Some lays of Marie de France were about loyalty, fate, and mostly love but the theme of adultery was present in two lays, Yonec and Guigemar. In lays such as Equitan, Marie de France condemns adultery and the unhappily married women in it but in others they are excused for the same thing because of their circumstances. The woman in Yonec represents a social reality that was prevalent in the twelfth century among the noble and high bourgeoisie. Marriages were frequently arranged by parents for social ties or money benefits within these classes. In these two lays Marie de France leaves no uncertainty that the women have not married by choice. Their husbands are old and jealous and have gone as far as imprison them physically and in a static
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The young beautiful woman was married to an old jealous man who imprisoned her in an enclosure with one entry that was guarded at all times of the day and night. She was attended by the man’s niece and spent her days inside surrounded by paintings of Venus, contemplating love. While hunting Guigemar is wounded and cursed until he finds a woman that he will suffer for. He wanders off finding his way to a ship which leads him to the shore where the lady was imprisoned. The two meet and is immediately struck with a pain of love for each other. Unlike in Yonec, Guigemar turned to God when asking the lady to take mercy on him and love him: “My lady, in God’s name, have mercy on me” (50). When he did she granted him her love with no delay as she knew that God was blessing their relationship and her decision to be adulterous. As stated before because she was in a marriage that was possessive and unhappy, God and the church grants the affair as valid. After spending a year and a half together, the women has a premonition that they will be discovered. Grieved, they vow to never be untrue unless another can defeat the tests set by each other. That day they are discovered by one of the lord’s spies and lord breaks in on them planning on killing Guigemar. Instead he allows to board the ship back to his homeland. As a result of her adulterous behavior, the lord imprisons the lady in dark-hued marble tower. Ultimately, Guigemar and lady are reunited and are able to live together as
The young beautiful woman was married to an old jealous man who imprisoned her in an enclosure with one entry that was guarded at all times of the day and night. She was attended by the man’s niece and spent her days inside surrounded by paintings of Venus, contemplating love. While hunting Guigemar is wounded and cursed until he finds a woman that he will suffer for. He wanders off finding his way to a ship which leads him to the shore where the lady was imprisoned. The two meet and is immediately struck with a pain of love for each other. Unlike in Yonec, Guigemar turned to God when asking the lady to take mercy on him and love him: “My lady, in God’s name, have mercy on me” (50). When he did she granted him her love with no delay as she knew that God was blessing their relationship and her decision to be adulterous. As stated before because she was in a marriage that was possessive and unhappy, God and the church grants the affair as valid. After spending a year and a half together, the women has a premonition that they will be discovered. Grieved, they vow to never be untrue unless another can defeat the tests set by each other. That day they are discovered by one of the lord’s spies and lord breaks in on them planning on killing Guigemar. Instead he allows to board the ship back to his homeland. As a result of her adulterous behavior, the lord imprisons the lady in dark-hued marble tower. Ultimately, Guigemar and lady are reunited and are able to live together as