![]() ![]() ![]() In “Bisclavret,” consequences are more grotesque: after Bisclavret’s wife betrays and abandons Bisclavret for another lover, Bisclavret (a werewolf) mauls and disfigures her face. In “Chaitivel,” an indecisive lady can’t pick just one knight to love, then suffers grievously when three of her four lovers are killed in one day. ![]() Her selflessness is rewarded when Gurun ultimately marries her instead.Īt the same time, Marie de France seems to take it for granted that people misbehave, especially when passion overrules virtue. And in “Le Fresne,” when Le Fresne’s lover Gurun chooses a nobler lady to marry, Le Fresne is kind and generous to the bride instead of jealous. The knight Lanval is an exemplar of chivalry: he stays devoted to his fairy lady despite jealous accusations from Arthur’s queen, and he wins acquittal at trial and a happy ending. To an extent, they emphasize chivalry, a code of virtuous conduct for knights, and Christian behavior more broadly. The Lais don’t always offer clear-cut moral lessons. ![]()
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