Issues in medieval literary history

Teacher(s)

Cavagna Mattia;

Language

French

Main themes

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.

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	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.

Content

This course is organized around the relation between human and animal across different genres of French medieval literature. This angle will allow us to investigate the cultural and symbolic stakes in the interplay between human and non-human, and to acknowledge the role played by the polysemic language of literature in structuring this complex relation. The analysis of chosen passages will make use of the critical tools coming from different disciplines (history, anthropology, history of science), in order to ensure a knowledgeable and varied approach to the texts.

Teaching methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

The course takes the form of lectures with student interaction

Evaluation methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

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.

Bibliography

Les indications bibliographiques seront disponibles sur MOODLE.

Faculty or entity

ELAL