As time passes, many are left wondering what their love life will be like. When most kids are younger, they often dream of a happily ever after with their charming prince. Most girls love playing dress up, pretending to be a princess and fantasizing about their knight in shining armor or a handsome prince to come save them. Yet, as we all grow up, the question grows more prominent, “Is chivalry dead?” After all, chivalry is not really present in this generation as compared to the Lais of Marie de France, specifically “Chaitivel”. All throughout the Lai seems to display chivalry in complex ways, such as portraying the courage and devotion of the four knights in their battle. In this generation, there is not an abundance of people that would fight others for the love of…show more content… Yet, in this Lai, the four knights are described as people with courage, attractive, magnanimous, and in their right minds (de France 105). However, the way the knights are described does not mean that they are the perfect match for the lovely lady of the story. Although de France writes fondly of the four knights, the idea of chivalry is also critiqued as there is not a true happy ending. In accordance to “Chivalry and Women”, a chapter of Chivalry in Medieval England, the author writes, “The lady who is the object of the knight's love is portrayed as cold, heartless, unfeeling and distant, indifferent to his anguish. In an inversion of the gender relationship, she is shown in a superior position, empowered to grant her favours or to withhold them as she sees fit. The knight, through displays of prowess, strives to prove himself worthy of the lady and to persuade her to accede to his desires. His sufferings lie agonising and prolonged” (Saul 263). Frequently, despite the efforts of all of the heroic, handsome, and generous knights, their endeavors seem to always fall short for their
