75826 - Comparative Medieval Literatures (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will acquire a basic knowledge of the works and themes produced in the main European medieval literatures and of the origin and development of their chief literary genres (lyric poetry, novel, tale etc.) studied in their cultural and historical context and from a comparative point of view.

Course contents

The course is divided into two sections:

A. The medieval novel

B. Love madness: models for the Orlando Furioso and Don Quijote

   The subject of the first section is the medieval novel, which will be illustrated with regard to the Tristan's saga and Chrétien de Troyes' novels.

   In the second part the theme of love madness will be the guiding thread for the study of the Folies Tristan (and Béroul's Roman de Tristan), Chrétien's Chevalier au lion, the novel of Flamenca and other texts concerning the chivalric madness.

Readings/Bibliography

A. The medieval novel

1. M.L. Meneghetti, Il romanzo nel Medioevo, Bologna, il Mulino, 2010 ("Itinerari. Filologia e critica letteraria").

2. P. Gresti, Antologia delle letterature romanze del Medioevo, Seconda edizione, Bologna, Pàtron, 2011, Section D (Romanzo), corresponding to Section B of the first edition, Bologna, Pàtron 2006. The texts are to be read in the Italian version together with their introduction and commentary.

3. One of the following novels, to be read in the Italian translation:

(a) Béroul, Tristano e Isotta, a cura di G. Paradisi, Alessandria, Edizioni dell'Orso, 2013 ("Gli Orsatti. Testi per un Altro Medioevo", 35).

(b) Chrétien de Troyes, Il cavaliere del leone, a cura di F. Gambino, con un'introduzione di L. Spetia, Alessandria, Edizioni dell'Orso, 2011 ("Gli Orsatti. Testi per un Altro Medioevo", 33). An Italian prose version without the original text is available in Chrétien de Troyes, Romanzi cortesi, a cura di G. Agrati e M.L. Magini, Milano, Mondadori, 1983, t. 5 (Ivano).

B. Love madness: models for the Orlando Furioso and Don Quijote

The anthology of texts available before the beginning of the course at Mastercopy's, Bologna, via Cartoleria. The texts are to be read in the Italian version.

Teaching methods

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

Assessment methods

Final oral examination concerning the whole course contents, according to the above-given indications.

Teaching tools

Traditional tools: books and xerocopies.

Office hours

See the website of Luciano Formisano