La Farce de Maitre Pathelin- the character of Guillemette

La Farce de Maitre Pierre Pathelin has been called a little masterpiece. In comparison to most earlier works of French medieval literature, it is highly complex in many aspects. In the words of Cazamian, a high level of artistic creation is reached. This essay will focus on Guillemette and study both her role in the play, and the complex nature of this character. Such a study should give the reader an idea of the plays high level of artistic creation, and also illustrate some of the many witty double meanings and underlying messages that are present right throughout the Farce. Although Guillemette appears in only four of the ten scenes of the Farce (according to the scene division in the modern French translation), she is much more†¦show more content†¦In scene V, a similar comparison can be made between the intelligence of Guillemette and that of the drapier. It is true that Guillemette has the advantage over the drapier in that she is at home and Pathelin is on her side against the drapier; but one would still assume that a crafty tradesman would be more quick-witted than a simple housewife. Yet, as already noted above, Guillemette manages to completely outsmart and deceive the drapier, leaving him dumbfounded. In this scene, as in scenes I and III, Guillemettes cleverness is clear. So Guillemette comes across as more intelligent than the other main characters in the play; and, unlike them, she is not the victim of trickery. The result of this is that Guillemette is the character with whom the audience can identify with most closely. In a play such as the Farce, where there is no narrator, one of the characters often plays the role of an intermediary between the characters and the audience. Such a character encourages the audience to feel more involved in the play and to see it as a reflection of their own society. In the Farce and it is Guillemette who plays this role, and it is in this way that she is most important. At no point does she address the audience