Artigat

The Return of Martin Guerre depicts the crafty scheme of a clever man in a historic case of identity theft. The Return of Martin Guerre serves as one of the most complete and full accounts of this vivid tale from 16th century rural France. Through deep research and analysis, Davis is able to accurately produce a historical reconstruction of Arnaud De Tilh: the peasant who became Martin Guerre. Natalie Zemon Davis is a leading European historian. She graduated from Smith College, earned a master’s degree from Radcliffe College, and received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She taught at Brown University, the University of Toronto, and the University of California at Berkeley. Davis worked at Princeton University until her retirement in 1996. Davis is known for her in-depth expert research and her ability to relate class and culture of Europe. Throughout her life, she has been awarded the Holberg International Memorial Prize, National Humanities Medal, and has been named Companion of the Order of Canada. The novel opens with a depiction of the current state of affairs amidst the struggle of Bertrand. This young woman and mother who has been left behind by her husband who has not yet returned. That is until the day that Arnaud De Tilh hears of this loss. In a greedy desire to make a name for himself, he marches into town and earns a place in society under his newly claimed identity of Martin Guerre. Bertrand appears to be overcome with joy at the return of her…

The film The Return of Martin Guerre details the story of Martin Guerre, a peasant living in 16th century France, who disappears after being accused of stealing sacks of grain by his father. After leaving his wife, Bertrande, and son, Sanxi, for eight years he returns from fighting in the Hundred Years' War. However, doubts arise on whether he is truly Martin or not when three men wandering into the village identify him as Arnaud du Tilh who fought alongside Martin in the war. Martin's uncle…

Davis, after speculating Bertrande’s knowledge of her new husband, proceeds to claim that “[by] the time she had received him in her bed, she must have realized the difference; as any wife of Artigat would have agreed, there is no mistaking ‘the touch of the man on the woman’” (Davis, pg. 44). This argument from Davis answers how Bertrande knew of Arnaud’s fraud. However, can Davis really argue this with her faulty source and ignorance of the beginning of the story? The source which Davis uses…

The authors during the sixteenth century were more connected to the events of Martin Guerre and followed the story as the trial happened or closely after the trial ended. Most citizens were unable, however, to document the trial because it was closed to the public until the verdict was decided. Jean de Coras was one of the exceptions as one of the presiding judges of the Martin Guerre trial and a prominent legal writer. Even so, Davis argues that his accounts don’t line up completely with other…

Because of this, the general facts are extremely similar between the two works. The differences are in the small things - snippets of dialog, facial expressions, daily goings-on in the background - things that convey emotion and generate sympathy that are the work of artistic license and cannot be found in the historical accounts that the academic text draws from, such as Arrest Memorable. The Return of Martin Guerre (the film version will be referred to by its French title to avoid confusion)…

their society. It is no different in Year of Wonders in which Mompellion acted almost as doctor and policeman. When the Gowdie sisters were being attacked, Mompellion was called upon, “‘Must get Mompellion’ was my last thought” (Brooks 91) thought Ana when she saw that there was no way out. She knew the townspeople only had him as their figure of authority. Even after the attack Mompellion commanded the people of the village to pray to God in hopes that “God does not exact from you the price…

quickly recognizes her long lost husband; the imposter continues to claim that he is Martin Guerre. The imposter eventually confesses that he is not Martin Guerre. The imposter was hanged, while the real Martin Guerre and his wife resume their life. Davis’s monograph meant to demonstrate the complexity of the story that Vigne failed to incorporate as well as to point out the differences of the interpretations between Vigne’s and Davis’s account. Davis provides a detailed description of the…