Part 8 Summary

Stanzas 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78 - This series of stanzas introduces Marsile's warriors. The first is his nephew, who rides before him and asks for the honor of killing Roland. He comments that if Mohammed protects him the entire land of Spain will once more be under Marsile's control. Marsile gives him a gauntlet (an armored glove) as a symbol of his authority. Twelve lords then are brought forward. In similar formats in each stanza, both the evil and courage of each warrior are described. Each knight vows to be steadfast, to be the one to kill Roland, and to slaughter the French.

Part 8 Analysis

The first element to note about this section is its repetitive structure and content. This particular technique serves two purposes. The first is technical, in that it serves to build momentum towards the moment when the Saracens march off to war. The...