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2022/2023

Literature and Society in the Middle Ages

Code: 103368 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2501913 English and French Studies OT 3 1
2501913 English and French Studies OT 4 1
2502533 French Studies OT 3 1
2502533 French Studies OT 4 1

Contact

Name:
Antoni Rossell Mayo
Email:
antoni.rossell@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

It is not

Objectives and Contextualisation

The subject offers an introduction to the Romanesque literature of the 11th and 14th centuries, in the different Romance languages and in the medieval Latin language in which it is

reflects medieval society, and an overview of the intellectuals, the world aristocratic, the bourgeois world, the church and the people. Topics such as theplurilingualism, oral tradition and music. Commented readings of the

medieval texts whose translation will be facilitated by the teacher

 

literary tradition and the cultural context of Latin and Romanesque tradition. The subject delves into the commentary of medieval literary texts, with the aim of

familiarize the student with the different social classes of medieval society.

 

The student must make oral and written comments on medieval literary texts

 

and to know the basic bibliography and the one that the professor has mentioned and commented in the classes.

Competences

    English and French Studies
  • Comparative and multicultural different medieval Romance literature study.
  • Establish guidelines for definition of medieval literary genres from oral or written nature.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
    French Studies
  • Establish guidelines for definition of medieval literary genres from oral or written nature.
  • Knowing the beginning of European literature in medieval romance languages.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analysing romance literatures in their social, religious and political context.
  2. Arguing about several issues and literary problems for the purpose of different works and the assessment of the results.
  3. Being able to define the medieval literary genres.
  4. Being able to perform a comparative analysis of the various multicultural medieval Romance literatures.
  5. Conceptually analysing a work of the subject matter.
  6. Student must be capable of defining the medieval literary genres. 

Content

1.Latin world and Romanesque world, the contemporary divorce of a medieval marriage.

Plurilingualism: "Les sermentsdef Strasbourg". Latin and Old French, Occitan, Germanic language, Breton, Welsh. Chronological framework. Ancient or classical matter. The matter of Brittany. The matter of France

2.Religious world and pagan world: Time and daily life. The liturgical time

and literary time. The monastic field in the creation and dissemination of the literary work. The world monastic: monks, nuns, scriptoria.

3.History and literature: Alfonso X. The chronicles. Jean de Froissart. The “sirventès”: The crusade of the Albigensians and Peire Cardenal.

4.Orality in Medieval Literature. Written culture and orality: troubadours and clergy. Literary repercussions of oral transmission

5."Performance" and literature: Minstrels and liturgical theater. Music and performance.

6.Medieval music

7."Courtesy" as an aristocratic ethic: Courteous love and courtesanism. Bernart of Ventadorn and Chrétien de Troyes. The cavalry

8.Alternative Literary World: Intellectuals in the Middle Ages. The Goliards. The Universities.

9.Literature and female voice. The "cantigas de amigo". The autobiography.

10.Popular world and aristocratic world: The Fabliaux.

11.  Pilgrimages. Santiago of Compostela de Compostela, Sant Denis and Jerusalem. The Crusades.

12.Aristocracy and medieval mysticism: The Beguines. Hildegard of Bingen. Mysticism and intellectuality: Rutebeuf. Mysticism and social movements: Catharism.

 

 

Methodology

Generally, the learning process will be directed through a number of techniques and activities:

 

- Masterclass supported by the use of ICT and students’ discussion

 

- Practice of written and oral production

 

- Individual and group exercises, both written and oral

 

- Out of Class assignments: reading of primary and critical sources, writing and bibliographic search.

 

- Feedback sessions for the correction and assessment of exercises and activities.

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Thibaut de Champagne life and work 20 0.8 5, 2, 3, 4
Type: Supervised      
Develop a theme of the program presented in class 30 1.2 5, 1, 2, 6
Type: Autonomous      
The poet kings 30 1.2 5, 1, 2, 4

Assessment

Assessment

ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE: The competences of this subject will be assessed through written tests, individual and group work, text commentaries and oral presentations.

 

-Paper submission module: A minimum of two papers will be required in this module. Results will value 45% of the final mark.

-Module for presentations of texts in the classroom: 25%.

-Module of written tests: 30% 

At the time of each assessment task, students will be informed through Moodle about the procedure and the date of the review of results.

In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure thatstudents are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.

ABSENT: Students will be considered absent if they have completed less than 30% of the work assigned during the course and 30% less of the tests. Therefore, if they have done more than 30% of each part, they will be assessed. 

 REMEDIATION: Students are required to have been awarded marks previously in a set of activities that score at least 2/3 of the total mark. Only students with an average mark equal or higher than 3.5 will be eligible for remediation. Activities such as oral presentations, group work, or those related to daily teaching may not be eligible for remediation. 

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of thesamesubject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject. Total and partial plagiarism of any of the exercises will automatically be considered a FAIL. Plagiarism means deliberately or accidentally using someone else’s work, whether a single sentence or more, as if it were your own. This includes copyingsentences or whole paragraphs from digital documents on the Internet and it can have very serious consequences, which is why it is important to follow good academic practices and to reference your work properly.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
WRITTEN EXAM 25% 30 1.2 5, 2, 6, 4
Job delivery module 45% 40 1.6 5, 1, 2, 3, 4

Bibliography

Aurell, Martin, La Vielle et l’Épée. Troubadours et politique en Provence au XIII siècle, Paris, Aubier, 1989.

Badel, Pierre-Yves, Introduction a la vie littéraire du Moyen Age, Bordas, Paris, 1969 Bezzola,Reto , Les origines et la formation de la littérature courtoise en Occident (500- 1200), París, Champion,1944-1963 (reedició Ginebra: Slatkine, 1984)

Buc, Philippe, L’ambiguïté du livre. Prince, pouvoir et peuple dans les commentaires de la Bible, Paris, Beauchesne, 1994.

Bumke, Joachim, Höfische Kultur. Literatur und Gesellschaft im hohen Mittelalter, Múnich, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, 1986

Foucault, Michel, L’Archéologie du Savoir, Paris, Gallimard, 1969 Valida

García de Cortázar, José Ángel, i Sesma Muñoz,José Ángel ,Historia de la Edad Media. Una síntesis interpretativa, Madrid, Alianza Universidad, 1997

Hauser, Arnold, Història social de l'art i de la literatura , Barcelona : Edicions 62, 1966 Meneghetti,Maria Luisa, Il pubblico dei trovatori. La ricezione della poesia cortese fino al XIV secolo, Turín,Einaudi, 19922

Pirot, François, Recherches sur les connaissances littéraires des troubadours occitans et catalans des XIIe et XIIIe siècles, Barcelona, Real Academia de Buenas Letras, 1972.

Verger, Jacques, Les gens de savoir en Europe à la fin du Moyen Âge, Paris, PUF, 1997.

 

Software

No specific software is necessary. Although unlikely, if required later in the course, this would be indicated in due time.