Marie de France and Le Fresne quotes Flashcards
List of negative attributes to describe her mother?
‘deceitful and arrogant, prone to slander and envy’
What does the mother accuse her neighbour of?
‘shame and dishonour’, stating that she ‘gave birth to two sons at once’ because ‘two men are the cause of it’
The mother is made to suffer the same fate by conceiving twins?
Marie de France almost seems to be addressing her audience with the gnomic statement ‘whoever slanders and lies about other does not know what retribution awaits him’
What do the landed knights suggest to Gurun?
He should ‘take a noble wife and free himself from Le Fresne’
Why is she critical of Gurun?
He ‘agreed to take a wife on their advice’ instead of marrying ‘his beloved’
What is Le Codre’s happy ending?
‘she later made a rich marriage’
Why does Gurun love Le Fresne?
‘she was very beautiful and well educated, wise, courtly, and well brought up’
How is his sexual desire made evident?
He suggests that they run away together due to his assumption that Le Fresne’s aunt would ’be most aggrieved and extremely angry if [she] became pregnant in her house
How is love shown by the father?
‘I was never as happy as I am now that we have found our daughter’
What is Le Fresne’s reaction to her mother?
‘rejoiced when she learned the story’
What was the mother’s reaction to giving birth?
‘I shall have to murder one of the children: I
would rather make amends with God than shame and dishonour
myself.’
