Popular culture depicts medieval chivalry as a glamorous and exhilarating era for women, with knights bending their knees in adoration in Pre-Raphaelite paintings, and fairness and the virtues of women who are celebrated in literature. Chivalry is often understood as the elevation of the beautiful lady, with men taking on the task of protecting and defending women. In reality, however, it was not an elevation of women, but a limitation of their freedom and a weakening of their intelligence and willpower. Medieval chivalry, in essence, subordinated women to men while claiming to elevate women. In Lanval and Laustic, women have a subordinate status to men in three ways: by being portrayed as temptresses, by being subject to men's protection, and by being subservient to men's orders. men were depicted as untrustworthy temptresses, and the lady in Laustic, the nameless lover in Lanval, and the queen in Lanval are all depicted as temptresses. For example, the lady in Laustic spends the whole night watching her lover. She can't go to the castle next door to see her lover, so instead, all night "The lady, at her window, higher up, / Speaks and looks, only longing." From this passage we can see the sexual undertones of the story, with the lady looking longingly at her lover. Elsewhere it is explained that "They had everything they wanted, to their liking, / Except to get together alone, you know, / And go as far as they wanted to go", clearly indicating the overt sexual nature of the woman's desire for her. lover and his for her. Lanval's unnamed lover is even more overtly sexual, appearing scantily clad. The first time we meet her, the story goes: “In just... middle of paper... Lanval and Laustic, were subservient to men in three different ways: being considered tempters, needing the protection of men, and obeying the orders of men men. The lady of Laustic conforms to all these types, and so does the queen of Lanval, with the exception that as queen she has some power. Lanval's lover breaks some of these tendencies, but then we learn that she is a lady of Avalon, the mythical land where King Arthur is buried and from where he will return, and so it is not surprising that she does not conform to the standard status of women. gabriel Works CitedDe France, Marie. Lanval. Trans. Judith P. Shoaf. Np: np, 2005. Web. 4 December 2013..De France, Marie. Laustic. Trans. Judith P. Shoaf. Np: np, 1991. Web. 4 December. 2013..