Lancelot's joy is textually affirmed, as are his accomplishments despite the difficulties the love causes him. Arms may demonstrate worth, but so may the quality of love the knight and lady share. More striking, in a medieval context, is the emphasis on conjugal love. The notion must have seemed much more original in the 12th century than it may appear today, after centuries of love stories. Erec chooses his bride without consulting his family, and so does Yvain.
Marital problems do arise, but they are also solved.
Not that he meant a contractual equality in any modern legal sense, but rather a natural, noble equality that was tried and tested in conflict with the outside world and in the resolution of disputes that occur in the marriage. This appears to be the case in Erec , whose first part combines two stories, the sparrowhawk episode and the hunt for the white stag, to each of which Enide, because of the qualities that make her desirable as a spouse, provides a denouement. In the sparrowhawk contest Erec proves that Enide is the most beautiful woman, and Arthur bestows the kiss of the white stag on her for the same reason. Enide's beauty comprehends qualities of body, vestment, and, most importantly, mind and mentality that make her exemplary of perfect womanhood. The molt bele conjointure depends on the disparate elements of romance marvels, reveals the ideal truth perceived in them by 12th-century civilization, and articulates a new, marvelous narrative.