The Lais of Marie de France

How do the Lais negotiate the tension between authenticity and craft? What are three specific examples that state the significance of the narrator’s appeal to either truth or aesthetics?

How do the Lais approach the subject of adultery? Referring to at least two lays in your answer, explain why you think the stories arrive at different conclusions on adultery.

What role does the lady play in the Lais? How does her relative autonomy compare to what you already know about the role of women in the Middle Ages?

What is the relationship between love, loyalty and pain in the Lais? Referring to at least two specific examples in the text, compare and contrast the Lais approach to love and pain with today’s attitudes. 

What role do knights play in the Lais? Do you consider the Lais’ perspective on knighthood to be realistic, ironic, or sentimental? Compare and contrast the characters of at least two knights in your answer.

Discuss the tension between youth and age in the Lais. Citing at least two examples in your answer, explain why the Lais’ approach to age presents a radical challenge to the status quo. 

Discuss the motif and symbol of the enclosure in the Lais. What is the significance of the heroines’ ability to violate the terms of their imprisonment?

How do notions of sisterhood and matriarchy play out in the Lais? Using at least two examples in your answer, state the significance of the Lais’ vision of a world where women play a greater role.