While Chrétien formally addresses a prologue which he wrote at the beginning of Erec and Enide, there seems to be the lack of such a distinct piece of writing at the beginning of Yvain. However, Chrétien adds more depth to the store by not declaring any sort of connection with a proverb or any other sort of material which one would derive ideas from, ideas which could affect his or her judgment on the store and the knowledge of the plot in advance. By not writing a proverb and instead meshing the "prologue" within the confines of the opening scene of the romance, Chrétien is shows that Yvain is the exact opposite romance than Erec and Enide. The romance has less purpose and is more based upon spontaneity and adventurism, whereas Erec and Enide was a formulaic text in which one could predict almost every seen and could describe the symbolism with the ease. Having nothing to relate the romance to during its opening, the reader can become more engaged in the romance and have less predictability on their mind when reading. The lack of prologue suggest that Yvain is a more fun-loving guy that like likes to look for adventure and could care less about chivalry and everything that is tied into it, including women. It adds an extra layer to the protagonist, which we didn't see in Erec and Enide, as Erec was the stereotypical hero, or "meathead," for lack of a better term.
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