Humanity And Savagery In Biclavret's Frankenstein

Within the lays of Marie de France, a fascination for both man and beast runs rampant throughout. This focus, however, comes not without its own particular purpose, and indeed, the line between the realms of humanity and savagery is deconstructed with the intent of creating an overlap. One simply cannot exist without the other, and no better is this seen than in “Bisclavret,” the tale of man supposedly cursed with the malevolent affliction of lycanthropy. Still, Marie does not include this lay just for the sake of the supernatural. The title’s namesake is meant to work as a symbol, with his existence as neither a man nor a beast, but rather, as a tangible blend of the two in one being. Yet even in spite of the capacity of succumbing to his own inner-ferocity, the knight’s civility is not once overlooked, his composure only lost in the need for justice against those who have wronged him. Intertwined with the theme of revenge, Bisclavret’s story therefore becomes an allegory, his dual life as a werewolf meant to indicate the beastlike savagery …show more content…
Her intent in doing so, however, grows increasingly muddled beyond the introduction of the titular knight Bisclavret, a man cursed with the very “madness” she speaks of prior. Charming and civil even while trapped in the form of a wolf, he defies the very monstrous nature Marie claims a beast like him to have, necessitating a need to reevaluate what it is that truly makes a man. Despite his base instinct manifesting in his physical transformation, Bisclavret still continues to uphold his well-mannered disposition, in turn allowing him to be likened to a human by the king