Justice for the Wives: Judging Medieval Womanhood in "Bisclavret" and the Case of Martin Guerre

Materials Needed

• A copy of Marie de France's "Bisclavret" (easily found online or in anthologies).
• A detailed summary of the historical case of Martin Guerre. The Wikipedia entry is sufficient, or a short article like the one on History.com titled "The Fascinating Story of Martin Guerre."
• A notebook and pen, or a word processing document.
• Optional: Access to the internet for brief research tasks.
• Optional: Large sheet of paper or a whiteboard for brainstorming.

Lesson Overview

This lesson moves beyond simple summary to a deep, creative analysis. You will act as a combination of literary critic, historian, and jury member. By comparing the fictional wife in the lai "Bisclavret" with the real-life Bertrande de Rols (the wife of Martin Guerre), you will explore complex themes of loyalty, identity, and justice in medieval and early modern France. The final goal is not to find a single "right" answer, but to build a persuasive, evidence-based argument from a unique perspective.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Analyze and compare the motivations, actions, and societal pressures faced by the wife in "Bisclavret" and Bertrande de Rols.
• Evaluate how "justice" is delivered differently in a world of folklore and magic versus a formal court of law.
• Synthesize historical context, literary evidence, and concepts of "folk law" to form a compelling argument.
• Create an original piece of work (a legal defense, a diary, or a podcast script) that demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the characters and their worlds.

Lesson Activities

Part 1: The Opening Statement — Hook (10 minutes)

Start with a thought experiment. Imagine your most trusted loved one reveals a secret that is not just shocking, but monstrous and potentially dangerous. They disappear frequently and refuse to explain why. You eventually discover they are living a terrifying double life.

• What is your primary duty: to protect yourself and your community, or to remain loyal to this person, no matter the cost?
• At what point does self-preservation become betrayal?
• How would your answer change if you lived in a time with no police to call, where the community's judgment was law?

Jot down your initial thoughts. There's no right answer. This is the exact dilemma our two women faced.

Part 2: Gathering Evidence — Comparative Analysis (30 minutes)

Read (or re-read) "Bisclavret" and the summary of the Martin Guerre case. As you read, focus specifically on the wives. Create a T-chart or Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two women across the following categories:

• The Husband's "Crime": What did each husband do (or what was he hiding)? (One is a werewolf, the other an imposter... or is he?)
• The Wife's Motivation: Why did each wife act as she did? (Fear, ambition, love, social pressure, desperation?)
• The Wife's Action: What specific, decisive action did each woman take to change her situation?
• The Role of the Community: How did the court, the king, or the village influence the outcome?
• The Final Judgment: What was the ultimate consequence for each wife? Was it "just" according to the rules of her world?

Guiding Questions for Analysis:

• Which wife had more agency or control over her destiny? Why do you think so?
• Bisclavret's wife is punished for betraying a supernatural secret (folklore), while Bertrande engages with the formal legal system. How does this difference in context (magic vs. law) shape our judgment of them?
• Is Bertrande's accuser (the imposter) a more "sympathetic" figure than Bisclavret's wife? Why or why not?

Part 3: Consulting the Law Books — Justice, Folklore, and History (20 minutes)

Let's add some historical context. Conduct a brief internet search on the following concepts. Spend no more than 10 minutes on each. The goal is a general understanding, not deep expertise.

1. "Folk Law": What was it? How did communities in the Middle Ages handle justice without formal courts? (Think about honor, oaths, and community reputation). How does the judgment against Bisclavret's wife (her sliced-off nose becoming hereditary) reflect a kind of "folk law"?
2. "16th-Century French Courts": How did a trial like Martin Guerre's actually work? What kind of evidence was considered valid? (Think about witness testimony, physical resemblance, and the role of the judge).

After your research, add a few notes to your T-chart. How does understanding these justice systems change your perception of each wife's actions and fate?

Part 4: The Final Verdict — Creative Application Project (45-60 minutes)

This is your chance to showcase your understanding. Choose ONE of the following projects to complete. The goal is to be creative while grounding your work in the evidence from the texts and your historical research.

Option A: The Defense Attorney's Closing Argument

You are a lawyer (either a medieval advocate or a modern one). Write a powerful 400-500 word closing argument defending either Bisclavret's wife or Bertrande de Rols. Acknowledge the "crimes" she is accused of, but use evidence from the story and historical context to argue that her actions were understandable, justified, or even heroic. Appeal to the jury's (or the king's) sense of reason and empathy.

Option B: The Secret Diary

Write three substantive diary entries (about 150-200 words each) from the perspective of either Bisclavret's wife or Bertrande de Rols.

• Entry 1: The moment of discovery/suspicion (when she learns the secret or begins to doubt her husband's identity).
• Entry 2: The night before her decisive action (before she betrays Bisclavret or before she goes to court). Capture her fear, conflict, and resolve.
• Entry 3: After the final judgment. Reflect on the consequences. Does she feel relief, guilt, vindication, or ruin?

Option C: The "Medieval True Crime" Podcast Script

Write the script for a 5-minute segment of a modern "true crime" podcast examining one of these cases. Your script should include:

• A catchy title for the episode (e.g., "The Werewolf of Brittany" or "The Imposter of Artigat").
• An engaging introduction that hooks the listener.
• A clear narration of the key events.
• Your unique analysis, where you pose questions about the wife's guilt or innocence and discuss the strange intersection of law, folklore, and justice.
• A concluding thought that leaves the listener pondering the case.

Assessment

The success of your final project will be based on how well you demonstrate your understanding, not on whether you chose the "correct" side. Your work will be evaluated based on the following simple rubric.

Simple Rubric for Final Project:

• Argument and Evidence (40%): Does the project use specific details from "Bisclavret" or the Martin Guerre case to support its points? Is the argument clear and persuasive?
• Historical & Thematic Context (30%): Does the project thoughtfully incorporate ideas about medieval/early modern life, justice, folk law, or gender roles?
• Creativity and Perspective (30%): Does the project successfully adopt the chosen format (legal argument, diary, podcast)? Is the voice authentic and engaging? Does it offer a creative or insightful take on the material?

Extension & Further Study

• Watch the 1982 film The Return of Martin Guerre starring Gérard Depardieu and compare its portrayal of Bertrande to your own interpretation.
• Read other lais by Marie de France, such as "Lanval" or "Yonec," and analyze the roles and agency of the female characters.
• Research other famous "imposter" cases from history and compare them to the Martin Guerre affair.
• Explore the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index for fairy tales and look up tale type ATU 425C, "Beauty and the Beast," which shares themes with "Bisclavret" (the monstrous husband).