![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Given that, the society at that time was largely patriarchal men were often the ones given the privilege of choosing a spouse. In the Middle Ages, the majority of marriages were arranged. Burgess states that “the cruel way in which treat calls forth from Marie an outburst which she reserves for those who deny young women the chance to place their affections where they wish” (102). While Marie de France often constrains women to the oppressive realities of the Middle Ages, she allows her characters to unknowingly rebel against the societal norms of that time through using the courtly love relationship as a way of empowering women. She bestows beauty, intelligence, and wisdom upon her heroines, giving them power over those men who love them. In The Lais of Marie de France, specifically “Chevrefoil,” “Laustic,” “Lanval,” and “Yonec,” the author by no means follows all of the rules of courtly love, yet she does model the relations between the man and his beloved after its aforementioned aspects. As a result of this, her love causes him to aspire to complete noble deeds, and he becomes obedient and subservient to her in hopes of winning her heart. However, in the fictional world of courtly love – a 12th-century philosophical phenomenon, which is believed by some to have been originated as a form of goddess worship, a man is unable to survive without his beloved. During the Medieval time, a woman would generally be forced to depend upon a man for her livelihood. ![]()
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