Chivalry · Question
How does Chivalry develop the theme of The Taint of Blood and Heredity?
Answer
Chivalry by James Branch Cabell develops The Taint of Blood and Heredity across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The book suggests a demon-tainted or inhuman lineage in the Plantagenet bloodline, inherited from figures like Manuel of Poictesme, which causes suffering for their wives and England, and culminates in the bloodline's extinction.
Maudelain speaks of his 'accursed race' and the 'devil's blood' from Oriander, suggesting an inherited flaw that drives his violent end.
The epilogue explicitly discusses the demon-tainted blood inherited from Manuel of Poictesme or Foulques Plantagenet's demon wife, and the suffering it caused to wives, heirs, and England.
Evidence in the book
- VII: The Story of the Heritage
Maudelain speaks of his 'accursed race' and the 'devil's blood' from Oriander, suggesting an inherited flaw that drives his violent end.
- The Epilogue
The epilogue explicitly discusses the demon-tainted blood inherited from Manuel of Poictesme or Foulques Plantagenet's demon wife, and the suffering it caused to wives, heirs, and England.
