Equitan - Marie de France

Equitan, the lai by Marie de France, shows the struggles women and men faced when it came to marriage. Marriages were arranged was for dynastic reasons, not for love. This showed the unhappy marriage people were forced into.

“The king spoke lovingly: ‘My dear, lovely girl, you needn’t fear! No indeed, I won’t take a bride, or leave you for another’s side. Hear the truth, believe what I say: If your husband were out of the way, my wife, my queen is what you’d be—I wouldn’t let anyone stop me!’”

In the beginning he was Equitan was discrete about his love for her. He was loyal and respecting seneschal and his wife although he did not like the way that she was treated by seneschal; not being loved or cared for the way she deserved to be loved and cared for. By the end though, he could not hold back his love for her. He could not keep it secretive anymore. He knew he could truly love her the way she deserved to be loved. He wanted her to be happy and knew that she would be with him. Marie de France is realistic when it comes to relationships in her works. She wants to show realistic love and relationships, trying to avoid platonic relationships of the time.