Sisterhood In Eliduc

Sisters The final category of women, Marie introduces is “sisters.” These women are introduced in Marie’s concluding lay, “Eliduc.” A curious inclusion, “Eliduc” is the most female centric of all of Marie’s lays and the one in which she develops her characters the most. In “Eliduc,” Marie constructs a love triangle between her characters, Eliduc, Guildeluec, and Guilladun. Initially, the lay comes across as a story of impeding bigamy and violence however the story takes a curious turn as they chose to devote themselves to God. However, the story’s placement indicates “Eliduc” may be Marie’s last word on the subject of love and marriage through which she rewrites an adulterous triangle to express her advocacy for sisterhood, …show more content…
For instance, upon her discovery of Guilladun as Eliduc’s beloved she is hateful toward the girl. Rather she supports her by healing her and relinquishing her position as Eliduc’s wife. Guilldeleuc tells Eliduc’s beloved, “I am overjoyed that you are alive and shall take you with me and return you to your beloved. I shall set him free completely and take the veil”(125). In this line, Guilldeleuc reveals her selfless nature by devoting herself to God and supporting the genuine love between Guilladun and Eliduc. By allowing them to be together she saves them from sin by pacifying their love. She equips sisterhood to support her fellow woman. Similarly, Guilladun anger toward Eliduc upon realizing he has a wife shows her reluctance to harm another woman or sister. Her condemning of Eliduc’s misdeed is seen in her use of the accusatory words like, “sinned,” “tricked,” “grief” and “betrayed” (124). Although she does marry Eliduc, Guilladun decides to join Guilldeluec in sisterhood as a nun. Thus through the use of Guildeluec and Guiilladun challenges the violence presented in world driven by male hierarchy by replacing a troublesome heterosexual couple with a nurturing female bond. Marie produces a new triangle “whose composition enhances woman’s agency and lead to a new resolution of peace and harmony for those involved”(MacDonald …show more content…
They were capable of being “good” and “evil” women with strengths and weaknesses. However, she was aware that women held little control of the outer world due to courtly conventions. Thus, Marie’s used her lais to open up a space for women’s self-expression in which she documents how courtly conventions like fin’ amor limited women’s opportunity for personal fulfillment in love or life. Although she indicates a desire for reform Marie ultimately operates under the constrictions of her time as her women reside themselves to living with a man or devoting themselves to God. Arguably, this could reveal Marie felt constructions were largely inescapable for her