In “The Return of Martin Guerre”, Natalie Zemon Davis paints the portrait of Jean de Coras as a knowledgeable and impartial judge, fully capable of recognizing intelligence feminine and to look beyond. the status quo in his quest for truth. Like any judge, Coras has the discretion to select or omit certain elements of evidence, the power to shape the official and accepted version of the truth; However, Michel de Montaigne would argue that Coras is likely to reach a distorted verdict. Montaigne's "Essays" asserts that knowledge is acquired through the process of questioning oneself, but this questioning assumes that knowledge begins with one's own perspectives and not with disciplines (such as medicine and law ), which are linked to theoretical assumptions and formal logical systems. Montaigne's real concern is not with Coras's disciplinary knowledge, but with the relationship between different human beings and the conventions by which their experience is defined and their identity contained. Throughout his “Essays,” Montaigne peppers implicative and digressive examples to assert that knowledge can only be found in a composite human being, composed of independent thoughts and experiences. EXPLATORYOf CannibalsMontagines “Of Cannibals” does not study cannibalism or noble savages, but rather nature, methodology and the power of reason. It is in this context that Montaigne examines the use of reason in judgment. This is illustrated when Monatagin states: “we must judge according to the eye of reason, and not according to ordinary mortals” (Cannibals, 1). How one should judge and deduce reasonable conclusions is illustrated by Montagine's own methodology for judging native savages. Montagine studied native savages because the exotic and ...... middle of paper ...... nary case of adultery. The case of Martin Guerre was a bold attempt to challenge the social institution of marriage, an institution imposed by laws, customs and rituals. But for Coras, the liveliness of mind and the spectacular memory of Arnaud du Tilh lead this fine peasant into a “tragi-comedy” of imposture. This is illustrated when Coras states: “It was truly a tragedy for this good peasant… especially since the outcome was miserable, even fatal for him. » (War, 111). As Davis illustrates, Coras admired Tilh's deceptive abilities and his The real tragedy lies in the unmasking of Tilh, "a kind of hero, a more real Martin Guerre" (Guerre, 110) than the unsympathetic husband of Beltrade de Rols . Finally, Coras found Arnaud du Tilh more intelligent than his accusers, a man. who seemed to know more about the life of Martin Guerre than the real Martin Guerre.