Study Guide for Lanval and Laüstic (by Marie de France)
Introduction:
1. Why is Marie called "Marie de France"?
2. What language did she write in, and when did she live?
3. What English court may she have belonged to? How does her language link her with that context?
Lanval:
4. From what point of view is the story told (who speaks)? Does the speaker claim to have made up the story?
5. Notice that the story begins by telling us about the setting. What king’s court are we in, and what time of year is it?
6. Who is Lanval? Does his overlord treat him properly? What problem does he face?
7. What happens to Lanval when he rides out of the city into the meadow? Whom does he see first? How does he behave?
8. Where is he taken next? Describe the tent.
9. What happens when he enters the tent?
10. What does Lanval promise to do if the lady will love him?
11. What condition does she set if their relationship is to continue?
12. What kind of gifts does she give him?
13. How will he see her?
14. Which of the knights realizes that Lanval has been mistreated and insists on including him in court activities?
15. What does the queen (Guinevere, presumably, but she is not named) propose, and how does Lanval respond?
16. What accusation does she make (to Lanval), and what is he provoked into responding? What result will this have?
17. What does she tell the king? Why is he angry? Do his barons (his knights and other feudal subordinates, also called his vassals) agree with his accusations?
18. How do Gawain and the others respond to the charges against Lanval?
19. What happens when Lanval’s trial begins? How does Lanval act when he has a chance to clear himself of the charges by telling a lie?
20. Who finally arrives? How is she described?
21. What does the lady say? Does she reveal Guinevere’s real motives?
22. Where does she take Lanval, according to the story?
Laüstic:
23. What is the point of view in this story? Where is this story set? What does the title mean?
24. What happens to the two Knights who live in the town? Which one does the "wise, courtly and elegant wife" fall in love?
25. How do the lovers behave? How are they able to interact?
26. What season is best for love? What happens to the lovers, and how are they able to be together?
27. Why does the husband become angry? What excuse does the lady make?
28. What does the husband do? What cruel action does he perform?
29. How does the lady let her lover know what has happened? Why is this important?
30. What does the lover do in response?
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