Résumé
In La Princesse de Clèves by Madame de La Fayette, set in the 16th-century French court, young Mademoiselle de Chartres marries the Prince de Clèves, a man she respects but does not love, under her mother’s guidance.
She soon falls passionately in love with the dashing Duc de Nemours, leading to an internal struggle between her duty to her husband and her forbidden desires.
Through courtly intrigues, secret confessions, and societal pressures, the princess chooses virtue over passion, ultimately retreating to a convent after her husband’s death, highlighting the conflict between love and honor.
This novel, considered one of the first psychological novels, offers a nuanced exploration of emotion and morality.