comme principe structurant chez Chrétien de Troyes

Abstract

The ironie interlacing of Gauvain's and Perceval's adventures (the most courtly of all knights suffering humiliation and running towards death while the young nice, despite some accidents, is heading to kingship) structures the Conte du Graal ; the metatextual allusions to madness and inversion confirm the ironie nature of this romance. Chrétien's ambiguity as to authorities and writing can also be found in his approach to laugh and irony : he condemns Keu's gabs but is himself the best of ironists. Besides, if irony is a fondamental principle of Chrétien's text, Keu originates some events that are essential to the plot, playing the part of the eternal opponent that, just like an alter ego of the author, creates disorder and division — elements that are necessary to literary production.