What can we learn from Enide, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Joan of Arc about the ability of medieval women to exercise power? Be sure to consider several forms of power and to consider at least some of the following: the relationship between husband and wife; the role of love and marriage for men and women; women's capacity to act in the public sphere; specifically female spirituality; women's roles in culture and courtly life.
             The process by which the view of the female is constructed in medieval times serves to underline the male supremacy of a courtly society which claims to center around the female, but which in the same time, essentially reduces her to the status of an object destined to satisfy and mirror male values and desire. In this world where men have the only say so, we see where women are also powerful, sometimes indirectly, and sometimes directly. In this case, Enide is shown as an indirect power through persuasion and love, Eleanor of Aquitaine through political activity, and Joan of Arc through spirituality.
             "Erec and Enide" is a story of love, adventure, knighthood, and chivalry. Chrétien seems to develop a view of marriage. The cause of the couple's adventures seems to be the excessive love within their marriage. However, it is also a work in which masculine discourse constructs women as objects and subjects them to an inferior and dependent existence within a masculine economy; technically, women having no literal power. She was an object, something that was used for status, serving and obedience, and sex. Marriage was not based on love. Although it is clear that women, in this case, have no literal power, Enide possesses perhaps even more power than is recognized. Erec has noted Enide's beauty, the advisor has spoken of his wish to arrange a high match for her, and Enide blushes in Erec's presence and is glad to been given to him, but love does not seem to...