Courtly Love In The Lais Of Marie De France

When it comes to defining love one needs to take into account that there are numerous variations. It isn’t as simple as meeting someone, falling for them, then getting married. These books offer an incite into the many ways a person can love someone else. From the traditional courtly love, to the vilest, greedy love, the characters in Don Juan, Marie de France, Assemblywomen, and Faust go through the whole spectrum. The Lais of Marie de France is another way of saying your about to read short love stories. The first type of love we see in these stories is courtly. Courtly love, as shown in the series, is the action of swaying another person through polite actions or “sweet-talking” them, such as telling them how beautiful they are and that

At the start of the book, Sganarelle is using snuff. This foreshadows Don Juan because he expresses “…whenever a man takes a pinch of snuff, he becomes gracious and benevolent towards everybody, and delights in offering his snuff-box right and left” (Wilbur, 7). The snuff represents an attraction of Sganarelle compared to Don Juan’s attraction to women. Just as he loves to share his snuff with others when he is in contact with it, Don Juan loves to share himself sexually when he see’s other women. The most prominent form of love seen here is sexual. He marries many women and divorces them once he finds a new one. Don Juan believes he should share himself with everyone to experience it. “He’ll marry anything” (Wilbur, 10). Through courtly love he convinces a woman into marriage solely to have her in bed. Don Juan also see’s this fling form of love for women as a trial. “There’s nothing sweeter than overcoming the resistance of an attractive woman” (Wilbur, 15). The sexual love he feels for pretty women is a game of wits to him. Don Juan is best described as a witty and self-absorbed player due to the amount of girls he’s had close proximity with. This is especially known when he describes his view of women. “…until some new beauty appears…enchanting the heart with the prospect of a new conquest” (Wilbur, 15). As a being he can sexually be with, each woman is a

Through Faust it seems that he had an indirect love with the Devil. Through his pact he gained all knowledge and strength to live on as all knowing. “And ask me, now, who’ll bring it to the light: One gifted with Mind’s power and Nature’s might” (Goethe, 1. 4895). Faust made this deal for self-love. His desire to experience all the joys of life was beneficial to only himself so in a way his wish has a loving connection, or faithfulness, to the Devil for granting it. The fantasy world Faust wants at the end of the play connects to his love for illusioned happiness. This is another instance of Faust thinking about his self-proclaimed love that exists in a delusionary world he can’t get to. He also has a love for power, which isn’t seen in the other works. He seems to desire the things that aren’t as tangible as a lover, but hold high meaning such as when he states, “I’ll win power, and property!” (Goethe, 2. 10187). This love of power goes as far as attempting to destroy an elderly couples home because it ruined his view of what he’s conquered in his seemingly perfect life. “My gaze revealing, under the sun, a view of everything I’ve done…A masterpiece of the human spirit” (Goethe, 5. 11245-11250). Another manifestation of love in Faust is the Sirens. The song is meant to lure sailors to their death through feelings of lust. They use persuasions of happiness and escape along with their singing to create a false love for the