Thinksheet Book IV

For thinksheet assignment please answer question 4 only.

1.  As Book IV opens we are told that Parzival is thinking of Liaze and that this focus on her is the influence of his father’s “spirit.”   How is Parzival developing as a character so far?  What elements of his character and behavior in Book IV seem the result of “nature” and which of “nuture”?

2. What is the tone of the description of the siege of Pelrapeire and the accompanying famine?  How does the narrator describe it?  What sorts of references and metaphors are deployed?  How does the overall description strike you?

3. On page 117 the narrator tells us that he wouldn’t want to bring his wife to the Pentecost festivities in Arthur’s court.  How does this add to the development of “Wolfram the narrator” as a character in this text?  What might this tell us about medieval tournaments?  How can we evaluate and use this evidence?

4. How do Condwiramurs and her story compare to that of Belacane?  To Herzeloyde?  How are these characters meant to reflect on one another?  Use specific elements in the text to back up your assertions.

5. What is the nature of marriage as we see it in Parzival’s marriage to Condwiramurs?  How does their relationship develop and what elements in it stand out to you?