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Cassia Herndon

Beautiful

In The Lais of Marie de France, the story of “Lanval” is laced with the word beautiful. When each character is introduced their personal character is described, if they are a person of exceptional qualities they are also endowed with beauty. There are no characters with a beautiful interior and an unattractive exterior. Inner and outer beauty is synonymous at this time.

When we first meet Lanval he is described as having “valour, generosity, beauty, and prowess” (Marie 73). Lanval is the epitome of the perfect knight, and the son of a king. He therefore deserves a beautiful and true woman that is his equal. In a time of bad fortune his outlook quickly changes when two beautiful maidens approach him. The first description of them is of their attire. Lanval states that “they were richly dressed in closely fitting tunics of dark purple and their faces were very beautiful (Marie 73-74).

They lead Lanval to a tent that is described as “so beautiful and well-appointed,” that “no king under the sun could afford it” (Marie 74). Inside he finds a maiden that surpasses the beauty of all others and is lying on a beautiful bed. She is portrayed as having “cast about her a costly mantle of white ermine covered with Alexandrian purple” and having skin which was “whiter than the hawthorn blossom” (Marie 75). Everything about her description leads us to give her the highest standing possible in our minds. When she offers her love to Lanval there is no doubt his mind that she will possess his love for the rest of eternity. Her one request is that Lanval tells no one of her existence, or they shall be separated forever. He willingly agrees to her terms.

Lanval had been relishing in his newfound life with his love, when the queen of the country he was living in decided that she must have him for her lover. She propositions herself and is quickly turned down by the loyal Lanval. She is shocked and quickly angered by his refusal, there is no mention of her possessing beauty. To spite her he tells her that he is in love and loved by a lady who is “worth more than you, my lady the Queen, in body, face and beauty, wisdom, and goodness” (Marie 77). This is a shocking statement to say to a lady who should be the most beautiful in the kingdom.

Lanval realizes that he has spoken of his secret love and has therefore lost her forever. He loses all of the joy that she has brought to his life and becomes desolate. He becomes in danger of losing his life because he has stated that there is a lady more beautiful than the queen. The only way for his life to be saved is for the beautiful lady herself to reveal herself and confirm that Lanval was telling the truth.

When Lanval had lost all hope two hand maidens appeared “dressed only in purple taffeta” (Marie 79) and of great beauty. They were followed by two more maidens “dressed in garments of Phrygian silk,” and they “were both more worthy than the queen had ever been” (Marie 79-80). Lastly, a maiden who “there was none more beautiful in the world” (Marie 80) follows. She “was dressed in a white tunic and shift laced left and right so as to reveal her sides,” “her neck whiter than snow on a branch; her eyes were bright and her face white” (Marie 80).

The King and all of those who doubted Lanval praise the beauty of the maiden and acquit him of all charges. Those who were corrupt and jealous gained nothing and shall never experience the joy that Lanval has now obtained. In the end the ideals of truth, beauty, and wisdom reign. The good knight and his beautiful love ride off to Avalon, “to a very beautiful island” (Marie 81).

The ideals of beauty are seen throughout this story repeatedly, as each new character is introduced. All of the described garments worn by the beautiful lady and her maidens are of expensive fabrics and are of purple and white. These were obviously ideals of the time, portraying wealth and beauty. Marie does not leave any question to the status of the lady and her maidens. She makes sure that they are separated in our minds as superior beings by distinguishing them with beautiful bodies and beautiful attire.

Works Cited

De France, Marie. Lais of Marie de France (New York: Penguin) 1999

Cassia Herndon 9/06