13326 - French Literature III

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will be able to read a literary text in French, both in textual and intertextual mode, with the necessary references to the history of French literature in relation to European literature. They will sharpen, as much as possible, their stylistic competences within their linguistic competences. They will use French as a language of communication.

Course contents

The course, which will include a general introduction to XVI^th and XVII^th literature, will focus on the relationship between French authors and ancient and modern models.

In particular, as far as the XVI^th century is concerned, the focus will be placed on the relationship with the Italian sources: Dante, Petrarca, Boccaccio, Ariosto and Machiavelli or the models of new emerging genres such as histoires tragiques.

The study of the XVII^th century will be also also the occasion to consider the relationship with the Greek and Latin tradition, with particular regard to the theatrical tradition, from the Baroque Age to the Querelle des Anciens et des Modernes.

Readings/Bibliography

Literary History of the XVIth and XVIIth centuries:

Lionello SOZZI (a cura di), Storia europea della letteratura francese. Dalle origini al Seicento, Torino, Einaudi, 2013 (only chapters concerning XVIth and XVIIth literature).

or

Daniel MÉNAGER, Introduction à la vie littéraire du XVI^e siècle, Paris, Nathan, 2001 and Jean-Claude TOURNAND, Introduction à la vie littéraire du XVII^e siècle, Paris, Dunod, 1997.

or

Jean-Yves TADIÉ (sous la direction de), La littérature française: dynamique et histoire. Tome I, Paris, Gallimard, 2007, pp. 233-691.

 

Readings:

1. Pierre Corneille, Le Cid
2. Madame de Lafayette, La Princesse de Clèves
3. Jean Racine, Phèdre

 

Monografic Part

Texts analized during classes (available at Mastercopy, via Cartoleria 4, and uploaded in AMS CAMPUS-ALMA DL) and eight among these articles/chapters of books available at Mastercopy, via Cartoleria 4:

Dario Cecchetti, Dante e il Rinascimento francese, in «Letture classensi», 19, 1990, pp. 35-63.

Gisèle Mathieu-Castellani, Echos de Dante dans la poésie française du XVI^e siècle, in «Littérature», 133, marzo 2004, pp. 40-53.

Lionello Sozzi, D’Aubigné, l’Italie et les auteurs italiens, les ‘Tragiques’ et la ‘Divine Comédie’, in «Albineana», 15, 2004, pp. 13-36.

Jean Balsamo, “Nous l’avons tous admiré, et imité: non sans cause”. Pétrarque en France à la Renaissance: un livre, un modèle, un mythe, in Jean Balsamo (a cura di), Les poètes français de la Renaissance et Pétrarque. Etudes réunies par Jean Balsamo, Genève, Droz, 2004, pp. 13-32.

Lionello Sozzi, Presenza del Petrarca nella letteratura francese, in Luisa Rotondi Secchi Tarugi (a cura di), Petrarca e la cultura europea, Milano, Nuovi Orizzonti, 1997, pp. 243-262.

Lance K. Donaldson-Evans, The Narrative of Desire: Boccaccio and the French ‘Decameron’ of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries, in «Neophilologus», 77, n. 4. 1993, pp. 541-552.

Jean Balsamo, “Un livre écrit du doigt de Satan”. La découverte de Machiavel et l’invention du machiavélisme en France au XVI^e siècle, in Dominique de Courcelles (a cura di), Le pouvoir des livres à la Renaissance, Paris, Ecole des Chartes, 1998, pp. 77-92.

Jean Balsamo, L'Arioste et le Tasse. Deux poètes italiens, leurs libraires et leurs lecteurs français, in L’Arioste et le Tasse en France au XVI^e siècle, Paris, Presses de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, 2003, pp. 11-25.

Jean Vignes, Traductions et imitations françaises de l’‘Orlando furioso’ (1544-1580): étude comparative, in L’Arioste et le Tasse en France au XVI^e siècle, Paris, Presses de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, 2003, pp. 75-98.

Michel Simonin, François de Belleforest traducteur de Bandel dans le premier volume des ‘Histoires tragiques’, in Ugo Rozzo (a cura di), Matteo Bandello novelliere europeo, Tortona, Cassa di Risparmio, 1982, pp. 455-471.

Michel Simonin, La publication et la traduction de la ‘Quarta parte de le novelle de Bandello: de la trahison de l’éditeur à l’infidélité du traducteur, in Ugo Rozzo (a cura di), Gli uomini, le città e i tempi di Matteo Bandello, Tortona, Centro di Studi Matteo Bandello, 1985, pp. 15-26.

Erich Auerbach, Il falso devoto, in Mimesis. Il realismo nella letteratura occidentale, Torino, Einaudi, edizione a scelta.

Arnold Hauser, Il Barocco delle corti cattoliche, in Storia sociale dell’arte, Torino, Einaudi, edizione a scelta.

Daniela Dalla Valle, Ippolito e i mostri: una possibile lettura della ‘Phèdre’ di Racine, in Studi di storia della civiltà letteraria francese. Mélanges offerts à Lionello Sozzi, Paris, Champion, 1996, t. I, pp. 431-445.

 

Non-attending students will prepare the final exam following the previous bibliography with the support of these additional readings:

 

• Antologia cronologica della letteratura francese. Il Cinquecento, Milano, LED, 1996:

François Rabelais, Pantagruel

Hélisenne de Crenne, Les angoysses douloureuses

Herberay des Essarts, Le premier livre d’Amadis de Gaule

Maurice Scève, Delie, object de plus haulte vertu

Jacques Amyot, L’Histoire Æthiopique de Heliodorus

Joachim Du Bellay, La Deffence et Illustration de la Langue française

Joachim Du Bellay, L’Olive

Pierre de Ronsard, Nouvelle Continuation des Amours

Joachim Du Bellay, Divers Jeux Rustiques

Marguerite de Navarre, Heptameron des Nouvelles

Pierre Boaistuau, Histoires tragiques

Pierre de Ronsard, La Franciade

Agrippa d’Aubigné, Les Tragiques

Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, Les Essais

Robert Garnier, Les Juifves

 

• Antologia cronologica della letteratura francese. Il Seicento, Milano, LED, 1997:

Honoré d’Urfé, Astrée

Pierre Corneille, Le Cid

Madeleine de Scudérie, Clélie, histoire romaine

Blaise Pascal, Les Provinciales

Paul Scarron, Roman comique

Molière, Les précieuses ridicules

Antoine Furetière, Le Roman bourgeois

Molière, Le Misanthrope

Jean Racine, Andromaque

Boileau, Art poétique

Jean Racine, Phèdre

Madame de Lafayette, La Princesse de Clèves

Bernard de Fontenelles, Histoire des Oracles

Charles Perrault, Le siècle de Louis le Grand

Jean de La Bruyère, Les Caractères

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures; participation is nevertheless highly encouraged.

Assessment methods

The exam consists in an oral interview during which the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student will be evaluated . The student will be invited to discuss the texts covered during the course and to move within the sources and bibliographical material in order to be able to identify in them the useful information. The achievement of an organic vision of the issues addressed during the classes and their critical use, which demonstrate ownership of a mastery of expression and specific language, will be assessed with marks of excellence (28-30). Mechanical and / or mnemonic knowledge of matter, synthesis and analysis of non-articulating and / or correct language but not always appropriate will lead to discrete assessments (23-27); training gaps and / or inappropriate language - although in a context of minimal knowledge of the material - will lead to votes that will not exceed the sufficiency (18-22). Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of guidance within the reference materials offered during the course will lead to failed assessments.

Teaching tools

Texts analized during classes will be available at Mastercopy, via Cartoleria 4, and uploaded in AMS CAMPUS-ALMA DL.

Office hours

See the website of Bruna Conconi