Chivalric Romance

an epic genre of courtly literature that poeticized knighthood in the figures of such heroes as King Arthur, Lancelot, Tristan, and Amadís. The chivalric romance poeticized the exploits of knights, performed in the name of glory, love, and moral perfection. The genre’s authors included Chrétien de Troyes, Hartmann von Aue, Wolfram von Eschenbach, and Thomas Malory (England).