In Marie de France’s “Bisclavret and “Yönec” she tells two distinct stories with supernatural elements and fairy-tale like qualities. In both, she tells the story of two unhappy marriages full of betrayal and deceit. Although the specific situations in both stories are distinctly different, there are abundant similarities in how the characters behave. All four of the main characters in the two act out of their own self interest, whether it is by betraying their spouse or through blatant dishonesty. By demonstrating both extreme and sympathetic examples of selfish characters and by punishing them for their actions, Marie de France is criticising selfish lovers and suggesting that selfishness and the sanctity of marriage are incompatible with
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This Lord takes a wife in hoping that “heirs would follow in his stead” (20), indicates that he married his wife purely for his own gain. He feels that she is “a fine award” (23) and “love[s] her loveliness” (24) which illustrates his objectification of her as he only values her for her beauty. He is also quite jealous and “afraid, constantly that he’ll be betrayed” (73-74) and so “her beauty and nobility made him guard her most carefully” (25). He locks her “in the tower” (39) and doesn’t allow her to “hear the worship service” (75-76) which demonstrates that he is so concerned keeping her to himself that he is willing to sacrifice even her spirituality. It is quite apparent that his wife is miserable being locked away, she is constantly “weeping and sighing” (46) and her “will has drained away” (48) and the Lord is aware of this as he notices the difference in his wife taking note of her “joy and bliss” (252) when his she falls in love with Muldumarec. That he does not do anything to help his wife or even question his behavior speaks largely to his self absorbed nature. By using another extreme example of selfishness that is different in nature than that of the wife in Bisclavret, Marie de France shows the many forms that self absorbed behavior can come in and illustrates their
This Lord takes a wife in hoping that “heirs would follow in his stead” (20), indicates that he married his wife purely for his own gain. He feels that she is “a fine award” (23) and “love[s] her loveliness” (24) which illustrates his objectification of her as he only values her for her beauty. He is also quite jealous and “afraid, constantly that he’ll be betrayed” (73-74) and so “her beauty and nobility made him guard her most carefully” (25). He locks her “in the tower” (39) and doesn’t allow her to “hear the worship service” (75-76) which demonstrates that he is so concerned keeping her to himself that he is willing to sacrifice even her spirituality. It is quite apparent that his wife is miserable being locked away, she is constantly “weeping and sighing” (46) and her “will has drained away” (48) and the Lord is aware of this as he notices the difference in his wife taking note of her “joy and bliss” (252) when his she falls in love with Muldumarec. That he does not do anything to help his wife or even question his behavior speaks largely to his self absorbed nature. By using another extreme example of selfishness that is different in nature than that of the wife in Bisclavret, Marie de France shows the many forms that self absorbed behavior can come in and illustrates their