In the secular Anglo-Norman Lanval, an eloquent and intricate account of the Arthurian courts, Marie de France develops a series of issues that include the hypocrisies and virtues of the court, the desire to escape, as well as sex and gender. In this essay I will investigate these topics by comparing the queen, the fairy princess, and Gawain as they are examples of the despicable and noble qualities of the justice system. I will also investigate the theme of escape and how the status of 'outsider' in relation to the courts leads Lanval to desire to escape his situation of polite abjection. These investigations will improve my understanding of Marie's views on the justice system. Finally, addressing issues of sex and gender, this essay will explore laypeople's fascinating portrayal of the role of women as active agents in the Arthurian courts. This series of investigations will lead to the conclusion that the events and happenings are completely the result of Lanval's imagination himself. His psychological exile stems from his estrangement from reality. Marie's escape fantasy; however, it has actually been manipulated to create presentable polite entertainment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Marie de France's portrayals of the injustices and hypocrisies of the court are unobtrusive, ensuring that she will be able to read this message aloud to the court. For example, Lanval's unhappiness at the beginning of the poem, while we are informed that he does not receive his due payment from King Arthur after the battles against the Picts and Scots, is not fully explained. Lanval's descriptions reveal that he is obviously not on the same level as the other knights. Marie does not explain the reasons for these exceptional conditions, yet careful consideration reveals the corruption and irony of Arthur's round table. While the battles against the Picts and Scots are great feats through which Arthur is able to simultaneously spread Christianity and his rule, this ironic power is viewed ironically due to the inability to control his conquered wife and fairly reward the his knights. These are contradictions in Arthur's abilities as a leader and cause the reader to question the virtue of his rule, as well as the just nature of his court. It also serves to incite greater pity for Lanval. Lanval is described as an outsider. The other knights “were envious of his beauty, / of his strength, of his courage, of his generosity” (Lines 20-21). They pretend to love Lanval, but are secretly jealous of him and would not be devastated if something bad happened to him. Lanval has no real friends or camaraderie and this isolation causes him to drift apart. He is a foreigner and therefore suffers from loneliness. The narrator implores readers to put themselves in Lanval's situation and take pity on his suffering. “My lords, I beseech you, think not that it is rare:/ A stranger is full of care/ And sorrow in a distant land,/ He finds no help anywhere” (Lines 33-36). Through the use of sympathy, Marie criticizes the prejudice against foreigners that characterizes Arthur's court. Lanval reacts to the mistreatment by isolating himself: "For pleasure he set out./ Out of town he went riding/ Alone in the country" (Lines 39-41). This isolation from the city symbolizes the self-removal from the difficult reality, present in all psychological experiences of personal exile. The subsequent events that happen to the hero, including the coming of the fairy princess, can be interpreted as entirely fictitious. Marie shows great tact in portraying the heavy criticism of Arthurian corruptionand to court prejudices against foreigners. He presents them in a short span of text – all within the first fifty lines – and without any explicit explanation, although these criticisms arguably provide the motivation for Lanval's suffering, psychological alienation, and escapist fantasy. Marie criticizes the justice system even more prominently through the character of Arthur's queen. The queen is highly corrupt and vile, as illustrated by her attempt to seduce Lanval and convict him of treason. Her refusal of his sexual overtures stands as a testament to her devotion and loyalty to her fairy lover and her king. The conversation after the queen's refusal describes her narcissistic temperament and her gross abuse of courtly courtesy. The queen is short, blunt, and cruel when speaking to Lanval, accusing him of many things, including sleeping with boys. This causes Lanval to become angry at her and the court she controls, and ultimately strike back at her. The criticisms of the queen are incredibly blunt, unlike the criticisms of Arthur's court. She is heavily criticized, especially when compared to the fairy princess. This fictional princess, read as Lanval's romantic fantasy, offers companionship and adoration to Lanval and contrasts sharply with the queen's political reality. While the fairy's love is pure, secret, rewarding and sensitive, the queen's physical needs are sinful. The beauty of the fairy princess surpasses all limits and portrays perfect manners as an exemplary figure of courteous behavior. These figures can also be seen as binary examples of Lanval's more and less ideal woman. These two characters can also be compared by implying their restriction by the rules of the court and society. The fairy princess is not limited by the conventions of female modesty and court protocol, as she wears a revealing dress at Lanval's trial. She is not limited by the rules of reality either as he is able to take off his cloak and roll it up in a pillow. The Queen, on the other hand, is governed completely by the social and legal conventions of the real world. His only means of punishing Lanval involves an organized trial. The supreme freedom of the fairy princess from reality is represented in her brilliant beauty and purity. Essentially, it needs to leave the real world because it cannot be contaminated by societal influences. The Queen, in contrast, exemplifies the social corruption and hypocrisy of the court. Marie does not suggest that the court is devoid of all virtue. In contrast, the character of Gawain serves as the supreme example of a sincere and dignified court. His righteousness bridges the gap between the strangeness of Lanval and the hegemonic unity of the other knights. As a highly respected knight, Gawain helps them support Lanval during his trial. His character is an valorization of the worldly court; therefore it is less controversial for a polite audience. Gawain also sets an exceptional example of a worldly court member, one that Marie's audience should follow. While the interpretation that the fairy princess of Lanval is fictitious may be questionable, the psychological model of fantasy and wish fulfillment are not. His desperate need for acceptance and instant gratification when he meets his lover seems too much of a coincidence to discount the possibility that she is a fantasy. First, Lanval is upset that he has not been rewarded by King Arthur, the fairy princess professes her love for him and then takes care of his every need: "He should get everything he wants -/ Money, the fastest possible to spend it, / No matter how much, he will send it" (Lines 132-134).., 1968.