Modern story telling allows you to delve further into the minds of the characters and expose (maybe “expose” is too strong of a word…) a side of them that potentially confirms or denies what the audience previously thought about them. Often, when we are introduced to supporting characters in literature, we are given these flat characters that do not have much to them. For example, in Bisclavret, the lady is just called lady. She is this woman who is suspicious of her husband and eventually betrays him (sorry for the spoiler). The knight is just that guy who befriended a woman, waiting until her husband slipped up so he could swoop in and save that day. When I had the lady’s point of view in mind, I wanted her to internally address the things she may have been thinking, to establish her motive, reasoning, as well as add commentary. This creates a sense of transparency for the audience. The knight’s point of view was a little different. I felt his part wasn’t as essential or enjoyable. It was meant to function similar to the Lady’s but his role compared to hers was a lot smaller. I didn’t feel he really had that much to say or rather, I didn’t have that much to say for him.
I decided that I wanted to explore a comedic internal monologue of the Knight and the Lady both of whom were not given names but who obviously play crucial roles in the poem. Their actions in the poem lead to the main character’s development (or devolution?) as well as the series of events in the literature. Maybe this is unrelated, but what can one gather about the main character when they’ve been transformed into an animal for the majority of the story? Who is the story really about? I’d argue that the story really is more about the lady and her betrayal to Bisclavret, than it is about the Knight or Bisclavret.
According to Jericho Writers , “In literal terms, internal monologue is the result of specific cerebral function which causes us to ‘hear’ ourselves speak in our head, without physically talking or making sounds. This phenomenon is often also referred to as internal dialogue or our inner voice. It’s basically a stream of verbal consciousness that no one but the person thinking it can experience.” I think it is worth noting here that not everyone has that little voice in their head, that inner dialogue. Therefore, I think seeing it written down in literature can be a useful tactic. If I could hear someone else’s voice inside their head, I would. I think about what it would sound like, what it was saying, when it made itself known, etc. Similarly, if you could hear deeper inner thoughts from say, your favorite fictional character, a lot of us would jump at the chance.
I took inspiration from different, popular television shows such as the Office (though I am not a fan) and Abbot Elementary. I particularly like when the camera pans to a character or when they directly address the audience. I tried to keep this in mind when writing my unessay.
Check out these clips from both the Office (demonstrating when a character speaks directly yo the audience) and Abbot Elementary (demonstrating when a character acknowledges that the camera is present):
After watching these clips, you’re welcome to start reading my unessay piece! Keep them in mind as you navigate through the text. Hopefully as you read the original text and pov side by side, you can see what and where I drew my inspiration from.
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Original Text
“My lord,” the lady replied, “It’s true
More than all the world I love you.
You should hide nothing from me, nor
Ever doubt I’m loyal in any affair
That would not seem like true friendship.
How have I ever sinned? What slip
Makes me seem untrustworthy to you?
Do what’s right! Now tell me, do!
She nagged him thus, and thus harassed
Him till he just had to tell, at last.
“My lady,” he said, “near that wood,
Where I come home, along that road,
Standing there is an old chapel,
Which often serves me well.
The stone is there, hollow and wide,
Beneath a bush, dug out inside;
I put my clothes there under the bush
Until I can come back to the house.”
The lady heard this marvel, this wonder.
In terror she blushed all bright red.
Filled with fear by this adventure.
Often and often passed through her head
Plans to get right out, escape, for
She didn’t want ever to share his bed.
pg. 6
That very night came to the feast,
Well equipped and richly dressed,
Who had married Bisclavret’s wife
He never thought nor reckoned
To find him so close in his life
He came to the palace; the second
That Bisclavret saw him standing around
He made for him with a single bound,
Bit into him and dragged him off
He would have treated him very rough
If the King hadn’t called him back
And threatened him with a stick.
He tried to bite him twice before night.
Many folks were amazed the sight;
For never had he acted this way
To any man he’d seen, until this day.
All those of the household insist
There must be a reason he’s doing this.
He’s hurt him, gave him some offense—
For he’d be glad to take vengeance.
This time he lets it drop
Until the feast has broken up
And the lords take leave; each baron
Returns to his home, one by one.
The knight has left, and I happen to know,
Among the very first to go,
He whom Bisclavret attacked
He hates him—not a surprising fact.
pg. 7
Bisclavret’s wife knew it; she dressed Herself in her attractive best,
Next day, to go speak to the King–
Sent him a gift, some costly thing.
When Bisclavret saw her entrance,
No man could have held him back;
He ran like mad to the attack–
Listen now to his fine vengeance:
He tore her nose right off her face.
Could anything be worse than this is? Now they surround him in that place, They’re ready to cut him in pieces,
When a wise fellow tells the King,
“My Lord,” he says, “Hear what I say:
It’s with you this beast’s been living
And every one of us here today
Has watched him a long time; beside
Him we’ve traveled far and wide.
He’s never before hurt anyone,
Or shown a criminal disposition,
Except to this lady you see here.
By the faith I owe you, it’s clear
He holds some grudge or other
Against her and her lord together.
This is the wife of that knight who
Used to be so dear to you,
Who was lost such a long time ago;
What happened to him, we don’t know.
Pg 8
With this advice the King agrees.
On the one hand, the knight they seize; The lady’s taken, on the other,
And seriously made to suffer.
From pain just as much as from fear,
She told him her lord’s whole affair: How she’d betrayed him, she said,
And taken away the clothes that he shed, The adventure he’d told, so she’d know, What he became and where he’d go. Since she’d stolen all his linen,
In his lands he’d not been seen;
But she believed–her mind was set– The beast was indeed Bisclavret.
The King wants the clothes on the spot; Whether the lady wants to or not
She has them brought back out
And given to the Bisclavret.
They set them down in front of his nose,
pg.9
The lady, now, they expell
From that realm, from that time forward. He goes with her, as well,
For whom she betrayed her lord.
She had plenty of children; grown,
They were, all of them, quite well-known, By their looks, their facial assembly: More than one woman of that family Was born without a nose to blow,
And lived denosed. It’s true! It’s so!
Lady POV
You mean the world to me. I love you.
(Or should I say “loved”)
You do not have to hide anything from me
Or doubt if I am not loyal in every sense
(But you should)
I’ve never wronged you. You should trust me.
Tell me where you put your clothes!
(So, I can tell the man I’m having an affair with!)
I will not stop until you tell me. I deserve to know
(If I keep going at it, he’ll eventually cave)
The lady has made up her mind after hearing this new information
She feared Bisclavret and what he became
She thought about it enough
And planned to leave him right away and flee to her lover
She no longer wanted to share the bed with Bisclavret (even though she had done so this long already)
It was her way out and her excuse to betray him and be with her knight in shining armor (literally)
Knight POV
I went to the King’s feast in my best clothing
And his rabid mutt tries to bite me
Not once, not twice but thrice
You’d think the King would side with me
And kill that pest
The first time he threatened to hit him and that’s it.
Then he tried to bite a second and the third time
The people thought maybe I’ve harmed him
I’ve never seen that thing in my life
I hate it.
It has no right to be in the King’s court
With courteous, respectful knights such as myself
The feast is over
I am going home
Enough of this madness.
Lady POV
I was dressed to impress, looking my best
To give the king a gift
His rabid animal tore my nose off my face
As I am profusely bleeding, the people cater to him
Saying that since he’s lived upon them for so long
And has never done such a thing
That it must be I,
Who made him swing
The thing dislikes me and my husband
But why?
Lady POV
I’m sure I know who the beast is
Bisclavret
So what if I hid his clothes that kept him from turning human?
Forcing him to remain in a beastly form for years
While I pursued my knight
That doesn’t not mean my nose should be torn from my face
The king will side with me
He will do what is right
….But why does he want the clothes of the beast?
…
The king sided with Bisclavret
Can I call him this any longer?
Men do not rip noses off of faces
Only animals do
What shall I call him?
I will ponder this from exile
….
My daughters were born without noses
my tragedy isn’t genetic
My bloodline must be cursed,
Stained
All because of Bisclavret
Sprockets and Springes 