Morals And Deceit In The Middle Ages: Analysis Of Le Fresne By Marie De France
During Medieval Europe, noblemen took mistresses and bore children with them without the Church’s blessing. This meant that the Church did not have power to punish a nobleman for having a mistress. For this reason, infidelity was common and the norm during this era; not writing it down was considered being polite. One such French woman poet named Marie de France writes it down through short narrative poems. Le Fresne, is one of Marie’s Medieval Romance written around 1180 AD, she illustrates good examples of intriguing historic norms and gender roles in Medieval society.
Therefore, in Marie writings she attempts to appeals to her reader’s emotions by displaying ethos, pathos and rhetorical devises. At the height of the Medieval Ages, Marie lived in a male dominated world. Her writings focus on a woman and man’s character, beauty, love, sorrow, wicked and adulterous relationships. Marie begins one passage in Le Fresne, by describing two good married noblemen neighbors and one of the wives give birth two male children. The lord’s wife overhears the messenger deliver the news to her husband and one would think she is happy for the neighbor. Apparently, this is not the case, the lord’s wife becomes deceitful, envious with jealousy and made an unpleasant comment. Marie uses connotation and satire to convey a destructive criticism expression in regards towards the neighbor’s wife’s multiple pregnancy.
The lord’s wife states a theory that contributes to the spread of a rumor, “no woman can conceive two children from one pregnancy”. Therefore, the neighbor’s wife has had laid down with two men. By the wife’s belief, one would assume that there was not much medical knowledge in pregnancy and childbirth during the Medieval ages. The nobleman had no choice but to believe this theory and doubts his own honest wife. Noblewomen would only assume and speculate pregnancy and childbirth with connection of morals and values. Consequently, months later the noblewoman, the lord’s wife delivers twin daughters. Marie uses strong pathos appeals to emotions to point out the lord’s wife’s guilt and elevated shame for slandering the neighbor’s wife will ill words. Marie de France, describes the wife’s despair with great anguish.
For the sake of her Christian faith and to save embarrassment, and with her servant’s assistance, the lord’s wife decides to rid one of her babies instead of letting it die. The child is left under an ash tree and found by the Abbess porter. A metaphor indicates the child named Le Fresne, meaning the ash tree where she was found. Alongside of Le Fresne, a written letter stating her family’s social status was found with precious possessions only a noblewoman would treasure. This passage indicates the child will be found and return to her noble status.
Henceforth, Le Fresne the abandon child becomes a woman with beautiful characteristics. This young woman is honest, open and discreet with a prized smile. Eventually, Le Fresne falls in love with lord Buron, a nobleman from the land of Dol. Marie labels Lord Buron as wonderful man; although, he pays off the Abbey with rich possessions to have time alone with Le Fresne. He persuades her to engage in an affair and one assumes a pregnancy. Lord Buron asked Le Fresne to go away with him to his castle before the aunt Abbey finds out about the affair. He promised her all his riches and no regrets. Considering Le Fresne society class and her nobility not known, she will never legally marry a nobleman. However, she accepts his proposal as his mistress. Lord Baron and LeFresne live very happy in his castle and with all his men and servants who loved and honored her.
In this section, Marie touches sorrow and prosperity to follow for Le Fresne. The time comes when Lord Buron needs to marry a noblewoman for the sake of his inheritance of lands and titles. The knights threatened and begged Lord Barun to name his future wife. Marie notes a simile devise, “throw away the ash rod you carry and take the hazel as your staff”. This comparison states to leave Le Franse and take Le Courde has his wife. The Knights convinced Buron to accept Le Coudre who is Le Franse twin sister. In this passage, Marie does not state an ethos towards Le Fresne emotions, but convinces the reader of her divine selflessness. For example, the night before the wedding Le Fresne prepares the couples bedroom, she replaces an old sheet with silk linens given by her mother explains her sincere caring and selflessness.
Marie expresses the mother of the bride as spiteful and not a good person despite her nobility. The mother questions Le Fresne where she found this beautiful silken cloth. Le Frense explains that the silken cloth was given by her aunt Abbeses gave it to her. The mother realized Le Fresne is the baby daughter she disregarded at birth by recognizing the silk linen. She confessed her horrible act and begged her husband for forgiveness for what she had done. In conclusion, the mother’s use of slander on the neighbor’s birth of twin boys encounters a resentment after she gives birth to twin baby girls. The mother’s intention to murder the baby to avoid the same judgement reiterated by disliking Le Fresne just before her other daughter Le Courdre’s wedding. Marie uses gender roles, gossip, adultery and selflessness as main devices in her works. She also leads the readers to question and make own conclusions throughout the story.
