The Corruption In The Fables Of Marie De France

Larissa Taylor takes her readers on a journey through the life of the infamous Joan of Arc. Joan can be easily recognized as a historical figure in the 15th century, a female warrior, and a woman that was fiercely independent and determined. Joan’s life has been told again and again, which has slowly taken away from the incredible woman that held so many triumphs. Instead of giving her readers a list of Joan’s accomplishments, Taylor enthralls the reader by detailing every step of Joan’s life, start to finish, so that one can really understand the life of the warrior.

In Aesop’s Fables however law is more emphasized than grace in the silly stories. In “The Ants and the Grasshopper” when the Grasshopper

Werewolves a very well-known fantasy creature, who have been depicted as vicious beasts who will turn on their best friends. In the lay “Bisclavret” the stereotypes of werewolves is no different. Marie de France redefines the werewolf in a very courageous tale of a man and his loyalty. Bisclavret was a very loyal man regardless being werewolf or not. This was shown in multiple scenarios, such as the interaction with his and wife and with the King. The O.E.D. defines loyalty as “Faithful adherence to one's promise, oath, word of honor” (def.1). Throughout the entire story Bisclavret is faithful to everyone he made an oath too. Others have to break

The women described in the Lais of Marie de France often commit traditionally sinful deeds, such as adultery, murder, and betrayal. However, with a few exceptions, the protagonists often end up living happily with their beloved for the rest of their lives. The Lais advocate for situational judgement rather than general condemnation of specific acts, which can be seen through Marie de France’s treatment of sinful heroines.

The extent to which the Lais of Marie de France can be categorized as fairy tales is dependent on the definition of “fairy tale.” Using various scholars’ definitions of “fairy tale” and conceptions of the fairy tale genre, criteria for “fairy tales” arises. Then, close-readings of three lais, “Guigemar”, “Lanval” and “Yonec”, are used as a mechanism for meeting or failing the criteria. This methodology is then evaluated and problematized. The criterion for fairy tales includes origin, form, content, style, and meaning. Etymologically, the word ‘fairy tale’ has disputed origins. Supposedly, it comes from the French “contes des fees” or “tales about fairies”, popular in French courts and salons in the seventeenth century. However, Jack Zipes argues that “conte féerique” actually translates to “fairy tales” and refers to narrative form, rather than content.

This folktale is saying to not let other take control over you or mistake kindness for weakness, what you do always has a way a coming back around. Throughout this folktale the moral lesson being taught is that you should always treat others with the respect that you want to receive. Another moral lesson that is taught what you do has a way of coming back around to you, either in a negative way or positive way. The specific lesson being taught can be supported by the folktale, for example, the burro lending a hand to the weeping coyote by hitching him a ride along with having to deliver food to his master. This is an example of the theme of respecting others with the respect you expect them to show you. The coyote shows poor respect to the burro who is helping him with a ride and the coyote disrespects him by eating all his food in silence. An example of another theme of this folktale is karma, this folktale expresses the actions of the coyote and the reactions of the burro and master in relation to what the coyote did. As stated in the folktale “the coyote stuck its head out the cave, right into the burro’s ass and the burro closed it

Some of which can be taken as the theme of the story. Two of these lessons include to never give up no matter how difficult something may be and to enjoy what you have when you have it. Examples of these include when Yanek, time and time again, decides that he will survive. This not only includes when Yanek tells himself he will survive but when he makes actions and takes risks to survive. For instance, when Yanek is on his way to Dachau, but finds that he lost his bread and doesn’t have enough food to survive.

Boom! The door flies open and a handsome knight runs into the room and yells, “Come my lady we must go now, for he is on his way”. The lady jumps to her feet and says “My love whom is on their way?” he responds, “your husband is on the way and he has heard of our romance”. The couple joins hands and quickly runs through the castle hoping that they are not seen. Suddenly the king jumps from a dark shadow, stops the couple in a sudden halt, and says, “Where do you think you are going?” With no response from the lady, the king reaches to his side and pulls a rope that releases a large bucket of acid onto the queen and her secret lover, which eats their bodies flesh within minutes only leaving the two skeletons holding each other’s hands. This

Marie de France lived in a time when social graces were paramount to a good reputation, lordships and to securing good marriages. A woman was considered less valuable if she lost her virginity; a wife was subjected to her feudal lord, father, brother or son after her husband’s death. According to Angela Sandison’s article “The Role of Women in the Middle Ages”, this was because in the Middle Ages the Church and the aristocracy controlled public opinion and the legal system. These authorities of the times believed a woman’s place was in a submissive role to a man. In The Lay of the Nightingale, we will see how this social and religious hierarchy will impact the behaviors of the three people involved.

The corruption of the pigs through mysteriously finding money is similar in the leadership found in the novel “A Tale of Two Cities”. Where the leadership of Paris, or the farm was better prior to the revolt of the people. Although, the people were starving and begging for help in both settings, the corruption in the government that came after the revolutions were worse than the authority that they had faced prior. This recurring concept of revolution gone wrong is found in both “A Tale of Two Cities” and “Animal Farm” as in both cases the people struggle to survive with their basic necessities and the nobles live lavishly. Nevertheless, even after the civilians detest this cruel treatment and revolt, their treatment becomes worse as the people

“The lesson then would be that those creatures who are the greediest, least scrupulous, and most power-hungry, regardless of whether they are human or animal, are the ones who will rule, no matter what the current political doctrine or theory is” (Firchow). Consequently, the one to rise to power will be the one with most ambition for power, thus less likely to treat the other animals fairly. “All talk about democracy, liberty, equality, fraternity, all revolutionary movements, all visions of utopia, or the classless society, or the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, are humbug covering the ambitions of some new class which is elbowing its way into power” (Brander). In Animal Farm, Squealer was the mouthpiece of the pigs, elaborately presenting Napoleon’s ideas in a beneficial perspective and manipulating the other dumber animals for their own ambitions.

During the Middle Ages, England was a nation in social chaos. Deception of every kind was rampart throughout the lands. Many people felt that there was a great need for moral improvement in society. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales he clearly brings to light his thoughts and concerns of “ethical cleansing.” No tale more fully expresses this idea than that of “The Pardoner’s Tale” and “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.”

An example in my own life reflecting the Aesop’s fable would be a time when I was playing on a high school baseball team. Our coach tried to teach me and others why we needed to play as a team to win a championship instead of playing defensively alone. We practiced drills and team work for several afternoons leading up to the first scrimmage. The first

When witnessing irrational behavior, there comes a sudden urge. The urge to feel the emotions and read the thoughts of the offender in an attempt to understand their purpose and to set the mind at ease. The play The Tragedy of King Christophe by Aimé Césaire offers the opportunity to peer into the mind of King Henri Christophe and to understand the motives that lead to his undoing. His voice is no longer silenced. His story speaks of a man with selfless aspirations who took an unfortunately fatal detour, a tragedy heard time and time again. Christophe ultimately becomes a victim to his twisted views on racial inequality, his faulty methods for leveling himself to his superiors and his overwhelming power.

Classic literature will always be remembered and retold over the generations as life lessons and morals that we try to live by. These morals are often used to help children learn these guiding values and morals. These lessons are presented to us as fairy tales and movies or cartoons for children. We never realize or ponder, “where did that moral come from?” or should I say, “who originally created this fable and life lesson that I am watching unfold in a Disney movie?” A fable is short and witty written piece and is deeply riddled with certain messages or lessons using, but not limited to, tales of animals. Fables were for adults but through time have been woven into everyone’s’ childhood. Fables, ghost stories, and urban legends are modern day fairytales or fables. Just as “The Grasshopper and The Ant” and “Tortoise and the Hare” were spread by oral tradition, urban legends and morals are spread in the same manner; thus creating contemporary folklore often with a moral sting in the tail. While it’s true that urban legends are still told while sipping hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows at a campfire, others are spread through classics movies like Walt Disney animation.