That Obscure Object of Desire

1. The film is titled "That Obscure Object of Desire," due to the fact that it deals with something that is can be frustrating, and is the least talked about aspect of a relationship - sex. However, not just sex.  Matthieu and Conchita parallel the characters of Calisto and Melibea, being sexually attracted to one another. As with most men, Matthieu is filled with desire at the prospect of sleeping Conchita. However, like all men, desire is instantly lost upon climax. To be frank, it's like losing your virginity - it only happens one and it's never the same. This is the basis of the thought the parades through Matthieu's head, and causes him to lose his sexual deviance in relation to Conchita.

2. Terrorism is used as a background to the film, due to the fact that terrorism does indeed parallel sexual attraction, sexual intercourse, and orgasm all at once. Sexual attraction is the build-up between two opposing forces in whatever context before the strike. Meanwhile, sexual intercourse is the movement which leads up to the point at which an act of terrorism is carried out. Finally, orgasm is the happening of the event, and thus, its lasting results, which parallel orgasm in the fact that whatever motive a person had going into it is gone, and their head, devoid of any sort of longing, desire, and arousal. Once clarity refills a person's head after intercourse, they are able to really think and concentrate on how they feel about their partner, or what they just did, much like the effects of a terrorist attack are felt and thought about by everyone, primarily the involved party, being the government.

Celestina (Day 5)

Act 19 - Since Calisto died in accident, as opposed to being murdered, there will be no one suspected of killing him, and he will have died in the most guilt-free way possible. Melibea's reaction to the aforementioned death seems quite normal, as most people in her situation would have grieved, although not to the point at which they would have liked to kill themselves.

Act 20 - Melibea's death is not a surprise after reading about Calisto's death and the dealings which occur post-Calisto between Melibea and her father. Despite trying to be persuaded to use a substance or other form of medication to help mend her emotionally and physically, Melibea's father's efforts are in vain, as Melibea continues to want to kill herself, regardless of the help she is offered, all due to the fact that she cannot bear to live without Calisto. Thus, she believes that if she is to die, she will be with Calisto in the afterlife. This seems like a fairytale idea to me, because the others who have died would also be in the "afterlife," resulting in the two never being peacefully together. At least, I believe their peers would be in the afterlife with them.

Celestina (Day 3)

In chapter seven, there is a large emphasis on the gap between age and youth, because it is not necessary for one ti be young in order to be youthful. A person, no matter what age, can still act like they're a child if they so please to. This is the rule of maturity, and there is no proper place for it to be applicable throughout a person's lifetime. The gap between age and youth says that wisdom can be suppressed no matter how old you are; in some cases, a person never mature and always remains with the same ideologies that they possessed as a child. The maturity factor helps to determine whether someone is really accepted by their peers as an adult, and thus, decides their labels and interactions with their peers. Like Celestina's role amongst her peers, she is seen in an immature light, as most of her peers become children and call her a "whore."

The quote from chapter eight basically states that nothing is as it actually appears. Despite not appearing a certain way, something can actually exist in a different manner, often misconstrued by the eyes of another. The fact that people cannot think abstractly about what they see and what exists only shows a general lack of intelligence on their part.

Celestina (Day 2)

1. This quote expresses the thought that men think each and every relationship is commonplace, and as so, they believe that they should get all things they want. Not only should men get all things they want, but as impatient creatures, they expect to get what they want when they it. Meanwhile, women are the opposite, taking the time to analyze everything around them for long periods, of time, especially their relationships. Thus, a man's role in a relationship becomes more tolerable to the woman, realizing that the two sexes do not operate with the same method, and as so, one party must be more strict and compromising, while the other must be lenient and stubborn. Without these principles, a relationship of any sort cannot exist. So, all in all, the quote represents that men are the more stubborn group out of the two.

2. Celestina, despite being a dark character in terms of personal background and occupation, is a trustowrthy character, as many people in her village choose to trust and befriend her despite her fault and her status at the bottom of the class system. With her many occupations, Celestina meets and does help those around her, only making it more plausible that she is liked by everyone, and as so, life is much easier for her.

Celestina (Day 1)

A garden, as opposed to any other formal structure, is meant to be untouched, for the most part, and to grow on for some time. Those who desecrate or mess with a garden are often scolded for "destroying it's beauty." A garden may signify the innocence of a person, primarily, the innocence of a woman, as women are said to be wholly pure before their virginity is taken, or before they are given away by the father on the day of their wedding. As opposed to Melibea, Calisto longs to be with a woman, mainly her, while Melibea, much like a gardener, tries everything to stop Calisto from pursuing her, like a gardener would stop the average vandal from destroying their garden. These words cannot be seen as wholly true. All in all, this parallels the Garden of Eden, as Eve tricked Adam into biting the apple that would ultimately lead to their demise.

Celestina is a woman of many traits. First and foremost, she is labeled by many of her peers as a promiscuous woman and influence towards the community, thus effectively causing her to be shunned. Despite this, Celestina stills lives a happy life, disregarding the fact. As stupid as it may be, she satisfies herself in whatever way possible whenever she wants, knowing the consequences of her actions, yet carrying out the actions anyway.

The Decameron (Day 6)

Based upon the happenings of this tale, the image of nuns and the church is made obscure, as several key components are dissolved. By taking the priest's breeches, the abbess cross-dresses, which supports the theme of homosexuality, which is against religious beliefs. Apart from this, the abbess's action are deceptive in nature, something which is against the ten commandments. Slowly, throughout the sotry the abbess changes from being a woman of strong, devout faith to a woman of lying and deception, almost that of an anti-religious figure.
Boccaccio tries to show that women are not subjective to a specific brand of a lifestyle. In fact, the men do not always create the trouble for the women. At times, roles can be reversed, thus leaving the woman as the dominant figures within the context of the stories. The fact the women show domination to an extent, is the exact opposite of the roles they are seen in, in texts such as Erec and Enide or Yvain. For example, the women troubling the men by making them think things such as them being falsely preganant show that they have some role of power, while in other tales, a specific example of the reverse is the sparrow-hawk contest in which Enide is made to be an object and nothing more than some petty aid to help Erec win the contest and claim his prize.

The Decameron (Day 5)

8:7 This story shows that a person can only be intelligent to a certain extent, but when fueled by other emotions, said person's intelligence can drop to the bare minimum, and in doing so, harm the intelligent person. Meanwhile, the intelligence of others can drop to the point at which they cease to take into account the various outside factors which can affect those that they love, or can drop to the point at which they no longer care about what happens at the present time. In both cases, pain can be derived from a lack of intelligence as a result of being overwhelmed. This is evident in the first case (the former description of the lack of intelligence) and the second case (the latter description of the lack of intelligence). However, intelligence is used in part with the second case, as Elena is made to do such acts by way of deception.
8:7  The reader is supposed to take neither side within the context of this story, as both parties cease to be intelligent, and act as fools. Despite this, Rinieri does show more intelligence when it comes to the entire story, even if such intelligence comes at the cost of being stupid. Boccaccio creates empathy by creating vivid situations and emotional disturbances within the characters as they mourn for the disappearance, or rather, lack of appearance for their loved ones, due to the fact that they chose not to be intelligent, and are thus, being combated with intelligence. At the end of the story, however, no one is clearly being intelligent.

All About My Mother

The film establishes a distinct community of women, in the fat that each one of them has had a rather traumatic past in some form or manner. Each is not like the other, as some, such as Rosa, were pure for most of their lives, before being seduced by the other women, such as Lola, thus causing Rosa's death. Lola, on the other hand, was the man that Manuela loved, and thus, when Lola became a woman, Manuela was left by him, alone to care for her son. Meanwhile, the man whom Lola became a woman with, Agrado, was left by Lola, and this brought Manuela and Agrado back together. Meanwhile, Lola's son's death brought the two back together, only going to show that each woman is linked together. Despite the vast nature of each of their differences, they are still woman, and still remain in each others lives, whether it be in a past tense, future tense, or present tense. If it were not for all the women, such as Agrado and Lola, becoming women, the film could not establish all of the connections it does, and the lives of these women would be very different.

The Decameron (Day 4)

2) 5:9- What is your interpretation of the quote, “…I would much rather have a man who lacks money than money that lacks a man”? (pg. 431)

This quote shows a woman's desire to have a real man, as opposed to a man who can bring in money with a stable job, and not provide any kind of emotional support or expression to the table. A woman always desires a man who can be sensitive and be expressive of their feelings toward their significant other, without material items having to get in the way of such a relationship. The aforementioned material items do not have to be money, but can be anything, such as gifts like shoes, shirts, et cetera. When a relationship is built upon material items, is it falsified and becomes stale at a rapid rate, while a relationship which thrives on emotion continues thus, becoming something that is sought out often by woman.

4) 6:7- How does this story show an example of how women have power and how they stand up for their rights?

While women do not deliberately have power in this story, it illustrates how social statute affect those who only belong to a certain gender, without taking into account the other gender's same flaws and feelings in conjunction with their own satisfaction, at least when it comes to intercourse. Women approach these sorts of matters in a respectful, honest way, allowing them to be persuasive, when supporting their rights with logical evidence and examples.

The Decameron (Day 3)

3.3- "I shall tell you this story dear ladies, not only in obedience to the order imposed upon me but to also make you aware that even the clergy in whom we place too much trust out of our excessive credulity, are capable of being cleverly deceived, as actually they sometimes are, not only by men but also by some of us women" suggests that trickery is often used as getting what you want easily, while lying is viewed as being rather well-supported way of getting ahead in life, going as far as to trick those who are seen as authoritative or rather held in high esteems (Boccaccio, 207). This, in itself, suggest that lying is a good thing.

4.9- "Though each man lived in his own castle, seperated by a distance of a good ten miles, Sir Guiglielmo de Guardastagno happened, nonetheless, to fall totally in love with the very beautiful and charming wife of Sir Guiglielmo Rossiglione, and notwithstanding the friendship and brotherhood that existed between them, he managed in one way or another to bring his love to the lady's attention..," displays that a rather interpersonal relationship was shared by the two before a woman came into the picture (Boccaccio, 350). This shows that is always a struggle for male-male dominance, even between friends. Revenge is seen in the harshest of ways, as a forbidden love can 'cause bonds such as the aforementioned brotherhood between the two Sirs to become to submissive.

The Decameron (Day 2)

3.2.7: Femininity has been a focal point of society, as most women are told that they need to constantly improve upon their appearances in order to attract the opposite sex. However, the more feminine women become, the more they are lusted after, and the less a man will seek a woman out to be their mate. The mute woman in the story, Alatiel, relies on getting out of bad situations by constantly relying on her looks to help her find men from whom she can benefit, as she cannot speak the languages which these various men speak. However, in doing so, a male dominance is created with the fact that these men totally disregard the woman as a woman, but rather look upon her as a sexual device which they may exploit freely. The lust derived from these men may also expand to the point at which they become violent and kill one another in order to satisfy themselves.

“Although the lady was pale and disheveled as a result of harrowing experience at sea, she nevertheless seemed most beautiful to Pericone; and because of this he immediately decided to take her for his wife, if she had no husband, or to have her as his mistress, if he could not have her as his wife” exemplifies the generalization that just because a woman does not possess some specified form of intelligence or skill, that the woman can be made a servant to the man and to their needs, sexually, as they are made to be an object, based upon their looks, with no personality  (Boccaccio, 131).

5.3.1: The previous story shows a woman who is taken advantage of, because of the fact that she cannot communicate with those who take her into their care. The man, Masetto, on the other hand, is able to take advantage of women sexually by pretending to be dumb and deaf. This, of course, is the “muteness.” “The place is far away from here and no one knows me there; if I can pretend to be deaf and dumb, they’ll certainly take me in” shows that muteness, when in both stories, is the advantageous role of lust, as Masetto was pleasured from acting mute, as was the woman, even if this did not occur on purpose, in reference to acting (Boccaccio, 195). The point that can be concluded from both stories is that men will always take advantage of women, regardless if the women are helpless or not, and they will do by acting in such a way that makes them look frail.

The Decameron (Day 1)

1.1
"Nor should we believe that such special grace descends upon us and within us through any merit of our own, but rather it is sent by His own kindness and by the prayers of those who, like ourselves, were mortal and who have now become eternal and blessed with Him, for they followed his will while they were alive" (Boccaccio, 25).

This quote is ironic in the fcat that Ciapelleto confessed himself to be a saint to the friar while approachine death, proclaiming that he could do no wrong, and professing that he the most commonplace sins were heinous. Meanwhile, none of the aforementioned claims were true, as Ciapelleto was am evil man during his life. Due to the lies told by Ciapelleto, after his death, his is reverred by all who know of his name as nothing more than a saintly man. The moral, in this instance, is that we, as a people, should not believe all we hear, because our modern culture could be dictated by an institution founded on the basis of lies, thus causing us to have inhumane ethics and morals.

1.2
"Now see here, Giannotto, you want me to become a christian. Well, I am willing to do so on one condition: first I want to go to Rome to observe the man you say is God's vicar on earth; I want to observe his ways and customs and also those of his brother cardinals; and if they seem to me to be such men that, between your words and their actions, I am able to comprehend that your faith is better than my own, just as you have worked to demonstrate it to me, I shall do what I told you; but if this is not the case, I will remain the Jew I am now" (Boccaccio, 39-40).

In contrast to the first story, Giannotto is able to convert to the Christian religion at the end of the tale, despite its faults, for he believes it will spread as more of a popular trend than anything. As opposed to what I previously stated for the first tale, this tale supports the theme that a person should conform to the standards of others only if they appear to be right and justifiable by the actions of others who seem to be right in th eyes of others, no matter who corrupt they may be.

1.3
"And let me say the same thing to you, my lord, concerning the three laws given to three peoples by God our Father which are the subject of the question you put to me: each believes itself to be the true heir, to possess the true law, and to follow the true commandments, but whoever is right, just as in the case of the rinfs, is still undecided" (Boccaccio, 45).

This quotes forms the basis of the whole tale, as the fact that Saladin belived he could trick Melchizedek was rooted in the fact that he was jewish. Thus, in response, Melchizedek proclaimed that a person's beliefs do not alter their opinions on anything, and do not make them more susceptible to trickery based upon what they believe to be right or wrong in a particular situation. Melchizedek justifies this by stating that no religion is actually right and the humanic relations are nothing more than humanic relations.

Talk to Her Blog

Talk to Her is a modernized version of Sleeping Beauty. The figure of comatose is central throughout the film, suggesting that there is an altered state of reality when a person falls into such a thing; that life continues and the person is aware of what is happening around them when this is not the case. Marco, who met and associated himself with Lydia is symbolic of the sleeping aspect of the film, as he does not yet know what he wants or what those who surround him mean to him, thus, effectively making Marco unaware and in a conscious comatose. This theme is personified with Marco’s venture to Jordan once Lydia falls into the coma, since Marco completely cuts himself off from the life he was living up until that point. Simultaneously, Beningno is consciously aware of his surroundings, while the woman he’s loved throughout the years of his life, even from afar, is in a coma. Beningno, in contrast to Marco, is completely and utterly aware of his surroundings and all of his actions. Beningno is aware to the point at which he feels that he can transcend the boundaries of reality by, for example, speaking to Alicia while she is in her coma, or reading Marco’s travel guides, as if to be with him at all times and learn what he is learning, without physically being present at Marco’s locations. The theme of Sleeping Beauty is displayed by the fact that it takes the death of a loved one to wake someone up to reality in any sense, as displayed by the deaths of Lydia, Beningno, and Beningno’s child. By creating new life, Beningno is able to give Lydia a second chance at life and make her away, while simultaneously, giving up his awareness to bring Marco back to reality, by committing suicide. The films displayed loss both as a mechanism for the fall from reality and the return to reality, and the culmination of this is the moment at which Alicia and Marco are seated within the theater, two rows away from each other. The loss is given its own seat, to further show that the two are aware of each other’s presence.

Film Blog

The film acts as a fairytale in the sense that it has no real ending. Throughout the film, three different scenarios occurred which involved Lola and her boyfriend, Manni. It is through these scenarios that we were given different outcomes, not once was one suggesting that an actual event had occurred. The fairytale aspect comes into play at this point. Lola, before her death, views ways in which she could have prevented herself or her loved ones from getting hurt. In the first scenario, which may or may not have been fictional, Lola was killed, while in the second scenario, her boyfriend, Manni, was killed. Finally, the perfect scenario end up being the glamorous ending which the movie wanted to project using them of love in between death sequences, showing the two protagonists lying in bed after having had intercourse previously, and asking one another whether or not they truly loved each other and what would happen if the other were to die. In reality, there is no ending to this story, as we are not able to ever understand what actually happened. However, it is implied that the entire story was a dream, or at least, a daydream in Lola’s head, displaying her desires.

Yvain Day 3

Yvain's true colors are revealed in the third part of the romance, as Yvain becomes more courageous than he had previously been throughout the story. The symbol of the lion is a huge part of this section of the reading, as Yvain always has the lion with him, showing the prevalence of his courage in all of his tasks and undertakings. Yvain ventures to find the maiden of his wife, and by doing so, exceeds the amount of time which Laudine had set for him to return to their abode, showing a lack of good judgment on the part of Yvain. Yvain is still immature at this point, promoting chivalry, rather than making love the focal point of his life. Yvain would rather be out helping his cousin or helping his wife than actually being with them or trying to fulfill promises which he set with them in the past. However, Yvain is still successful in these tasks, showing that his chivalry is still maintained to an extent, even though his pride may not necessarily be at the same level. Yvain is a multidimensional character as opposed to Erec, due to the changes that he makes throughout the romance.

Yvain 2

1. Gawain's speech proples initiative into Yvain to regain his knighthood, as Gawain believes that Yvain's status as a knight has become diminished through Yvain spending most of his time with Laudine. Laudine takes the central role within the scene, professing to Yvain that he has a year to be back and nothing more. From the point of chivalry, it can be inferred that both Laudine and Yvain believe that his knighthood has been affected by their marriage, but also that Laudine finds this to be more true than Yvain, and thus, sets a time and date for Yvain to return after he has regained his chivalry. Yvain accepts the offered placed Laudine, as he does not think he will be able to return in such a time, but is still willing to try to return at such a point, in the name of love, though after this, Laudine will cease to love Yvain. I would agree to such an agreement on the basis that I would become a better man by doing such tasks, characteristically.

2. Within the romance, the lion represents Yvain's willingness to go to reclaim his chivalry on the words of another, and thus, his courage as a man, and as a knight. Meanwhile, the snake represents the exact opposite, with Yvain not wanting to go back and displeasing his wife, and thus, the snake is viewed as being evil and tempting. Yvain cannot decide whether or not he will return to Laudine on time, but eventually, his decision is made apparent by the text as the snake is vanquished.

Yvain Response

1.
 

While Chrétien formally addresses a prologue which he wrote at the beginning of Erec and Enide, there seems to be the lack of such a distinct piece of writing at the beginning of Yvain. However, Chrétien adds more depth to the store by not declaring any sort of connection with a proverb or any other sort of material which one would derive ideas from, ideas which could affect his or her judgment on the store and the knowledge of the plot in advance. By not writing a proverb and instead meshing the "prologue" within the confines of the opening scene of the romance, Chrétien is shows that Yvain is the exact opposite romance than Erec and Enide. The romance has less purpose and is more based upon spontaneity and adventurism, whereas Erec and Enide was a formulaic text in which one could predict almost every seen and could describe the symbolism with the ease. Having nothing to relate the romance to during its opening, the reader can become more engaged in the romance and have less predictability on their mind when reading. The lack of prologue suggest that Yvain is a more fun-loving guy that like likes to look for adventure and could care less about chivalry and everything that is tied into it, including women. It adds an extra layer to the protagonist, which we didn't see in Erec and Enide, as Erec was the stereotypical hero, or "meathead," for lack of a better term.

Erec & Enide Response 3

In the final third of the romance, the inner turmoil between both the character of Enide and the character of Erec seems to have dwindled itself down to the core. Erec, having doubting has ideals, has, by action, reclaimed his chivalry, and in doing so, accepted the fact that he is once again a knight of great lineage. Meanwhile, the inner conflict of Enide, who doubted herself, concludes with the actions of her lover Erec, not by her own accord. Thus, chivalry can be attained by the many, as opposed to a single person. No longer does Enide thinks she is to blame for the sorrow in their relationship. The fact that Erec takes her on the quest, shows that he is determined to renew his chivalry for the both of them; so Enide can see his renewal on the frontline. The proverb stated at the beginning of the romance comes into play when Erec is proclaimed as dead by Enide, and the count picks the two of them up, moving the couple to his castle. Silently and swiftly, Erec kills the count and without saying a word, takes Enide to venture away from the castle. Chivalry is multi-dimensional in the fact that it affects Enide, as opposed to just Erec, despite chivalry being primarily linked to men. Enide recaptures her chivalry by standing up for her man in the face of peril. Without chivalry, the couple would have most likely deteriorated from the trust between the two, as Enide made it clear the she believed she was to blame for his timidity, while Erec become enraged at this accusation, while taking it into account.

Question: In what other ways is chivalry seen is being multi-dimensional?

Erec & Enide (Pages 60-90) Response #2

1. Enide becomes a more central figure within the romance as she becomes the focal point of Erec after the two are wed. From the point at which the two travel to Erec's castle, Erec’s values change. Erec holds Enide above all of his accomplishments and his prestige, throwing away his own morals and beliefs, and even his friends for the woman. Enide's name is revealed to us through the marriage of her and Erec, as the court revealed Enide's name as the name she received through her baptism when she is given to Erec, which is a rather strange way of learning the name. According to the romance "unless a woman is called by her proper name, she is not married," describes the society to not only be objectifying and male-dominant, but also cruel in the fact that women are not called by their birth names until they have reached the point of marriage (pg. 62). To me, this is nonsensical, as most people would have to be called something more-or-less symbolic of a human being. Enide, at one point, states that he has become un-chivalrous in his doings, which is really peculiar if most of what he does in centered around her.

2."Wretch. Unhappy me," are the first words spoken by Enide during the course of the story (pg. 68). Enide draws conclusion from random accusations and rumors that she is the cause of renouncement of Erec's decline in popularity and as necessity for his kingdom. Rather, the decline in Erec's actions, such as tournament and other forms of melees, implicates to his peers that he has become nothing more than a shell of what he once was. Erec does not take much of what he hears into thought, nor does he care. Enide, on the other hand, allows herself to become consumed by the thoughts of what their peers have said. Enide is introspective, and as so, she becomes easily conflicted and lets these thoughts brew into an overwhelming feeling of guilt. Enide immediately takes responsibility for being the cause of Erec's condescension, and in doing so, allows herself to speak for the first time, only to rave about how she is the root of all of their problems. Enide feels as if she's belittled Erec with her presence. "Previously everyone used to say that there was no better or more valiant knight known in all the world; your equal was nowhere to be found," is the claim Enide makes before quickly saying that the current reality is the opposite (pg. 68). Erec finds comfort in Enide's words, taking into account her wisdom and agrees. Erec's speaks from a rather altruistic viewpoint, thinking it foolish to disagree, since much of what he had done since marriage had revolved around Enide, thus forcing him to change his life completely.

Erec & Enide (Pages 37-60) Response #1

2. How would you describe the opening scene in King Arthur’s court? What evidence in the text brings you to your ideas? We have the idea of a contest and the outcome it will bring. What might the possible ramifications of this contest imply (about gender, the court, society, etc.)?

The opening scene in King Arthur's court is one of cheerfulness and enjoyment, at least, to Arthur. All of Arthur's court had gathered at Cardigan and "one was never seen, for there were many good knights, brave and combative and fierce, and rich ladies and maidens, noble and beautiful daughters of kings" (pg. 37). Arthur summoning his court for such an announcement would only hope to aid in the provoking of remerging of such an old tradition. The announcement is derived from egotism, as Arthur rejects the deterrence advised from Gawain, which only aids Arthur's pride and happiness. "This I know well, but I will not give up my plan for all that, for the word of a king must not be contravened. Tomorrow morning with great pleasure we shall go to hunt the white stag in the forest of adventures: this will be a most wondrous hunt" (pg. 38). The court, as a whole, could possibly implode from such a contest, as every member of the court, like the king, is highly narcissistic, believing each maiden to be the fairest. If anything, the result of the contest could possibly lead to the thought that men are possessive and fairly un-chivalrous, essentially destroying any previous notion of the values thought to be held by such men. 

4. What do you make of the second contest in the text (the sparrow-hawk)? What is at stake here? What are the implications of this concerning gender, power, masculinity, etc.?

The second contest in the text is as much about the dominance of the male gender within society at the time as was the first contest. The first contest is based upon the prize of a female's kiss, whereas the second contest requires a maiden of sheer beauty to obtain such a prize, held in such high esteem by the town. A stake in the second contest is, not only the sparrow-hawk, but the future of Erec's maiden, whether she continue to live in poverty or be granted riches which she could not previously have, despite being offered the riches by nearly anyone that she knew prior to meeting Erec. The contests display a feeling of controlled environment to the point at which it seems as if women are treated more like rag dolls, rather than human beings who are swept of their feet by men, or so the term 'chivalry,' implies. Women have no say in anything, except when they have a wish, which can often be rejected or accepted by the men whom they oblige. In fact, only the Queen Guinevere seems to possess any form of power equal to or lower than that of Arthur’s court at Cardigan.