A feminist analysis of Perceval, Tristan and Isolde and Aucassin and NicoletteCurrently, there is a debate among feminists as to whether the demeaning portrayal of women in popular media causes or is caused by negative attitudes in modern culture. A similar debate exists among historians of the late Middle Ages as to whether the rise in popularity of the cult of the Virgin, its depiction in art, and the code of chivalry caused or were caused by changing attitudes towards women. Many factors in the late Middle Ages The Middle Ages coincided with the creation of a completely new role for women: contact with the Muslim world in Spain, the growing popularity of religious life and the aforementioned cultural changes. All these factors are intertwined with the new attitudes that have emerged towards women. Virginity was exalted, femininity was praised, courtly love transformed women into objects of devotion rather than objects of desire. In short, women were placed on a pedestal. The cultural paradox of this change in attitude is that, by being placed on that pedestal, women have become objects rather than individuals. This dichotomy between respect for women as a group and respect for individual women is clearly shown in three medieval romances. Perceval, Tristan and Isolde, and Aucassin and Nicolette may vary greatly in plot, tone, and style, but the underlying premise is the same. In medieval romance, women may be objects of devotion, but they are still simply objects to be earned, conquered, possessed, and dominated. The first example of this attitude is the saga of the damsel whom Perceval crudely attacks. This woman, never named, is completely enslaved and mistreated by men. Perceval, not listening to her protests, forces her into a compromising situation and then robs her... by means of paper... the band is Muslim. The Christian king of Biaucaire, in contrast, does not honor his right to self-determination. The Muslim roots of Nicolette's relative freedom serve as an answer to the question of whether this literature derived from the culture or whether it shaped the culture. From this evidence it seems that the first hypothesis is true. The pervasiveness of oppressive attitudes demonstrated in these texts clearly shows the dichotomous view of women in the late Middle Ages. Respect for femininity, so central to the code of chivalry, did not translate into greater freedom for women themselves. Modern opponents of feminism argue that the Women's Movement reversed this dichotomy, that is, that individual freedoms devalued women as a group. Maybe we should ask ourselves why our culture has trouble valuing femininity and valuing women at the same time.