Issues in medieval literary history [ LROM2221 ]

- a good knowledge of the basics of Old and Middle French ;
- familiarity with basic notions of literary analysis and genres ;
- successful completion of an introductory course on medieval French literature. 

In the series of courses which examine authors and literary history at BAC level, this course has twin objectives :
- to deepen knowledge of medieval French literature ;
- to highlight the special medieval characteristics of a particular topic ;
- to compare this topic with other periods in French literature, particularly the 16th century ;
- to make students aware of interdisciplinarity and the critical perspective.

By the end of the course, students will be able to
- recognise and analyse the literary themes and practices of medieval works
- understand and recognise the constraints linked to literary genres ; they will be able to  detect the borderline cases and the interferences between the genres ;
- make the relation between the different parts of the course and the academic publications from the compulsory reading list
- question the links between literature and medieval society/civilisation
- make use of the contribution of the different disciplines (history, history of art, anthropology, theology, study of manuscripts etc.)
- bring out the relevance of contacts between the linguistic domains (Latin ' vernacular languages ; vernacular languages between each other)
- make critical and methodological comparisons between the different periods of French literature.

Oral exam. In addition to showing first-hand knowledge of all required readings, students must demonstrate their ability to analyze a literary text and to frame their approach in a meaningful context that takes into account problems and aspects explored in class.

The course takes the form of lectures with student interaction

The course will be intituled, "The chanson de geste beyond the Chanson de Roland." This will include identifying and analyzing in a critical approach, thematic formal, ideological differences distinguishing the chansons de geste from the Chanson de Roland (mainly chansons of the cycle de Guillaume d'Orange). We will emphasize the richness and complexity of this tradition, which incorporates motifs and themes found in many other genres, including humor, the role of women and the love theme.

The bibliography will be available on iCampus

Support : A bibliography and a reading folder are available for students at the beginning  of the course. Other documents are uploaded to iCampus throughout the course.