g over her land. Women in the story all seem to be described as beautiful, which leads me believe that this was indeed written to attract the attention of knights and make them think that they too could find themselves a gorgeous damsel to marry. Lunete is described as a handsome brunette, very discreet, shrewd, and intelligent. Another example of this is when many of Arthur's knights are joined by "some ninety ladies, each of who are handsome, well-mannered, noble, sophisticated, prudent, and wise, persons of high lineage." So, part of a woman's role in the story is to be an object of love, and representative of the chivalrous ideals, which all Knights believe in. Women in this story act as civilizing influences, which lead, guide and calm those they talk to. Ywain is considered a great knight who is always looking for adventure, and not always acting properly. He is portrayed as arrogant, the type of person who would do anything to become the perfect knight, no matter what the cost. Then he meets a woman he loves and gets married. Alundyne brings about a change in Ywain that makes him realize he does not have to be a perfect knight and he learns to act properly. Ywain acts uncivilized when his wife leaves him for breaking his vow to her, and seems to go crazy. He runs into the woods and reverts back to primitiveness by stripping naked and staying in the forest. He seems to lose his mind, when his woman leaves him. The Queen's servant, a woman, finds him there and anoints him. She brings about a calming influence on Ywain, that apparently brings him back to a sane state of mind, making him act much more civilized.Chrtien was writing this story to entice the imaginations of his audience, and his main audience was probably knights. He depicts women as a civilizing influence that will calm them down and allow them to become landowners. Marrying an heiress, as Alundyne is, would give them property and raise their social cla...
