Depiction and Development of the Knight Hero in Wolfram von Eschenbach’

Introduction atomic number 74 von Eschenbachs epic poem Parzival stands as one of the richest andmost effectual lit eonry works to have survived from the middle ages. Lost in obscurity forcenturies until rediscovered and republished by Karl Lachmann in 1833, the poemenjoyed at least as great a popularity when it was first composed as it does amongtodays readers Some eighty manuscripts have been preserved, in whole or in part,from Wolframs era (Poag 40). Among the more intriguing aspects of the work isWolframs handling of the depiction and development of two of the storys primarycharacters, the knights Gahmuret and Parzival, father and son. Central to the execution ofthe text from its inception, yet never sharing a scene, these men function as the poemsheroeslarger-than-life figures of extraordinary strength, skill and courage whose notable achievements and bravery carry the momentum of the story. These menrepresent the classic knightly warriors of old who (at least ideally) dedicat ed theirenergies and passions above all else to the noble pursuit of fame, keep and valor.Indeed, in the course of discussing heroic development in Parzival, one must also notethe main characters chivalric development, as their natural proclivity and tendencies asknights are clearly reflected and reinforced in their heroic manner and mien.In the course of this investigation I wish to analyze the ways in which Wolframdepicts these knighly heroes and their development. In this way I shall attempt toachieve a better understanding of how Wolframand, by extension, the men of histimethemselves understood the themes and events he describes. I shall also includethe critical perspectives of scholars whose have previously c... ...its, thoughnot always attained thorough strict maintenance of precepts such as Campbells, isand by chance for that very reasonthe stuff of great literature.Works CitedCampbell, Joseph. Myths to Live By. current York Viking, 1972.Cousineau, Phil, Ed. The Heros Jou rney The World of Joseph Campbell. SanFrancisco Harper & Row, 1990.Eschenbach, Wolfram von. Parzival. English Trans., Ed. Andr Lefevere. New York Continuum, 1991.-. Parzival. German Trans. Wolfgang Mohr. Gppingen Alfred Kmmerle, 1977.Hasty, Will. Introduction. A Companion to Wolframs Parzival. Columbia CamdenHouse, 1999.Poag, James F. Wolfram von Eschenbach. New York Twayne, 1972.Sacker, Hugh. An Introduction to Wolframs Parzival. Cambridge Cambridge U P,1963Weigand, Hermann. Wolframs Parzival Five Essays with an Introduction. Ithaca Cornell U P, 1969.