MOM 2006 journal for pdf.pmd - University of Michigan-Flint

POWER OF SPEECH IN MEDIEVAL WOMEN
Shyamala Mourouvapin
Faculty Sponsor: Stacey Hahn
Department of Modern Languages, Oakland University
Modern woman has achieved many things that were previously thought unimaginable. Women
today work in every possible domain that was once reserved for men. They are not limited to
being homemakers like before. This is not to say that women do not care to be homemakers but
what is impressive is their readiness to achieve a better status in society. Several decades ago one
could not imagine being a woman doctor or a pilot. These were jobs for men and women were
absolutely discouraged even to think about these kinds of professions. Despite man’s resistance,
women have regained their lost territories. This was not the case in the Middle Ages when
women’s role in society was very limited. Even though there were exceptions with some women
wanting to change the society they lived in, they were primarily considered inferior to men. The
writers of Antiquity did not have anything positive to say about women. The general idea at that
time was that women were weak both intellectually and physically and that women diverted men
from the righteous path with their seductive powers. Nevertheless, there is one area where
women excel is the use of language and speech. It is speech that makes women more powerful
than men.
In this paper I am going to talk about several female literary characters from the medieval
period, among them, Yseut, from Beroul’s The Romance of Tristan, Enide from Chrétien de
Troyes’ Erec and Enide and some of the female characters from Christine de Pizan’s The Book of
the City of Ladies in order to prove that despite their social condition as women, they had power
through speech. It was the power of speech that allowed Yseut and Enide to save their loved
ones. In the case of Christine de Pizan, her female characters used speech to attain spiritual
salvation for their families and society.
During the Middle Ages, young women were often married to older men for money and power.
When women were unhappily married they tended to seek happiness in a lover by having
adulterous affairs. These young men were mostly warriors and knights. This practice was called
fin’ amors or courtly love. There were certain rules even in this game. Both lovers had to be of
noble birth. Even though women had adulterous affairs, they would never leave their husbands.
The lovers meet discreetly leading a painful life. In The Romance of Tristan, Yseut marries King
Marc, who is also Tristan’s uncle. After a war, Tristan brings Yseut to King Marc, but during their
voyage, Brangien, the maid serves them a magic potion prepared by Yseut’s mother to ensure her
happiness with King Marc. By mistake Tristan and Yseut drink this potion and fall in love even
before she could get married to Marc. The effect of this potion lasts three years during which they
see each other in secret. The barons in Marc’s court are aware of this and they complain to Marc
who decides to catch them in the act. He climbs a tree and waits for Tristan and Yseut to confess
their love. But Tristan and Yseut both see his shadow in the water below and act as if they were
friends to make Marc believe in them. This is when Yseut’s feminine ruse comes in to play. By
manipulating her speech she saves herself and Tristan from execution. The readers know that
Meeting of Minds 2006 88