Abstract

In her Lais, Marie de France uses certain basic narrative motifs or themes, which may be either primary or secondary elements of the individual plot structure. Throughout the lays these themes or situations are repeated, each time with at least one different variation. Upon these variants S. Foster Damon attempts to build a system of classification of the Lais, according to analogues or parallels in the treatment of certain themes . Damon was not the only critic to note the repetitions in Marie's narrative poems, and to comment upon them; so did Ernest Hoepffner a few years later. jQuery.click { event.preventDefault(); })