Marie De France And Petrach

It is fascinating to take the time out to examine in similarities and differences in the way authors Dante Aligheri and Marie De France impart to their readers their views on romantic love. It can almost be said that the two perspectives are “similarly different.”

Marie De France, like Dante, has a distinctive literary form. Her narrative twists and female perspective, differentiate her vastly from Dante. She focuses on stories from women's points of view, she involves her female characters much more actively than Dante. For example, note that Francesca is the only female in hell who has a speaking part. In total, there are only sixteen women even mentioned in Dante’s subterranean journey. Nine of them are in Limbo, and out of the remaining seven, five reside in Francesca's “circle in Hell.” Throughout the Comedy, Dante appears to view women as the center of some sort of tragic love triangle, while throughout the Lais Marie’s women are shown to have character and grace.

Canto V of Dante’s Divine Comedy Inferno, takes the reader to the first compartment of true hell, residence for those whose sins have earned them etern

She is Semiramis of whom we read that she succeeded Ninus and was his spouse:

The central message found in the Lais, is the ability to love. It is the most frequently used character virtue, appearing in all of the twelve lays. The ability to love properly, is paramount in Marie's ideal knight. This is shown most clearly in Guigemar. The reader sees the title character attain the status of the ideal knight, by overcoming his inability to love.

First of all, Laura’s refusal to satisfy Petrarch’s desires complicates his spiritual journey. Her refusal forces him to consider life beyond love and the threat of loneliness. As The Canzoniere progresses, Laura assumes an even greater significance due to Petrarch’s realization of the danger of her inescapable attraction. Petrarch presents her as a paradox. On the one hand, she exemplifies beauty and pure love. On the other hand, she represents all of Petrarch’s vain experiences.

Ultimately, Laura’s significance lies in her ability to represent beauty, true love, and spirituality without sacrificing her own image. Granted, some critics have alleged Laura is merely an ideal in Petrarch’s mind, a literary device if you will. However, Laura’s importance is certainly more striking when considered in her metaphorical uses. Petrarch dreams the impossible dream that one day Laura will love him. This dream parallels his quest for spiritual nirvana. Furthermore, Laura’s perfection parallels the perfection that is God.

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