Martin Guerre Case Study

1. Describe the possible factors that provoked Martin Guerre to leave his wife.

What factor is the most important?

There are quite a few possible factors that proved Martin Guerre to leave his wife which include the seeking of adventure by a young man wanting more than his life in Artigat could provide. Martin Guerre was a teenage when he was married to his also young bride that was forced upon them; forced marriage was common for the time for alliances and power moves to become a stronger family. Then impotence strikes the young couple for 8 years (Davis 1983, 16 & 20). During the marriage there were growing tensions within the family on both sides of the marriage. The tensions apexes when Martin Guerre was accused of stealing grain from

What was the verdict and penalty of the Parlement of Toulouse against Arnaud du Tilh? What were the possible penalties?

The Parlement of Toulouse gave Arnaund du Tilh the verdict of guilty and sentenced him to die. The initial idea of punishment was beheading. Unfortunately, that death sentenced for Arnaud was only replaced with death by hanging without torture (Davis 1983, 89). Another penalty to Arnauds crimes was a formal apology to the Artigat (Davis 1983, 91). Public penalties of death throughout history have often been the town’s entertainment, which drew crowds from the surrounding areas to watch.

5. Describe the relationship between the real Martin Guerre and Bertrande after the

The rejoined couple conceived more children, which there is the Guerre name still in Artigat (Davis 1983, 124). They were dependent on each other in life. Bertrande had the security of a husband and Martin had a wife to care for him in his crippled state (Davis 1983, 124). Davis assumes that the story slowly declined in popularity within Artigat. Yet, this is small town/ city France which with all likelihood produced an Urban legend that dogged Martin and Bertrande on constant reminder and assumedly the following generations that claimed the Martin