Spring 2022  |  FREN 3611 Section 001: Speaking of Love in Medieval France: Stories, Songs, and Letters (66163)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Discussion
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
A-F only
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/18/2022 - 05/02/2022
Mon, Wed 01:00PM - 02:15PM
UMTC, East Bank
Folwell Hall 6
Enrollment Status:
Closed (22 of 22 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
How did people talk about love in the Middle Ages? What songs did they sing about it? What stories did they tell? How did it define the self? In this course, we will study troubadour songs, short tales, romances, and letters composed in twelfth-century France and Anglo-Norman England. We will examine their historical context: the patronage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her family, the broader context of medieval court life, and the erudite circles that formed during the rise of the Parisian schools. Because what people say is determined by the language, motifs, and forms that they have available to them, we will discuss the transmission of ideas about love and the interpretation of exemplary figures (Tristan and Iseut, Lancelot and Guinevere). We will also consider the literary form of these texts in relation to their meaning. But at the heart of our inquiry will be the notion of the self. How did "speaking of love" allow medieval writers to cultivate their own subjectivity or individuality? Texts will include troubadour songs, the Lais of Marie de France, the romances of Tristan and Iseut by Thomas of England and Béroul, Chrétien de Troyes's Arthurian romances, and the letters of Abelard and Heloise. We will also study a film about Eleanor of Aquitaine and her family (The Lion in Winter, 1968) and a contemporary opera about a troubadour and his lady, Kaija Saariaho's L'Amour de loin (2000). FREN 3611 and 3711 meet together. Both FREN 3611 and 3711 are taught in English. Reading and writing assignments for FREN 3611 are in modern French. FREN 3611 may count towards the major or minor in French Studies. Reading and writing assignments for FREN 3711 are in English. FREN 3711 does not count towards the major or minor in French Studies. prereq: FREN 3015
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?noake001+FREN3611+Spring2022
Class Description:
This semester, this course will include materials from the 13th to the 15th century and entertain the question whether the creation of the self through the love language created by the troubadours ever presented difficulties for medieval poets and members of their audience. We will study, in addition to texts listed in the catalog description, the ROMANCE OF THE ROSE and the "querelle" regarding it that arose at the end of the 14th century. The opera mentioned will not be part of the course this semester.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Students who have completed 3101 and are curious about French "love language" and concepts of gender, their roots and contexts, or simply about the French Middle Ages, especially its courtly life and culture.
Learning Objectives:
Analysis of texts. Inference about culture from a variety of texts, songs, and other artifacts. Expansion of vocabulary and improved writing skill.
Grading:
50% active class participation, including thoughtful forum postings. 21% oral reports (3) with summary handouts. 39% 3-page essays in French (3) on topics selected in consultation with instructor.
Exam Format:
This course will not include an examination.
Class Format:
Discussion.
Workload:
Regular and active participation in online forum and class discussion, including raising thoughtful questions. Three oral reports with accompanying handouts. These will primarily result from research outside of class. Three essays of 2.5-3 pp. each on topics chosen in consultation with instructor. These will primarily result from close analysis of brief passages from texts studied and, like the reports, will be spaced throughout the semester.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/66163/1223
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
28 October 2021

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