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The Art of Courtly Love
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BetaBook 1, Chapter 6, Sixth-Seventh DialogueChapter Summaries & Analyses
Book 1: “Introduction to the Treatise of Love”
Book 1, Chapter 6, Sixth Dialogue Summary: “A man of the higher nobility speaks with a woman of the middle class”
The Sixth Dialogue is between a man of the higher nobility and a middle-class woman. Andreas says that the higher nobleman may employ the same manner of speech as the simple nobleman or use the ensuing dialogue.
The man praises the woman’s beauty and character and tells her that her love is all he wants or needs, and he will die without it. The woman expresses pleasure at the man’s love but wonders if his love for her is a product of some deficiency in him since she is of a lower social class than he is. The man counters that Love’s court does not differentiate among social ranks and seeks to fill its halls with those of every class. He asserts that the only obstacle to their love is if she perceives him lacking character. She notes that a higher nobleman’s love may make her a subject of gossip; further, higher noblemen are known to be unfaithful to women of lower ranks. The man reiterates that she should judge him by his own deeds and character so that her decision does not injure him. She counters that she has a right to accept or reject his love without being accused of inuring him. He says that others’ gossip or faithlessness injure him if they become the basis by which she accepts or rejects his love.
The man and woman debate her right to choose from which man she accepts love. He wants to know if she is inclined to love someone else; she insists this is an improper question. He argues that it would be wrong for her to give her love to another after he has already asked for it; she maintains that her heart is not inclined to love him. He persists that it is unjust to reject his love in favor of another lover’s; she decides that she would rather withdraw from love entirely. He cautions her that this will lead her to “everlasting torments”; she replies that she cannot promise her love “until Love’s arrow strikes me” (91). He concludes that he will “pray to God on bended knee” (91) for this outcome.
Book 1, Chapter 6, Seventh Dialogue Summary: “A man of the higher nobility speaks with a woman of the simple nobility”
The Seventh Dialogue is between a higher nobleman and a simple noblewoman. Andreas says that the higher nobleman may use the same speeches he used with the middle-class woman but add “commendations of birth” (91) and not boast about being noble. Andreas also offers an additional dialogue that begins with the man heaping profuse praise on the woman, emphasizing the torment caused by his love for her and his desire to serve her. The woman advises him not to praise her so excessively that he inadvertently insults other women and reminds him of the great responsibility of being a member of the higher nobility.
The man thanks and praises the woman for her advice and replies with some of his own. She should maintain her good character, avoid being spoken ill of, and accept his love over that of any other man’s. The woman replies that she worries only about being respected in the eyes of good people since bad people will inevitably speak evil. She asks him to clarify what he wants from her. He replies that he wants her love “to restore my health” (97). The woman criticizes his form, noting that he has upset the proper order by openly declaring his request and concluding that he must be inexperienced in love. He counters that she asked him to clarify his intentions, thus it is improper for her to rebuke him for doing so. He adds that if he lacks judgment, then the woman he loves can help him achieve greater wisdom.
She worries that they live too far away from each other to maintain love; he counters that people tend to want what is hard to get. Thus, distance may benefit rather than hinder love. Further, distance makes it easier to hide a love affair. The woman believes “wise and clever” (99) lovers will know how to conceal affairs regardless of distance. Her primary objection to the man is that she has a distinguished and devoted husband who loves her. The man counters that, though married people may feel genuine affection for each other, marriage cannot include love since by definition love is the desire for a “furtive and hidden embrace” (100). Further, true love cannot exist without jealousy, which is harmful in marriage. The man argues that since every woman should love, and love is not possible in marriage, the woman should accept his request.
The woman refutes his claim about jealousy, instead arguing that it is the enemy of all good people. Further, the woman argues that love is “a great desire to enjoy carnal pleasure with someone” (102) and can be fulfilled within marriage. The man elaborates his explanation of jealousy and why it cannot coexist with marriage: The man is afraid of losing his love, of not being loved as he loves, and of his love having another lover. He refutes her argument about marital relations by dismissing it as necessary for offspring but inappropriate if too ardent.
The woman insists their dispute about the appropriateness of jealousy and whether marriage can include love be decided by an arbiter. The man agrees, provided a woman judges the case. They submit a letter with their arguments to Marie, Countess of Champagne. The end of the dialogue is her letter in response, which upholds the man’s arguments.
Book 1, Chapter 6, Sixth-Seventh Dialogue Analysis
As in the First and Fourth Dialogues, the middle-class woman again demonstrates her ability to argue capably in the Sixth Dialogue, this one with a man of the higher nobility. Her concerns in this context are becoming the subject of criticism and gossip for attempting to rise above her station. This concern demonstrates that despite the repeated idea that good character rather than lineage confers nobility, one’s place in the social system is determined by family. Paradoxically, the middle-class woman shows her good sense and good character by stating the truth rather than buying into a falsehood that would justify accepting the nobleman’s love. She also points out that men of the higher nobility are known for becoming easily bored and casting aside lovers from the lower classes, a veiled critique of the quality of these men’s characters.
Andreas reveals that the idea of good character conferring nobility is a bit of a sham as it is practiced while also being factually true. The nobility wants to cling to the idea that their status is naturally endowed, as evidenced by the noblewomen in the previous dialogues. However, they also want to be able to exploit class fluidity when it benefits them, as evidenced by the simple and higher noblemen. In the process, the nobility is shown to be no more impressive in character than members of the lower classes and perhaps more superficial.
The Seventh Dialogue between the nobleman and noblewoman reinforces the critiques Andreas has subtly made to this point. Andreas advises men to make sure they praise the noblewoman’s family lineage, indicating that women of this class care very much about their social status.
The dialogue engages three concepts central to Andreas’s definition of love in the text. The man tells the woman that if he lacks judgement, she should help him achieve greater wisdom, invoking the idea that love can improve men. In addition, the man and woman debate the relationship between love and marriage and the appropriateness of jealousy in love. The woman argues vigorously in defense of marriage and against the appropriateness of jealousy in any context. Her arguments mirror those Andreas offers in Book 3, identifying marriage as a sacred union that provides an acceptable setting for satisfying carnal urges and jealousy as a corrosive force. The woman insists that they submit the case for arbitration, which the man agrees to only if the arbiter is a woman.
The implication of his choice suggests that he believes a woman will be more amenable to his arguments. His desire for a woman judge proves correct when the Countess of Champagne returns a verdict in his favor. Curiously, the noblewoman in the dialogue argues for love in marriage, and the noblewoman who judges their case argues against it. Andreas seems continually to subvert and undercut bold distinctions and generalizations about class and gender. This mirrors the way he seems to mock the idea that love can be neatly boiled down into a list of rules and behaviors.
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