Discussion Topic
Criticism and portrayal of courtly love in "Whoso List to Hunt."
Summary:
In "Whoso List to Hunt," courtly love is portrayed as unattainable and fraught with frustration. The speaker compares the pursuit of love to a futile hunt, emphasizing the elusive and ultimately unreachable nature of the beloved. This reflects a critical view of courtly love, highlighting its inherent challenges and the emotional toll on those who chase it.
How does "Whoso List to Hunt" portray courtly love?
In "Whoso List to Hunt," the deer (or hind), representing a woman whom the speaker is pursuing, is inaccessible, which reflects the elevated status of women which "courtly love" embodies.
Courtly love has origins dating back to the twelfth century, in a treatise written by Andreas Capellanus titled The Art of Courtly Love. Generally speaking, courtly love describes a set of behaviors which provide elevated status to a woman by a man seeking her favor. This romantic engagement typically fell outside the boundaries of marriage or even sexual encounters and instead reflected the chivalrous attempts of a man (often a knight) to woo and win the affections of a lady.
In "Whoso List to Hunt," the hind is an extended metaphor demonstrating the impossibility of capturing this woman's affections. After an extended "hunt," the speaker is "wearied" beyond measure and cannot continue. Still, he cannot keep his...
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"wearied mind" from turning once more to the thing which is the great goal of his pursuits. The woman wears a caution around her neck: "Noli me tangere," or "touch me not." Though the speaker has tirelessly pursued this woman, trying to capture her affections proves as elusive as trying to "hold the wind," giving the lady a sense of power in this pursuit. The speaker's tone is full of adoration and reverence, which also demonstrates qualities of courtly love.
References
Discuss the criticism of courtly love in "Whoso List to Hunt."
In "Whoso List to Hunt," the narrator speaks to the futility of courtly love. In the poem, the narrator writes of hunting a female deer who is always out of reach and, ultimately, is already claimed, with Caesar's collar around her unattainable neck.
One can certainly interpret this poem as the narrator complaining about his lack of success in courting women and his desire to give up the "hunt" of women altogether. The narrator seems to acknowledge his failure of hunting down women like prey, although he appears to lament his lack of success rather than criticize the culture and misogyny of this courtship.
Indeed, the narrator complains that when and if this female deer is caught, one may find that she is already owned by a man more powerful than he and not so "tame." She is untouchable, unattainable, and the pursuit of her is futile; yet the narrator cannot help but breathlessly follow behind her as she flees, both stuck in a loveless, degrading cycle of hunter and hunted.