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Excerpt

Excerpt from The White Knight: Tirant Lo Blanc, by Joanot Martorell

Some place the blame on the language of the original: Catalan,
whose literature is not widely read in the original tongue.
Others say it is the fault of the erotic scenes ~~ too shameful
for the polite society of earlier times. To my mind, a heavily
contributing factor is its rhetoric. As Joseph Vaeth says:
"Within this work may be found religious and philosophical
discourses, speeches and disputations...; formal debates...;
documents and papers...; formal challenges and replies...;
dramatic lamentations; long and fervent prayers; and allusions to
classical Latin authors, to biblical characters and to figures
prominent in medieval literature." He goes on to say that if the
novelist had omitted many of these elements, "his book would in
that case have been reduced to approximately one-fourth of its
present size, but quite probably it would now be considered a
masterpiece of narration and dialogue."(3)

Such has been the aim of this translation: The story line has
been slightly abridged, but the most dramatic change is that most
of the rhetoric has been eliminated. If the reader's literary
palate is tickled by this version, and if he would like to read
the entire manuscript in English, he is referred to the version
by David Rosenthal or to the even more complete translation by
Ray La Fontaine.(4)

Who was the author of this spicy, brutally realistic novel of
kings and knights of the fifteenth century? We know that Joanot
Martorell, son of the king's chamberlain, Francesc Martorell, was
born in Valencia in about 1413. He lived in England during the
years 1438 and 1439, and also traveled to Naples. Death came to
him in 1468. During his life he wrote several letters of combat,
and he began to write his novel Tirant lo Blanc in about 1460.
Whether or not he actually finished the book is still a matter of
debate, for it was not published during his lifetime. Another
writer, Marti Joan de Galba, adds his name as a second author,
and says that he wrote the last one-fourth of the book. But he
died six months before it was published, and his contribution, if
any, is questionable.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Tirant lo Blanc (The White Knight) by Joanot Martorell**

This excerpt serves as a preface or translator’s note to an abridged English version of Tirant lo Blanc, a 15th-century Catalan chivalric novel by Joanot Martorell. The passage discusses why the novel has been historically overlooked, the challenges of its rhetoric and structure, the author’s background, and the translational choices made to adapt it for modern readers.

Below is a breakdown of the text’s key elements, themes, and literary context, with a focus on the excerpt itself rather than the novel as a whole.

**1. Context of the Excerpt: Why Has Tirant lo Blanc Been Neglected?**

The passage opens by addressing three major reasons why Tirant lo Blanc has not received the same acclaim as other medieval romances (e.g., Don Quixote, which Cervantes famously praised as "the best book in the world"):

A. Linguistic Barrier (Catalan as an Underrated Literary Language)

The text suggests that Catalan literature has not been as widely read as French, English, or Spanish works, partly due to linguistic accessibility.
Unlike The Canterbury Tales (Middle English) or The Song of Roland (Old French), Tirant lo Blanc was written in a language that few non-Catalan readers could access until modern translations.
This reflects a broader issue in medieval studies: minority languages (e.g., Occitan, Galician-Portuguese) often struggle for recognition compared to dominant literary traditions.

B. Erotic Content and Moral Censorship

The novel contains "shameful" erotic scenes that would have been deemed inappropriate in earlier centuries, particularly in Victorian and early 20th-century literary circles.
Medieval and Renaissance literature often included bawdy humor and sexual themes (e.g., Chaucer, Boccaccio), but piety and decorum in later eras led to suppression or bowdlerization of such works.
The mention of "polite society" suggests that moralistic attitudes may have discouraged translations or scholarly engagement.

C. The Problem of Rhetoric: A Novel Overloaded with Discourse

The most significant critique in the excerpt is the novel’s rhetorical excess—its inclusion of:
- Religious and philosophical discourses (e.g., debates on chivalry, faith, governance)
- Formal speeches and disputations (legal, political, or theological arguments)
- Documents and papers (letters, treaties, challenges—common in chivalric romances)
- Lamentations and prayers (emotional outbursts, often in elevated language)
- Classical and biblical allusions (references to Virgil, Ovid, King Arthur, etc.)
The translator quotes Joseph Vaeth, who argues that if Martorell had cut these elements, the book would be one-fourth its size but far more readable—perhaps even a "masterpiece of narration and dialogue."
This reflects a modern preference for concise storytelling over medieval digressiveness (compare to The Canterbury Tales, which also mixes narrative with sermons, debates, and legal documents).

Key Takeaway: The excerpt suggests that Tirant lo Blanc suffers from structural bloating—its rhetorical density makes it less accessible to contemporary readers, who expect tighter plotting (a shift seen in the rise of the novel in the 18th century).

2. The Translator’s Approach: Abridgment and Modernization

The passage then explains the editorial choices made in this particular translation:

"The story line has been slightly abridged" → Some non-essential digressions (e.g., long speeches, repetitive debates) have been trimmed to improve pacing.
"Most of the rhetoric has been eliminated" → The translator has removed or condensed the novel’s discursive elements (philosophical debates, formal documents) to focus on plot and dialogue.
Recommendation for Full Versions: Readers who enjoy this abridged version are directed to more complete translations (David Rosenthal’s or Ray La Fontaine’s), implying that purists may prefer the uncut text.

Literary Significance:

This reflects a long-standing debate in translation studies: Should a translator preserve the original’s style (even if verbose) or adapt it for modern tastes?
The choice to remove rhetoric aligns with 20th-century preferences for realism and efficiency in storytelling (e.g., Hemingway’s iceberg theory vs. Victorian prolixity).
However, it also risks losing the medieval flavor—chivalric romances were supposed to be digressive, mimicking oral storytelling traditions.

3. Authorial Context: Who Was Joanot Martorell?

The excerpt provides a brief biography of Martorell, which helps explain the novel’s realistic, worldly tone:

Noble Background: Son of Francesc Martorell, chamberlain to the King of Aragon, Joanot was well-connected to courtly life, which informs Tirant lo Blanc’s political and military realism.
Travels to England (1438–39) and Naples: His experiences abroad may have influenced the novel’s cosmopolitan setting (the story ranges from England to Constantinople).
Military and Literary Life:
- Wrote letters of combat (formal challenges for duels—a real medieval practice).
- Began Tirant lo Blanc around 1460, but died in 1468 before its publication.
Authorship Debate:
- Marti Joan de Galba claims to have written the last quarter, but died six months before publication, making his contribution uncertain.
- This raises questions: Was the ending rushed? Did Galba alter Martorell’s style? (Some scholars argue the final sections are less polished.)

Why This Matters:

Martorell’s aristocratic and military background explains the novel’s brutal realism (unlike idealized romances like Amadís de Gaula).
His travels may explain the novel’s geographical scope and cultural diversity.
The authorship dispute adds a layer of textual mystery, much like The Canterbury Tales (left unfinished by Chaucer).

4. Literary Devices and Themes (Implied in the Excerpt)

While the excerpt itself is meta-textual (discussing the novel rather than presenting it), we can infer key aspects of Tirant lo Blanc’s style:

A. Hybrid Genre: Chivalric Romance Meets Brutal Realism

Unlike idealized Arthurian romances, Tirant lo Blanc is grounded in 15th-century politics, warfare, and sexuality.
The mention of "spicy, brutally realistic" suggests:
- Graphic violence (battles, duels, sieges)
- Explicit eroticism (uncommon in medieval romances, which usually sublimated desire)
- Political intrigue (reflecting Martorell’s courtly experience)

B. Rhetorical Complexity as a Medieval Trait

The overload of speeches, debates, and documents was not a flaw in Martorell’s time but a feature of medieval narrative.
Compare to:
- Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (mixes stories with sermons, legal debates)
- Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur (includes long genealogies and moral digressions)
- Boccaccio’s Decameron (frames tales with philosophical discussions)
The modern abridgment reflects a shift in literary values—from encyclopedic storytelling to streamlined plots.

C. Intertextuality: Classical, Biblical, and Medieval Allusions

The novel’s references to Latin authors, biblical figures, and medieval legends suggest:
- Humanist influences (Martorell may have been exposed to Renaissance learning in Naples).
- A layered, erudite style (appealing to noble readers familiar with classical and scriptural traditions).

5. Significance of the Excerpt (Why Does This Matter?)

This passage is not just about Tirant lo Blanc but about how we read medieval literature today:

The Challenge of Translating Medieval Texts
- Should translators modernize (cutting digressions) or preserve (keeping the original’s verbosity)?
- The excerpt justifies abridgment by appealing to modern readability, but this raises ethical questions about fidelity vs. adaptation.
Reevaluating "Flaws" in Old Texts
- What seems excessive now (long speeches, documents) was expected in medieval literature.
- The excerpt criticizes Martorell’s rhetoric, but one could argue that removing it erases the novel’s medieval identity.
The Politics of Literary Canonization
- The text hints at why Tirant lo Blanc was overshadowed (language, eroticism, structure).
- It also challenges the idea of a "masterpiece"—would the novel be better if shorter, or is its rhetorical density part of its genius?
Authorship and Textual Uncertainty
- The debate over Galba’s contribution mirrors discussions about collaborative medieval texts (e.g., The Pearl Poet, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight).
- It also raises questions: How much can an editor change before it’s no longer the original work?

6. Conclusion: A Defense (or Critique?) of Tirant lo Blanc

The excerpt both praises and critiques the novel:

Praise: It’s a "spicy, brutally realistic" work ahead of its time (predicting the gritty realism of later novels).
Critique: Its rhetorical excess makes it hard to read by modern standards.

Final Thought: The passage invites readers to engage with the text on two levels:

As a story (now streamlined for enjoyment).
As a historical artifact (with all its medieval quirks intact in other translations).

In doing so, it highlights the tension between preservation and adaptation—a key issue in literary translation and medieval studies.

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s discussion of Tirant lo Blanc’s rhetorical excess serves primarily to:

A. expose a tension between medieval narrative conventions and modern reader expectations, where what was once a stylistic virtue is now perceived as a structural flaw.
B. justify the translator’s decision to abridge the text by framing the original as an unrefined draft in need of editorial intervention.
C. argue that the novel’s digressive style is a deliberate artistic choice meant to mirror the chaotic reality of 15th-century courtly life.
D. highlight the inferiority of Catalan literature compared to more streamlined traditions like French or Italian chivalric romance.
E. suggest that the novel’s philosophical and religious discourses were inserted posthumously by Marti Joan de Galba, distorting Martorell’s original intent.

Question 2

The translator’s claim that Tirant lo Blanc “would now be considered a masterpiece of narration and dialogue” if abridged implies which of the following assumptions about literary value?

A. A work’s greatness is determined by its adherence to the structural preferences of its contemporary audience, regardless of historical context.
B. The inclusion of classical and biblical allusions inherently detracts from a narrative’s coherence and emotional impact.
C. Medieval readers were incapable of appreciating concise storytelling, as evidenced by their tolerance for rhetorical excess.
D. The novel’s erotic content is the primary obstacle to its canonical status, overshadowing its formal innovations.
E. Modern literary standards privilege economy of expression and dialogic immediacy over the encyclopedic ambitions of pre-modern texts.

Question 3

The passage’s treatment of Marti Joan de Galba’s alleged contribution to Tirant lo Blanc is most analogous to which of the following scenarios in literary history?

A. The attribution of Shakespeare’s Henry VIII to John Fletcher, where stylometric analysis confirms dual authorship.
B. The posthumous publication of Kafka’s The Trial, edited by Max Brod against the author’s explicit wishes.
C. The debate over the Winnowing Fan section of Finnegans Wake, where Joyce’s notes were post-mortem assembled by others, raising questions of textual integrity.
D. The collaboration between Goethe and Schiller on Xenien, where their distinct voices are deliberately intertwined.
E. The completion of The Mystery of Edwin Drood by modern writers, filling gaps left by Dickens’ death with speculative fiction.

Question 4

Which of the following statements about the passage’s tone is most accurate?

A. It adopts an uncritical admiration for Martorell’s original, dismissing the abridgment as a regrettable concession to philistine tastes.
B. It oscillates between scholarly detachment and advocacy, simultaneously analyzing the novel’s flaws and promoting its rediscovery.
C. It employs a rhetorical strategy of false modesty, downplaying the translator’s interventions while implicitly asserting their necessity.
D. It reflects a nostalgic longing for medieval verbosity, lamenting the loss of a more patient, contemplative mode of reading.
E. It frames the novel’s obscurity as entirely the fault of prudish Victorian censors, ignoring structural or linguistic factors.

Question 5

The passage’s mention of David Rosenthal’s and Ray La Fontaine’s translations serves primarily to:

A. undermine the credibility of the current abridged version by directing readers to allegedly superior alternatives.
B. suggest that the novel’s true artistic merits can only be appreciated in its unexpurgated, original Catalan form.
C. acknowledge that the abridgment is a deliberate compromise, offering a gateway to a text whose full complexity may appeal to a niche audience.
D. imply that Rosenthal and La Fontaine’s translations are themselves flawed, as they retain the rhetorical elements the current translator has excised.
E. reveal the translator’s anxiety about the abridgment’s reception, using the reference as a preemptive defense against criticism.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: A

Why A is most correct: The passage contrasts the novel’s original medieval rhetorical density—a feature of its time—with modern expectations of conciseness, framing this as a clash between historical context and contemporary tastes. The translator’s abridgment is presented as a response to this tension, not as a correction of a "flaw" inherent to the text. The phrasing ("heavily contributing factor") suggests the rhetoric was once purposeful but is now misaligned with reader preferences.