Chaitivel

Marie de France suggests a woman should not lead men on, since their aggression can be aggravated by it. There is a suggestion that the courted woman has a duty to the men who court her, to treat them fairly and respectably. The lady in this lay does not do this. She is too excited by the chivalrous competition and continues not to look to them, but to enjoy wondering to herself which one she should choose. As the violence escalates, first in the battle before the tournament and then in the tournament itself, she is no closer to a decision. As a result of her vanity and refusal to show moderation in her self-love, they are all killed. There is also a sexual element to the poem, in that men are characterized as aggressive when their sexual desires are not satisfied. The violence escalates in the poem not because Marie thinks ill of men, but because she thinks ill of the women who would let them continue to excite themselves while not offering them any outlet. Overall, Marie de France's lais all include some kind of love and problem within that love. In this lai, it is the women who are looked down upon because of their actions and because they do not control the men. The message in this story is you will get punished if you love selfishly. I completely agree with this in that you cannot just think about yourself in life. Your actions always affect others. No matter what you do, you will be affecting someone else whether you know them or not.