The Lais of Marie de France (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Marie de France
- First Published: 1167
- Type of Work: Poetry
- Type of Plot: Romance
- Time of Work: Primarily the reign of King Arthur
- Setting: Largely Brittany
- Genres: Poetry, Romance, medieval, Narrative poetry, Lay
- Subjects: France or French people, Love or romance, Supernatural, Manners or customs, Jealousy, envy, or resentment, Adultery, Kings, queens, or royalty, Heroes or heroism, Middle Ages, Knights or knighthood, Nobility, Royal courts or courtiers, Chivalry
- Locales: Brittany, France
Characters Discussed
Form and Content
Guigemar (geeg-MAHR), a handsome Breton knight unequaled in valor but indifferent to love. During a hunting party, he is injured when an arrow rebounds from his prey, a strange white doe with a stag’s horns. The deer predicts that Guigemar will be healed only when he has suffered for love; this prediction comes true when the knight, transported by a ghost ship, falls in love with a married lady. Even after the lady’s escape from a jealous old husband, Guigemar is obliged to do battle with the baron Meriaduc, who had given her...
[The entire page is 1864 words long]
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