75826 - Comparative Medieval Literatures (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students know - through the study of key texts and their historical and cultural contexts and through the investigation of specific critical issues - topics and major works of medieval literature. They are able to use linguistic and philological methodologies and apply them to the analysis of the origin and development of the major European literary genres (lyric poetry, novel, short story, etc..) in a comparative perspective.

Course contents

 

The tale in the Middle Ages

The subject of the course are the principal forms of tale in French, Occitan and Spanish medieval literature, with an appendix on Boccaccio and the fabliaux. In this perspective the teacher will read and comment some significative texts both of courtly and comic tone; some other texts will concern the agiographic and biographic genre.

 

Readings/Bibliography

A. Historical and literary outline:

M. Picone, Il racconto nel medioevo. Francia, Provenza, Spagna, Bologna, il Mulino, 2012.

B. Texts:

1. P. Gresti, Antologia delle letterature romanze del Medioevo, Seconda edizione, Bologna, Pàtron, 2011, Section A (Agiografia) and E (Racconto). The texts are to be read in the Italian version together with their introductions and commentaries, with the exception of the linguistic annotation.

2. The anthology of texts and studies, available in xerocopy at Master Copy's, via Cartoleria 4, Bologna.The texts are to be read in the Italian version.

Students non attending to the course will also read one of the following books (the texts are to be read in the Italian version):

1. Il 'lai' di Narciso, ed. by M. Mancini, Parma, Pratiche Editrice, 1989.

2. L'amante prigioniero, ed. by M. Di Febo, Alessandria, Edizioni dell'Orso, 2002.

3. Henri d'Andeli, Il 'lai' di Aristotele, ed. by M. Infurna, Roma, Carocci, 2005.

Teaching methods

Readings and commentaries in class, introduced with a historical and literary outline.

Assessment methods

Final oral examination concerning the whole course contents. In particular, students are required to show a good ability of independent and critical study, establishing parallels and differences between the texts and illustrating their historical and literary background. Good language skills are required.

Teaching tools

Traditional tools: books, xerocopies and pdf.

Office hours

See the website of Luciano Formisano