The Nature of True Love

Where it surfaces

• Epigraph I

  The line asserts that true love in a noble heart is eternal and not vanquished by death, framing love as an immortal force.

• A Preface

  Examines love as an abstract, spiritual force that transcends the physical and persists as an instinct for men to serve a shining image.

• Critical Comment

  The Tale of Melicent centers on Perion's stubborn desire for Melicent, reflecting the romantic ideal of love as a driving force for perilous quests.

• The Argument

  The poem suggests that true love transcends material wealth, as Melicent's soul adorned with virtues is the fairest part of her.

• Incipit

  The opening of a romance centered on Dame Melicent suggests themes of courtly love and devotion.

• Part I: Perion

  Perion's intense, self-destructive longing for Melicent exemplifies the consuming and sacrificial aspect of love.

• How Perion Was Unmasked

  Perion's confession reveals his love for Melicent, but Melicent questions whether love can exist between such disparate souls, highlighting the tension between genuine affection and deception.

• How the Vicomte Was Very Gay

  Perion's despairing thoughts of Melicent's purity and kindness, contrasted with her loathing of him, highlight the painful, unrequited nature of his love.

• III: How Melicent Wooed

  Melicent's unconditional love, willing to sacrifice honour and comfort, is contrasted with Perion's belief that he is unworthy of such love.

• IV: How the Bishop Aided Perion

  Melicent's willingness to disguise herself and her declaration of trust in Perion despite his self-accusations exemplify a love that transcends appearances and circumstances.

• How Melicent Wedded

  Melicent's vow of eternal faith and service to Perion, and her private wedding, illustrate a love that transcends social and political constraints.

• Part II: Melicent

  The chapter frames Melicent's suffering as a consequence of love, suggesting love's power to elevate or endanger.

• How Melicent Sought Oversea

  Melicent's immediate and daring actions demonstrate love as active devotion rather than passive emotion.

• VII: How Perion Was Freed

  Melicent's offer of herself for Perion's freedom exemplifies a love that transcends self-interest, while Demetrios treats love as a commodity.

• How Demetrios Was Amused

  Melicent's unwavering love for Perion is contrasted with Demetrios's cruel amusement, highlighting the theme of true love's endurance against adversity.

• IX: How Time Sped in Heathenry

  Melicent's unwavering love for Perion contrasts with Demetrios's possessive pride and Callistion's jealous passion, highlighting the theme of true love versus selfish desire.

• How Demetrios Wooed

  Demetrios's 'love' is possessive and nihilistic, while Melicent insists that love cannot be purchased, contrasting true love with mere desire and ownership.

• Part III: Demetrios

  The chapter contrasts the fierce, eager love of Perion with the jealous, venomous love of Demetrios, exploring love's dual capacity for nobility and destructiveness.

• How Time Sped with Perion

  Perion's love for Melicent drives his actions, even as years pass and he fights without concern for the merits of the quarrels.

• XII: How Demetrios Was Taken

  Perion's ransom for Melicent and his oath sworn by his love for her underscore love as a driving and binding force.

• XIII: How They Praised Melicent

  The chapter explores two opposing conceptions of love: Perion's selfless, service-oriented devotion versus Demetrios's possessive, conflicted obsession that mixes love with rage and a wish for death.

• How Perion Fought

  Both Perion and Demetrios demonstrate that their love for Melicent outweighs personal honor and enmity.

• How Flamberge Was Lost

  Demetrios and Perion's complex relationship, bound by their love for Melicent, is explored through their mutual respect and the duel of wits.

• How Perion Got Aid

  Perion and Mélusine reflect on their past love, which has faded into memory, highlighting the transient and complex nature of love.

• Part IV: Ahasuerus

  Ahasuerus's parting words affirm Melicent's worth and the selfless aspect of love.

• How Demetrios Held His Chattel

  Demetrios's obsessive love for Melicent is portrayed as a painful malady that poisons his life, contrasting with Melicent's steadfast love for Perion.

• XXII: How Misery Held Nacumera

  Melicent's devotion to the memory of Perion, even after his marriage to another, illustrates a love that transcends physical presence and time.

• XXIII: How Demetrios Cried Farewell

  Contrasts Demetrios's human, possessive love with Perion's steadfast, divine love, and Melicent's unwavering faith in Perion.

• How Orestes Ruled

  Melicent affirms that love endures and that her bond with Perion is unbreakable, even in the face of slavery and death.

• XXV: How Women Talked Together

  Melicent contrasts her transcendent love for Perion with Callistion's possessive, grief-stricken love for Demetrios.

• XXIX: How a Bargain Was Cried

  Melicent's willingness to die rather than betray Perion, and her bargain to save him, illustrate the depth of her love.

• How Melicent Conquered

  Perion's realization that love transcends the individuals involved and that Melicent's soul is the true object of worship explores the nature of true love.

• The Afterword

  The chapter reflects on the love between Perion and Melicent as a 'love-business' that endures even in fragmentary record, suggesting love's persistence beyond death and time.

• II

  The episodic story centers on Melicent and the men who loved her, exploring themes of love and devotion.

• III

  Domnei is presented as a form of love that involves anguish, martyrdom, and the elevation of the beloved to a divine intermediary.

• Bibliography

  The romance's many translations and adaptations underscore its exploration of love's idealistic and transformative power.