In the twelfth century, a variety of different genres in poetry and storytelling started to form to celebrate the allied cultures of chivalry and courtliness. Entertainment that focused on courtliness had a very different style, subject matter, and authorship. Many of them of them were composed by women. An example would be Marie de France, author of the collection of lais and The Life of Saint Audrey. Marie de France wrote during the time that Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine were ruling. At this time, tales of courtliness and love were based off of concern of women including: unhappy marriage, fantasy of power, and threats to their independence. Throughout the Lais of Marie de France, there are several themes that reveal hidden messages
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In these, women would hide their messages behind the illusion of the supernatural and medieval setting, making these storied be depicted as “unrealistic”. To give an example of how Marie de France gave readers an idea of how she sees many marriages in her time based on selfishness, she creates the character of a woman in a selfless relationship with the King. In the “Lay of Guigemar”, the passage shows “The lady was of tender age, passing fresh and fair, and sweet of speech to all. Therefore was the King jealous of his wife beyond all measure” (France, 2). This shows that the King used this lady as a figure of purity and “love” in his kingdom. This relationship was mostly only one-sided meaning that the women most likely didn’t want to be in love with the man but was forced to. Marie de France uses this selection from “Lay of Guigemar” to show one aspect of how women tend to be in selfish relationships, where the men burden the women with this virtue of having to …show more content…
Marriage in the twelfth century was a union in which the Church did not want to have any participation in. Marriage was about property, alliances, and producing heirs for the kings. The definition for marriage is a socially recognized union is which both spouses establish rights and obligation between each other. Back in the twelfth century, they did not follow these rules as women were usually picked for someone at birth who they were destined to marry once they reach the age. Courtly love played a huge part in the 12th century. The factors of romantic love were something that lasted forever and so powerful that it brought suffering when not seen upon. In both stories, love comes out of feeling of putting the lover in from of everything. At the beginning of “The Lay of Guigemar”, it says “He had but one fault, since of love he took no care. There was neither dame nor maiden beneath the sky, however dainty and kind, to whom he gave thought or heed, though had he required her love of any damsel” (France, 1). Guigemar begins the story resisting love and didn’t care if he ever found love in his life. While voyaging through the woods, he shoots at a deer and the arrow comes backs and hits him in the thigh. The deer told him the only way to heal his wound was through love, which readers would think is impossible because of how he feels towards the
In these, women would hide their messages behind the illusion of the supernatural and medieval setting, making these storied be depicted as “unrealistic”. To give an example of how Marie de France gave readers an idea of how she sees many marriages in her time based on selfishness, she creates the character of a woman in a selfless relationship with the King. In the “Lay of Guigemar”, the passage shows “The lady was of tender age, passing fresh and fair, and sweet of speech to all. Therefore was the King jealous of his wife beyond all measure” (France, 2). This shows that the King used this lady as a figure of purity and “love” in his kingdom. This relationship was mostly only one-sided meaning that the women most likely didn’t want to be in love with the man but was forced to. Marie de France uses this selection from “Lay of Guigemar” to show one aspect of how women tend to be in selfish relationships, where the men burden the women with this virtue of having to …show more content…
Marriage in the twelfth century was a union in which the Church did not want to have any participation in. Marriage was about property, alliances, and producing heirs for the kings. The definition for marriage is a socially recognized union is which both spouses establish rights and obligation between each other. Back in the twelfth century, they did not follow these rules as women were usually picked for someone at birth who they were destined to marry once they reach the age. Courtly love played a huge part in the 12th century. The factors of romantic love were something that lasted forever and so powerful that it brought suffering when not seen upon. In both stories, love comes out of feeling of putting the lover in from of everything. At the beginning of “The Lay of Guigemar”, it says “He had but one fault, since of love he took no care. There was neither dame nor maiden beneath the sky, however dainty and kind, to whom he gave thought or heed, though had he required her love of any damsel” (France, 1). Guigemar begins the story resisting love and didn’t care if he ever found love in his life. While voyaging through the woods, he shoots at a deer and the arrow comes backs and hits him in the thigh. The deer told him the only way to heal his wound was through love, which readers would think is impossible because of how he feels towards the