Amis and Amiloun is a Middle English Chivalric Romance from the late thirteenth century. It tells the story of the two eponymous friends.
Amis and Amiloun contains examples of:
- Birthday Buddies: Amis and Amiloun are basically pseudo-twins. One part of this is that they were born on the same night, although to different families.
- Chaste Separating Sword: At one point the leads switch places. Amis lives in Amiloun's house as him and sleeps beside his wife. Amis refuses to Bed Trick her, and he ensures his chastity by placing a sword between them in bed. She asks him why he's doing this, and he says it's because he's sick so she shouldn't come near him.
- Divine Punishment: Amiloun masquerades as Amis to fight a Trial by Combat on his behalf. An angel comes to him and warns him that if he does this, he'll contract leprosy within 3 years as punishment for his deception. Amiloun goes ahead, wins the dual, and then contracts leprosy.
- Inexplicably Identical Individuals: Amis and Amiloun are basically pseudo-twins. One part of this is that they look identical, even though they're unrelated.And they were so like in looks and stature that there was no man at court, earl, baron, swain or knight, poor or rich—not even their own father and mother—that could tell them apart save by the colour of their clothes.
- Platonic Kissing: Amis and Amiloun kiss each other as bros.Sir Amis opened his eyes, and knew at once the gentle knight, his brother; and Sir Amiloun likewise perceived who it was, and dismounted, and they kissed each the other.
- Questionable Consent: By modern standards, Belisaunt is seriously out of bounds when she comes onto Amis and threatens False Rape Accusation if he rejects her.
- Sworn Brothers: Amis and Amiloun are basically pseudo-twins. The opening line refers to them as "sworn brethren". They call each other "brother" in the dialogue.
- Theme Twin Naming: One more trapping of Amis and Amiloun being pseudo-twins are their alliterative names.
- Trial by Combat: Belisaunt is the daughter of the duke who employs Amis. She strongarms Amis into sex in a Questionable Consent way. A steward spies on them, and then reports to the duke. Amis tells the duke that the steward lied, and requests a trial by combat. This request is granted, but Amis is terrified to actually do the trial since he will have to swear to God that he's telling the truth and ask for strength — and he is lying. He asks Amiloun to masquerade as him during the trail so that he can honestly claim "I didn't do it." Amiloun wins the dual, but contracts leprosy as Divine Punishment for his deception.
- Twin Switch: Amis and Amiloun are effectively — though not actually — twins. Amis asks Amiloun to masquerade as him during his Trial by Combat. Amiloun agrees, and asks Amis to pretend to be him at his house.
- World's Most Beautiful Woman: Downplayed Trope, Belisaunt is "the fairest to look upon in all that land," implying their corner of the world, if not the entire world.
