"I shall never be cited as a bad example": religious idealization and humanity in crusader figures in the chanson de Roland and Rolandslied

This text comparatively examines the tensions at play in the figural representations of Roland and Charlemagne/Karl in the Chanson de Roland and the Rolandslied, moving away from nationalist critiques of both works. It is primarily concerned with the juxtaposition between the idealized representations of these characters and the humanity their actions and emotions expose. It considers ways in which both texts function within a pro-crusade framework and how both texts simultaneously idealize the divine work of the crusader while exposing a darker complexity that rules their actions. Taking special consideration of the Rolandslied as a moralizing adaptation of the Roland story, this thesis analyzes the play of multiplicity within texts, which are sometimes reduced to formulae as a result of their highly developed frameworks revealing the complexity of character, emotion, and humanity behind the simplistic crusader façade.