Medieval Women and Sexuality
Topic:
Comment on the representation of sexual passion in 'Dame Sirith', paying special attention to the difference between it and idealized conceptions of country love.
Dame Sirith, arguably the earliest fabliau in English, has often been interpreted as a parody on courtly love. Yet a careful analysis of the dialogues between Margery and Wilekin, the two `lovers-to-be', exposes the alleged pervasiveness of the `courtly' tone of Wilekin's wooing as a construct of the critics. The poet's main concern lies rather with the successful telling of a comic story and he relegates any `courtly' elements to a secondary position so as not to upset the narrative balance of the tale. As a consequence, they remain subordinated to the main comic event, i.e. the trick played on the young wife by Dame Sirith and Margery's subsequent change from a woman who would not sell herself at any price in the beginning, but who is in the end willing to pay anything to be `swyved'.
The English aristocracy, like the French, laid claim to courtly conduct as a distinctive criteria for the upper class. Likewise, both the romance and the fabliau flourished among the English; the romance serving to instill courtly ideals, and the fabliau serving to show social realities. The fabliau plot frequently focuses upon infidelity, and the sexual relationship between lovers is graphically revealed, thereby devaluing the idealistic notion that courtly love remain a private matter. For example, Marjerie insists that she will not deceive her husband "on bed ne on flore". Her direct reference to a physical consummation on "flore" or "bed" provides a sharp contrast to the removed, idealized language of courtly genres.
Dame Sirith seems to be based on fundamental elements of sexual deception and the inversion of social hierarchies particularly as constructed in marriage, as it targets and highlights weak and foolish women, the title character plays a go-between for a would-be lover named
Comment on the representation of sexual passion in 'Dame Sirith', paying special attention to the difference between it and idealized conceptions of country love.
Dame Sirith, arguably the earliest fabliau in English, has often been interpreted as a parody on courtly love. Yet a careful analysis of the dialogues between Margery and Wilekin, the two `lovers-to-be', exposes the alleged pervasiveness of the `courtly' tone of Wilekin's wooing as a construct of the critics. The poet's main concern lies rather with the successful telling of a comic story and he relegates any `courtly' elements to a secondary position so as not to upset the narrative balance of the tale. As a consequence, they remain subordinated to the main comic event, i.e. the trick played on the young wife by Dame Sirith and Margery's subsequent change from a woman who would not sell herself at any price in the beginning, but who is in the end willing to pay anything to be `swyved'.
The English aristocracy, like the French, laid claim to courtly conduct as a distinctive criteria for the upper class. Likewise, both the romance and the fabliau flourished among the English; the romance serving to instill courtly ideals, and the fabliau serving to show social realities. The fabliau plot frequently focuses upon infidelity, and the sexual relationship between lovers is graphically revealed, thereby devaluing the idealistic notion that courtly love remain a private matter. For example, Marjerie insists that she will not deceive her husband "on bed ne on flore". Her direct reference to a physical consummation on "flore" or "bed" provides a sharp contrast to the removed, idealized language of courtly genres.
Dame Sirith seems to be based on fundamental elements of sexual deception and the inversion of social hierarchies particularly as constructed in marriage, as it targets and highlights weak and foolish women, the title character plays a go-between for a would-be lover named