The Cambridge Companion to Medieval French Literature

by Edited by Simon Gaunt , Sarah Kay

• ISBN13: 9780521679756
• ISBN10: 0521679753
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-04-21
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Medieval French literature encompasses 450 years of literary output in Old and Middle French, mostly produced in Northern France and England. These texts, including courtly lyrics, prose and verse romances, dits amoureux and plays, proved hugely influential for other European literary traditions in the medieval period and beyond. This Companion offers a wide-ranging and stimulating guide to literature composed in medieval French from its beginnings in the ninth century until the Renaissance. The essays are grounded in detailed analysis of canonical texts and authors such as the Chanson de Roland, the Roman de la Rose, Villon's Testament, Chr_tien de Troyes, Machaut, Christine de Pisan and the Tristan romances. Featuring a chronology and suggestions for further reading, this is the ideal companion for students and scholars in other fields wishing to discover the riches of the French medieval tradition.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations	p. vii
Notes on contributors	p. ix
Chronology	p. xii
Introduction	p. 1
What is a Medieval French Text?	p. 19
The Chanson de Roland	p. 21
The Old French Vulgate cycle	p. 35
Le Roman de la rose	p. 48
The Testament of Francois Villon	p. 63
What is a Medieval French Author?	p. 77
Chretien de Troyes	p. 79
The Chatelain de Couci	p. 95
Guillaume de Machaut	p. 109
Christine de Pizan	p. 123
What is the Value of Genre for Medieval French Literature?	p. 137
Narrative genres	p. 139
Lyric poetry of the later Middle Ages	p. 153
Genre, parody, and spectacle	p. 167
Theatre and theatricality	p. 181
How Can We Read Medieval French Literature Historically?	p. 195
Feudalism and kingship	p. 197
Clerks and laity	p. 210
The marital and the sexual	p. 225
Others and alterity	p. 238
Reference works for Old and Middle French	p. 251
Bibliography of medieval French texts	p. 255
Suggested further reading	p. 260
Index	p. 269
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