Similarities Between Lanval And Guinevere's '

In both stories, Marie de France’s “Lanval” and Chretien de Troyes’s Lancelot, the authors show that women have the ability to achieve their desires through certain type of tactics. These tactics varies and can be manipulation or convincing through speech and action. A man can be easily convinced by a woman with ease, when they long for them. For women, it’s easy to capture the eye of a man just by using their body. A woman’s body has a magical effect on men and can cause a “spell” on him. The only men who can escape this “spell” are the men who have no passion in their heart and these words will not effect them. A good example of a woman who represents power by her beauty is Queen Guinevere. Both authors, Marie de France and Chretien de Troyes

She uses her attractive bodily tactics in this instance to manipulate Arthur into accusing Lanval for his crimes to make sure her wishes are carried out. Arthur, therefore looks as the weak one, for he is unable to control his wife and her affairs. Guinevere’s abilities weakens Arthur and eventually causes his fall. In Marie de France’s “Bisclaveret”, another example is shown of a woman who cheats on her husband and manipulates them. Just like “Lanval” Queen Guinevere plays with Lanval’s affections to get him to have an affair with her, disregarding King

Guinevere’s desire for Lancelot becomes so strong that Lancelot can not defeat it and it becomes nearly impossible to avoid her. Chretien makes Lancelot look just like a puppet while Marie makes Arthur look like one as well. Both authors make Guinevere desire men besides her own husband.In Chretien’s Lancelot, Guinevere has full control over Lancelot. Lancelot is so passionately in love, that he looks foolish which makes Guinevere look more intelligent. Lancelot breaks the window’s iron bars to see Guinevere that night despise Sir Kay’s presence. The power of love makes him act foolish but at the same time gain superhuman powers to break the window iron bars. He’s so blinded by Guinevere’s beauty that he doesn’t realize how badly the iron cuts are on his fingers “He takes hold of the bars, which he pulls and tugs until he bends them all and drags them from their sockets. But the iron was so sharp that he split the tip of his little finger to the nerve and cut the end joint of his second finger right through.”(Chretien, 247). Lancelot has all he ever desired and has no wish to leave her. Lancelot worships Guinevere as a religion, for as he left after their lovemaking “he bowed before the room, behaving just as though he were before an altar.” (Chretien, 248). Queen Guinevere succeeds through her power of her words and the power of her appearance, she