French Literature (16th and 17th Century)
Code
711111084
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Línguas, Culturas e Literaturas Modernas, Secção de Estudos Espanhóis, Franceses e Italianos
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Margarida Reffóios
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
The curricular unit aims to provide a broad integrated view of the history of French literature (16th and 17th Century) and knowledge of the rhetorical-stylistic and thematic codes present in major works of this period, trying to cover different genres and modes of discourse.
At the end students should be able to understand the evolution and diversity of the literary manifestations of this period and also its relevance in terms of social and cultural development, particularly in the formation and consolidation of the French language and identity. They should also be able to perform, independently, an analytical and critical reading of texts, trying to reach its significance and its aesthetic and literary value.
Prerequisites
Intermediate level of French (A2.2.)
Subject matter
1.The Renaissance in France:
a)The poetry of the sixteenth century: commentary on some sonnets from Les Amours by Ronsard;
b)Study of Les Essais by Montaigne (extracts).
2.The Century of Louis XIV:
a)Classicism, \"préciosité\" and gallantry;
b)The organization of the Republic of Letters: academies, the court and salons;
c)The status of the male and female author in the seventeenth century: the problem of anonymity.
3.Forms and literary genres in the seventeenth century:
a)Fiction and the staging of power in the fables of La Fontaine;
b)\"L´École des femmes\" by Molière or a new poetics of the comic genre
c)The power of language and the construction of the tragedy: \"Phèdre\" by Racine
d)The creation of the modern novel: \"La Princesse de Cleves\" by Madame de Lafayette .
Bibliography
Dubois, C.G (1985). Limaginaire de la Renaissance. Paris: PUF.
Forestier, G. (1993). Introduction à l´analyse des textes classiques. Paris: Nathan.
Parmentier, B. (2000). Le Siècle des moralistes. De Montaigne à La Bruyère. Paris: Seuil.
Pringent, M. (2006). Histoire de la France littéraire. Paris: Quadrige/PUF.
Rousset, J. (1968). L´intérieur et l´extérieur. Essais sur la poésie et sur le théâtre au XVII siècle. Paris: J.Corti.
Teaching method
The curricular unit works on collective and classroom sessions. We seek to a balance between sessions gain momentum by the teacher, the exposure of theoretical contents about the surrounding context of the author and the production of works, the issues of textual transmission of ancient texts, with practical sessions, the commentary of literary texts. Regular use of appropriate web resources shall be encouraged and the Moodle platform will be a used as a main tool for individual and collective work.
Evaluation method
Seminars: 60%, lectures: 40%.
Evaluation: Two written tests, one in the middle and one at the end of the class period (80%). Attendance and participation in practical classes (20%).