Violence and the Multiple Responses of Medieval France

Examines violence and its representations from a variety of perspectives: literary, historical, psychological, etc. Different literary forms (11th - 13th) introduce conflicts between competing value systems, problems raised by militant religion, vendettas and the pursuit of justice. Across the gamut of appetites and emotions, violence takes a variety of shapes, producing broken hearts and broken heads. The beautiful seductiveness of violence, despite its horrors, is frequently transformed into artistic and literary expression, from the highest forms of Western tradition to the cheap exploitations of pulp fiction. What can the Middle Ages teach us about violence, yesterday and today? Not open to first year students.