The Wife Of Martin Guerre Theme

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Chanya Likitkunawong

''The Wife of Martin Guerre' questions whether truth is more important than personal happiness.' Discuss

'The Wife of Martin Guerre' showcases thoughts about how there is only true and false in this world. Bertrande as a character believes that not having the "truth" revealed is a false life, living in sin. However, characters such as the Housekeeper believe that the "truth" is destructive, and would much rather be "deceived" and "happy" than having "nothing" go well for the household. It is also suggested in the text that knowing the "truth" often comes with a price.

Bertrande's decision to denounce the "truth" about the new Martin being an "impostor" was so that she would no longer bear the weight of sin. "The truth is only the truth. I cannot change it" suggests that she sees truth as absolute. There is no in between, there is only true and false. She could not live with herself for living in a false life, a life of lies. She accepts the "truth" as to not live with the turmoil the sin is taking on her health.

The Housekeeper values happiness over truth because sometimes the truth is destructive. She claims that "all was well" before the …show more content…

She loved him, and he loved her, as suggested by the way Bertrande opposed the court's ruling of death to Arnaud. Arnaud's "face bright...with joy" showed that he himself had also loved Bertrande because of her "love and grace" she had once shown him before the denunciation. After Arnaud had died, Bertrande had felt a "bitter, solitary justice" as she was now alone, but free of the guilt she once carried. She felt "isolated", much like the way Artigues is "isolated" from the other cities. She had paid her price for "truth" by losing the one she loved, and by losing all the mesnie. She later paid with her life as suggested in the text, "when hate and love together exhausted the soul, the body seldom endures for

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