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53-634: The knight-errant is a character who has broken away from the world of his origin, in order to go off on his own to right wrongs or to test and assert his own chivalric ideals. In medieval Europe, knight-errantry existed in literature, though fictional works from this time often were presented as non-fiction . The template of the knight-errant were the heroes of the Round Table of the Arthurian cycle such as Gawain , Lancelot , and Percival . The quest par excellence in pursuit of which these knights wandered

106-658: A samurai who, wanting to test his abilities in real life conditions, would travel the land and engage in duels along the way. Non-fiction Non-fiction (or nonfiction ) is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith , to convey information only about the real world , rather than being grounded in imagination . Non-fiction typically aims to present topics objectively based on historical, scientific, and empirical information. However, some non-fiction ranges into more subjective territory, including sincerely held opinions on real-world topics. Often referring specifically to prose writing, non-fiction

159-556: A 1993 review). Ondine was first performed on April 27, 1939 in Paris at the Théâtre de l'Athénée in a production by Louis Jouvet with a cast including Jeanne Hardeyn , Louis Jouvet , Madeleine Ozeray , Simone Bourday and Alexandre Rignault . Costumes were designed by Rostislav Doboujinsky . Ondine was first translated into English by Maurice Valency , and later by Roger Gellert in 1967 and by Dan O'Brien in 2007. The play

212-577: A category of its own ... The naive and the ultra sophisticated are blended here in such a manner as to blur the frontiers of human experience and transport audiences completely out of themselves." Drama historian Philip George Hill called the 1954 Broadway production "a work of extraordinary beauty" . "Giraudoux's lines, imaginatively adapted by Maurice Valency , glint with romantic gems... [and] exotic verbal nuggets..." (Milton Shulman, Evening Standard , January 13, 1961) "With Giraudoux's lyrical insights and elegiac phrasing, his plays read like

265-469: A combination of epic poetry and a Henry James novel. The characters and situations are hyperbolic, mythical, biblical and canonical, and yet the text contains disorienting psychological insight" (Julia Jonas in a 2004 review). "Impulsive, frank and filled with wonder, Ondine is a creature of water and air, riding the storm at night, spontaneously performing little feats of magic ... delivers nearly three hours of pure magic and philosophy" (Sylvie Drake in

318-546: A dragon, and Guyon has no such quest, but both knights encounter perils and adventures. In the romances, his adventures frequently included greater foes than other knights, including giants , enchantresses , or dragons . They may also gain help that is out of ordinary. Sir Ywain assisted a lion against a serpent, and was thereafter accompanied by it, becoming the Knight of the Lion . Other knights-errant have been assisted by wild men of

371-413: A farewell forever. Not like those lovers who part, but are destined to be reunited again in the afterlife. We part for eternity, we go to different worlds." They recall their first meeting, the night Hans came out of the storm. Ondine recalls that she said, "In after years we shall have this hour to remember. The hour before you kissed me." Hans says, "I can't wait. Now, Ondine. Kiss me now." As they kiss,

424-587: A final warning "You will remember our pact." Ondine reluctantly agrees. In the great hall of the king's palace, it is the day that Hans is to present his bride Ondine at court. The Lord Chamberlain , who needs to arrange an entertainment for the day's ceremonies, is in conference with the director of the royal theater, the trainer of the seals, and the Illusionist (in actuality the King of the Ondines). Soon they are joined by

477-416: A fisherman's hut near a lake in the forest. Outside a storm rages. Here live the old fisherman Auguste and his wife Eugenie. And here lives Ondine whom the old couple found as a baby at the edge of the lake, and brought up in place of their own daughter who was mysteriously snatched away as an infant. Auguste is upset because Ondine is out somewhere in the storm. As Auguste rages, naiads , the wind, and even

530-409: A lord to give his service to), but might also be in service to a king or lord, traveling either in pursuit of a specific duty that his overlord charged him with, or to put down evildoers in general. This quest sends a knight on adventures much like the ones of a knight in search of them, as he happens on the same marvels. In The Faerie Queene , St. George is sent to rescue Una's parents' kingdom from

583-445: A non-fiction work may prove inaccurate, the sincere author aims to be truthful at the time of composition. A non-fiction account is an exercise in accurately representing a topic, and remains distinct from any implied endorsement. The numerous narrative techniques used within fiction are generally thought inappropriate for use in non-fiction. They are still present particularly in older works, but are often muted so as not to overshadow

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636-605: A pillar and watch as the inevitable events unfold. Hans and Bertha meet. Bertha manipulates Hans with guilt. The Illusionist gives the spectators a further glimpse into the future showing them the scene when Hans realizes that he married the wrong woman. Bertha intimately knows the Wittenstein family history, she plays the lute, she recites, she illuminates manuscripts—she is the perfect woman. When Bertha asks Hans what Ondine does that might advance her husband's interests at court, he replies, "Oh, she swims. Occasionally." Continuing

689-512: A previous era. Don Quixote is an early 17th-century parody of the genre, in reaction to the extreme popularity which late medieval romances such as Amadis de Gaula came to enjoy in the Iberian Peninsula in the 16th century. In Jean Giraudoux 's play Ondine , which starred Audrey Hepburn on Broadway in 1954, a knight-errant appears, during a storm, at the humble home of a fisherman and his wife. A depiction of knight-errantry in

742-582: A public execution. The earthly judges have no power over Ondine, however, and as the executioner attempts to lead her away, the Old One waves him off. But Hans must die because of the original pact between the Old One and Ondine. The Old One says kindly to Ondine, "If you wish, I will let him die at the same moment that you forget him." Hans and Ondine have one last moment of tenderness. Her sisters will call Ondine three times, and then she will forget everything. Hans laments that their parting will be "a real farewell,

795-463: A rapport. At the king's reception Ondine cannot take her eyes off Bertha. She accuses Bertha of trying to steal Hans from her. The King says, "Bertha only wants to be your friend." Ondine replies, "You are entirely mistaken! Bertha is a hypocrite. She flatters you constantly. Has she ever dared to speak to you about...the wart on your nose?" In panic, the Chamberlain clears the room. Ondine is alone with

848-486: A word can never be unspoken and a gesture can never be unmade." Act Three takes place in the courtyard of castle of the Wittenstein. Five years have passed. Hans has deceived Ondine with Bertha, and Ondine has long since vanished. It is the morning of the day of the marriage of Bertha and Hans. But Hans is troubled. He tells Bertha, that she should have married a man full of pride and joy. He complains, "Oh Bertha, how she lied to me, that woman!" Bertha points out that Ondine

901-407: Is a class of knights referred to as Hedge Knights. A Hedge Knight is a wandering knight without a master, and many are quite poor. Hedge knights travel the length and breadth of the fictional continent of Westeros looking for gainful employment, and their name comes from the propensity to sleep out in the open air or in forests when they cannot afford lodging. The life of a hedge knight is depicted in

954-483: Is a glimpse of a better and purer world ... But if man dreams of such love which turns life into paradise, he cannot endure its reality," adding that the closing scenes "constitute a remarkably poignant lovers' farewell ... The play closes on a beautiful love poem." Donald Inskip wrote there "is about Ondine a completeness, a sense of fully-rounded achievement, accompanied by an all-pervading if gentle melancholia gripping audience and actors alike, which puts this play in

1007-508: Is accused of sorcery . The Old One leaps to her defense saying, "This woman could call upon the earth and the heavens to do her bidding. But she gave up her power to be human. Write this into your record, Judge — this Ondine was the most human being that ever lived. She was human by choice." In the end the judges decide that Ondine transgressed the boundaries of nature, but in so doing she brought only kindness and love. So they are compassionate in merely sentencing her to death while sparing her

1060-479: Is also possible. Some fiction may include non-fictional elements; semi-fiction is fiction implementing a great deal of non-fiction, (such as a fictional description based on a true story). Some non-fiction may include elements of unverified supposition , deduction , or imagination for the purpose of smoothing out a narrative , but the inclusion of open falsehoods would discredit it as a work of non-fiction. The publishing and bookselling businesses sometimes use

1113-478: Is even a popular literary tradition that arose during the Tang dynasty which centered on slaves who used supernatural physical abilities to save kidnapped damsels in distress and to swim to the bottom of raging rivers to retrieve treasures for their feudal lords (see Kunlun Nu ). A youxia who excels or is renowned for martial prowess or skills is usually called wuxia . In Japan, the expression musha shugyō described

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1166-809: Is one of the two fundamental approaches to story and storytelling , in contrast to narrative fiction , which is largely populated by imaginary characters and events. Non-fiction writers can show the reasons and consequences of events, they can compare, contrast, classify, categorise and summarise information, put the facts in a logical or chronological order, infer and reach conclusions about facts, etc. They can use graphic, structural and printed appearance features such as pictures , graphs or charts , diagrams , flowcharts , summaries , glossaries , sidebars , timelines , table of contents , headings , subheadings , bolded or italicised words, footnotes , maps , indices , labels , captions , etc. to help readers find information. While specific claims in

1219-431: Is revealed to be not a princess, but the long lost daughter of Auguste and Eugenie. When Bertha refuses to acknowledge her true parents, the king banishes her until she apologizes. She leaves sobbing but, at Ondine's urging, is soon forgiven. After the events of this disastrous day, Ondine laments, "Oh, how difficult it is to live among you, where what has happened can never again not have happened. How terrible to live where

1272-404: Is the Old One. They have caught Ondine. Two judges from the inquisition are summoned and immediately put her on trial. Ondine is brought in draped in the net in which she was caught. She does not deny being an Ondine and proclaims to all who will listen that she deceived Hans with Bertram. The judge asks Hans to clearly state the exact nature of his complaint. Hans says, "My complaint? My complaint

1325-401: Is the complaint of all mankind. I claim the right to be left in peace in a world that is free of intrusions by these creatures. Has there never been an age when they did not afflict us?" The judge answers, "An age? There has never been a moment." But the other judge says, "Yes, there was once a moment. For that instant, the whole world was single-hearted, at play, at peace — and yet I tasted for

1378-544: The Tales of Dunk and Egg . The protagonist of Lee Child 's Jack Reacher novels, Jack Reacher, is intended by the author as a modern-day reflection of classic lone heroes. East Slavic bylina (epic poetry) feature bogatyrs , knights-errant who served as protectors of their homeland, and occasionally as adventurers. Some of them are presumed to be historical figures, while others are fictional and possibly descend from Slavic mythology . Most tales about bogatyrs revolve around

1431-635: The Late Middle Ages . They were written in Middle French , Middle English , and Middle German . In the 16th century, the genre became highly popular in the Iberian Peninsula ; Amadis de Gaula was one of the most successful knight-errantry tales of this period. In Don Quixote (1605), Miguel de Cervantes burlesqued the romances and their popularity. Tales of knight-errantry then fell out of fashion for two centuries, until they re-emerged in

1484-483: The play-within-a-play structure, the Illusionist presents the remaining events of the day in scenes which the astonished participants themselves watch from behind the pillar. The Chamberlain just has time to prepare Ondine for her reception with the king. Ondine is particularly advised not to mention the wart on the king's nose. Ondine tactlessly mentions that the Chamberlain's hand is damp and constantly interrupts him to talk to Bertram with whom she immediately establishes

1537-483: The 1811 novella Undine by the German Romantic Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué that tells the story of Hans and Ondine. Hans is a knight-errant who has been sent off on a quest by his betrothed. In the forest he meets and falls in love with Ondine, a water sprite who is attracted to the world of mortal man. The subsequent marriage of people from different worlds is, of course, folly. The play opens in

1590-570: The 1954 New York Drama Critics' Circle, Best Foreign Play . Alfred Lunt garnered the 1954 Tony Award for Best Director. The London production of Ondine was presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961, directed by Peter Hall , with Leslie Caron in the title role. The rest of the cast included Richard Johnson , Diana Rigg , Eric Porter , Clive Swift , Siân Phillips , Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies , Roy Dotrice , Ian Holm and Peter Jeffrey . Dan O'Brien's translation of Ondine

1643-508: The King of the Ondines himself (throughout the play referred to as the Old One) peer in at the windows gently mocking Auguste. Evidently this is not unusual—the old couple are well aware that Ondine is "not like anyone else". A knight-errant , Hans von Wittenstein zu Wittenstein, arrives seeking shelter. He is welcomed and while he is in the midst of telling Auguste and Eugenie about his betrothed,

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1696-455: The boundaries between fiction and non-fiction are continually blurred and argued upon, especially in the field of biography ; as Virginia Woolf said: "if we think of truth as something of granite-like solidity and of personality as something of rainbow-like intangibility and reflect that the aim of biography is to weld these two into one seamless whole, we shall admit that the problem is a stiff one and that we need not wonder if biographers, for

1749-433: The court of Vladimir I of Kiev . Three popular bogatyrs— Ilya Muromets , Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich (famously painted by Victor Vasnetsov )—are said to have served him. Youxia , Chinese knights-errant, traveled solo protecting common folk from oppressive regimes. Unlike their European counterpart, they did not come from any particular social caste and were anything from soldiers to poets. There

1802-424: The first time a certain loneliness." As the trial progresses it becomes clear that Hans is still in love with Ondine. Ondine, in a vain attempt to get out of her pact with the Old One (Hans must die because he deceived Ondine with Bertha) continues to insist that she deceived Hans first with Bertram. Bertram is summoned and supports Ondine's story. But no-one believes them, least of all the second fisherman. Ondine

1855-525: The form of the historical novel in Romanticism . A knight-errant typically performed all his deeds in the name of a lady, and invoked her name before performing an exploit. In more sublimated forms of knight-errantry, pure moralist idealism rather than romantic inspiration motivated the knight-errant (as in the case of Sir Galahad ). Such a knight might well be outside the structure of feudalism , wandering solely to perform noble exploits (and perhaps to find

1908-456: The help of a range of structures or formats such as: And so on. Common literary examples of non-fiction include expository , argumentative , functional, and opinion pieces ; essays on art or literature; biographies ; memoirs ; journalism ; and historical, scientific , technical , or economic writings (including electronic ones). Ondine (play) Ondine is a play written in 1938 by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux , based on

1961-412: The information within the work. Simplicity, clarity, and directness are some of the most important considerations when producing non-fiction. Audience is important in any artistic or descriptive endeavour, but it is perhaps most important in non-fiction. In fiction, the writer believes that readers will make an effort to follow and interpret an indirectly or abstractly presented progression of theme, whereas

2014-421: The king. The king asks, "Who are you, Ondine?" Ondine explains everything and says that she weeps because "they are trying to take Hans away from me." "But what if they did", the king asks. "Would that be such a misfortune?" Ondine answers, "Oh yes. If he deceives me, he will die." The king says, "Men have been known to survive such things." "Not this one", Ondine replies. The Illusionist has one more scene. Bertha

2067-721: The lands is that of the Holy Grail , such as in Perceval, the Story of the Grail written by Chrétien de Troyes in the 1180s. The character of the wandering knight existed in romantic literature as it developed during the late 12th century. However, the term "knight-errant" was to come later; its first extant usage occurs in the 14th-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight . Knight-errantry tales remained popular with courtly audiences throughout

2120-562: The modern historical novel is found in Sir Nigel by Arthur Conan Doyle (1906). The knight-errant stock character became the trope of the "knight in shining armour" in depiction of the Middle Ages in popular culture , and the term came to be used also outside of medieval drama, as in The Dark Knight as a title of Batman . In the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire , there

2173-406: The most part failed to solve it." Including information that the author knows to be untrue within such works is usually regarded as dishonest. Still, certain kinds of written works can legitimately be either fiction or non-fiction, such as journals of self-expression, letters , magazine articles, and other expressions of imagination. Though they are mostly either one or the other, a blend of both

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2226-478: The phrase " literary non-fiction " to distinguish works with a more literary or intellectual bent, as opposed to the bulk of non-fiction subjects. Based on the author's intention or the purpose of the content, the main genres of non-fiction are instructional, explanatory, discussion-based, report-based (non-chronological), opinion-based (persuasive) and relating (chronological recounting) non-fiction. Non-fictional works of these different genres can be created with

2279-575: The poet Bertram and several ladies of the court. The Illusionist says he will arrange a little private entertainment while they are waiting. As to what they would like to see, everyone is curious to see what will happen when Hans and the embittered Bertha finally meet after avoiding each other for three months. The Illusionist says he can arrange for this event to take place at once. Bertram objects asking, "Why are we doing this evil thing?" The Chamberlain cynically replies, "Sooner or later it would have to happen. That's life." They all conceal themselves behind

2332-472: The princess Bertha, Ondine appears. On seeing Hans she says, "How beautiful he is!" In spite of taunts from Ondine's sister naiads, and against the advice of Auguste, Hans immediately falls in love with Ondine. All thought of Bertha, his "dark angel" — the woman who sent him off on his quest — is banished. Ondine in turn swears eternal love for Hans. The Old One warns her, "The man will deceive you. He will abandon you." Ondine does not believe him. He gives

2385-415: The production of non-fiction has more to do with the direct provision of information. Understanding of the potential readers' use for the work and their existing knowledge of a subject are both fundamental for effective non-fiction. Despite the claim to truth of non-fiction, it is often necessary to persuade the reader to agree with the ideas and so a balanced, coherent, and informed argument is vital. However,

2438-465: The story of a water-sprite who marries a man to acquire a soul, the play becomes the tragedy of man divorced from nature and stultified by his confinement within the strictly human sphere." Dorothy Knowles remarked that "Ondine is a force of nature but also love incarnate, and Hans's tragedy is that he is as unequal to such a love as he is to the revelations of nature which Ondine brings." In Laurent LeSage's words, "No elemental spirit, she [Ondine]

2491-436: The tale of this doomed relationship in a theatrical fantasy where charming fable mingles with the rigor of classical tragedy . In one view the story of Ondine and Hans is a class drama. Maurice Valency puts it: "A young man of good family is engaged to a girl of his own class. He suddenly becomes infatuated with a blonde of an inferior class and, impulsively, he marries this girl. But she doesn't make him happy, and after

2544-408: The third Ondine calls. Hans dies. Ondine looks around in puzzlement. She asks, "Who is this handsome young man lying here, can you bring him back to life, Old One?" He replies, "Impossible." As the curtain falls Ondine says, "What a pity! How I should have loved him!" Ondine is a medieval love story of a water nymph and a knight, and the folly that results from their union. The playwright tells

2597-428: The vicissitudes usual in such cases of misalliance, the young man goes back to his first love, a brunette who is socially most acceptable. He is now in a predicament. He cannot live without the blonde; the brunette is indispensable to his happiness, and, torn apart by these two loves, the man dies." Giraudoux based his tale on the 1811 novella Undine by the German Romantic Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué . The theme of

2650-453: The water nymph who seeks to gain a soul while in human form is a typical fairy tale , and is also found in the Celtic myth of Melusine . Giraudoux explains that the theme of Ondine is "the liaison of man with the natural elements, the flirtation of the natural world with the kingdom of man." The story bears a fairly close resemblance to de la Motte Fouqué's original tale, but, "Instead of being

2703-562: The woods , as in Valentine and Orson , or, like Guillaume de Palerme , by wolves that were, in fact, enchanted princes. The protagonist of Cormac McCarthy 's novel All the Pretty Horses , John Grady Cole, is said to be based specifically on Sir Gawain, of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight . Both characters share a number of aspects and traits; both are rooted in the myths of a past that no longer exists, and both live by codes of conduct from

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2756-402: Was adapted by Maurice Valency, opening on Broadway in 1954 in a production by Alfred Lunt , starring Mel Ferrer , John Alexander , Alan Hewitt , Robert Middleton , Marian Seldes , Lloyd Gough , and, in the title role, Audrey Hepburn in the role that won her a Tony Award for Best Actress, (the same year she was awarded an Oscar for Best Actress in the film Roman Holiday ). The play won

2809-452: Was no woman, "you married a creature of another world. You must forget her." Hans remembers the day that Ondine left and asks, "But why does she proclaim to the world that she deceived me with Bertram?" In addition to being preoccupied with Ondine, Hans is worried because the servants are starting to speak in poetry and there is a Wittenstein legend that this always happens just before misfortune strikes. Two fishermen arrive. The second fisherman

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