Anne De France The Tradition Of Chivalry, Use Of Power,...

In the basis of ancient medieval literature, there were at least three principle concepts that were guidelines for writers: the tradition of chivalry, use of power, and the art of courtly love. In her lais, or lyrical narrative, Marie de France uses all three of them, but not exactly in the traditional sense that men of her time favored. Through her writings, Marie de France has shown great focus on members of the aristocracy that were not as prominently acknowledged, which included both women and single knights, and portrayed characters that she observed in real life in ways that did or did not conform to their stereotypes. Additionally, she challenged the roles often found in 12th century writings by using ordinary heroines and heroes to work through both genuine and figurative conflicts. Through the lai of â€Å"Lanval†, Marie subtly works through the theme of courtly love in a separate ideal setting that both challenges and reverses the typical gender roles without complet ely letting go of the accepted cultural standards of that time. In order for a gender role reversal to happen there needs to be a set stereotype. In the 12th century, English men and women were divided into set roles. The male characters, typically knights and those of noble status, we’re expected to be very wealthy, had a group of both knights and comrades he was close with that happened to be part of the upper class system, and, of course, handsome. They often searched for the affections of women and