Domnei · Theme
Woman-Worship and Domnei
How Domnei develops Woman-Worship and Domnei.
The central theme of the book, domnei is a chivalric code of idealized, religious devotion to a lady, elevating her to a near-divine status and transforming love into a spiritual quest that transcends mere desire.
Where it surfaces
- Epigraph I
The epigraph directly invokes 'domnei,' the troubadour ideal of chivalric love and devotion to a noble lady, suggesting love's transcendence over death.
- Epigraph II
The epigraph directly defines 'domnei' as the chivalric code of devotion and service to a lady, central to the theme of woman-worship.
- A Preface
The central theme of the preface, exploring domnei as a sublimated passion that elevates women to a spiritual ideal.
- The Argument
The poem explicitly celebrates the worship of Melicent as the ultimate object of desire, for whom men forsake honor, kingdoms, and war.
- Domnei
The chapter's title and content directly engage with the concept of domnei, portraying the worship and idealization of women as a central comedic and philosophical theme.
- XXV: How Women Talked Together
The conversation explores how women are idolized for their beauty yet suffer from the fickleness of male desire.
- XXVIII: How Perion Saw Melicent
Perion's song and risk of death to honor Melicent exemplify the ideal of devoted service to a beloved lady.
- III
The entire chapter is an exposition of domnei as a code of philosophy, a malady, and a religion, central to the Melicent-episode.
- IV
The chapter centers on a dialogue about domnei, where Beelzebub condemns it as irrational folly that makes men oblivious to vice, while King Amaury defends it as the master-word of the universe.