The Nightingale And Guigemar Love Theme

Marie de Frances Lais depict pain and suffering which the protagonist undergoes in order to reach a stage in their life that will bring forth happiness. The downfall of most of the characters stem from the theme of love. Love affairs in The Nightingale, selfish love in The Werewolf and Guigemar, marriage in Guigemar and Yonec, all forms of love cause suffering. The theme of possessiveness in Guigemar,Yonec, and The Nightingale is also depicted, as the husbands have complete dominion over their wives. Such control causes the female protagonist to search for affection elsewhere. Little does she know that this in turn leads to her misery because the possessive nature of the husband interferes with love. Such interference causes a violent and perculiar

In each instance when characters love one another, some kind of ordeal must be completed before they can truly share their love. If this ordeal can be overcome, the characters can live happily forever after. If they cannot overcome it, their love becomes tragic, but is heightened because of their suffering. In Guigemar the main protagonist is described as intelligent, brave, and loved by all. Guigemar suffers from the ridicule from his society for not showing any interest in women. An example of the theme of isolation in the beginning of Guigemar’s tale occurs when he heads into the woods, “They gathered in pursuit of a large stag and the hounds were released. The hunters ran in front and the young man lingered behind.” (pg.33) It is only when Guigemar is alone that he sees the mysterious creature. This creature is a symbol that lets us know that Guigemar has gone from this world into the world of fairy and magic. The magical deer prophesies that Guigemar will suffer for the love of a woman, and she for him. The deers curse is ironic not only because it’s self inflicted but because the deer offers him the chance to be cured once again, yet love only causes him more

Yet, her husband treated her on the contrary. In the painting Venus is destroying a book which signifies her attempt to destroy controlled love. Such actions are ironic since the husbands is oblivious to his wife infidelity for a year and a half. The female protagonist is locked up much like a prisoner in these high walls in which no one could enter or leave. The theme of isolation plays a pivotal part in the alteration in her behavior. When she approaches Guigemar it’s said “ The lady started to flee….her face grew red with fear.” (pg.38) Solitude has made her a timid and frightened person. Both the female and male protagonists of the story are encompassed by emotional suffering . This continues even when Guigemar and his lover meet. When they are unaware of how one feels for the other, it keeps them up late at night and such feeling of wondering tortured them. Their pain also came in the form of being separated from one another. Once they were discovered they decided upon placing knot and a chastity belt on themselves to refrain from any other love. Such poetic devices symbolize their acceptance of their suffering as they are