Sacrifice and Service: Masculinity and the Medieval French Literary Tradition

3 units

The Middle Ages constitute a beginning: a period when new languages and literatures--along with Gothic cathedrals, Troubadour song, Romanesque art, crusades for the Holy Land, and quests for the Holy Grail--come into being. By focusing on the notion of service, we will study how medieval society establishes a hierarchy of power that encompasses religious, feudal, and courtly relationships. Particular attention will be given to the construction and testing of gender roles. What are men and women asked to sacrifice? Whom and what are they supposed to serve? How do the concepts of honor and heroism motivate the service of knights and heroines to their king and God? Texts to include: LA CHANSON DE ROLAND, LA QUETE DU SAINT-GRAAL, LA VIE DE SAINT ALEXIS, LE JEU D'ADAM, Béroul's and Thomas's versions of LE ROMAN DE TRISTAN, Chrétien de Troyes's LE CHEVALIER AU LION OU YVAIN, Rutebeuf's MIRACLE DE THÉOPHILE, and Christine de Pizan's famous poem on Jeanne d'Arc. All readings in modern French. Prereq: Fr 325 and Fr 326 or one of these courses and the equivalent WU transfer literature course from Toulouse or Paris. One-hour preceptorial for required for undergraduates.