Love and Melancholy in Early Modern France (U04138)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-4-U04138

This course will explore, through the study of literary, philosophical and medical texts, attitudes towards love and melancholy in the Renaissance period. Love in its various forms (between friends, lovers, love between man and God, self-love) is a pervasive theme of Renaissance literature and thought. In sixteenth century and beyond, love was seen as a cause and a species of melancholy, the name of an illness and of a temperament that fascinated contemporaries because of its association with genius and madness. We will examine in particular the impact that philosophical and medical theories of melancholy had on the treatment of love in the literature of the period. Through the close analysis of a selection of texts belonging to a variety of genres - the nouvelle, the novel, the sonnet, the essay form - the course will aim to introduce students to some of the most original authors of the early modern period in France.

? Keywords : melancholy love France "early modern"

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Pass in French 2 Entry to Honours in French

Subject Areas

Home subject area

European Languages and Cultures - French, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Tutorial	Thursday	11:10	13:00	Central

? Additional Class Information : This course will be taught either in semester 1 (blocks 1 and 2) or in semester 2 (blocks 3 and 4). The class session time given above is provisional; its timetable slot should be determined by DELC to optimise choice for students.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Intended learning outcomes specific to this course are:

- an understanding of the humanist rediscovery of ancient texts during the Renaissance, and the impact of this rediscovery on French literature of the mid to the late sixteenth century

- an understanding of how poets, philosophers and physicians, through a renewed reflection on the ancient notion of melancholy, sought a deeper understanding of two great human puzzles: love, and the genius of man.

- an appreciation of the circulation of themes and ideas in both prose and poetry of the period

- an ability to analyse recurring motives and themes in prose and poetry of the period, and to replace them within a particularly rich intertextual network

By the end of the course, students will be expected to show the ability:
• to demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of the subject;
• to recognise and acknowledge the complexity of the subject;
• to show a good understanding of, and apply competently, complex conceptual frameworks;
• to construct coherent arguments which demonstrate an awareness of the problems posed by the texts and issues which they are studying;
• to demonstrate a high level of expression in both written and oral presentations;
• to demonstrate the mastery of relevant technical terminology and research methods;
• to offer alternative perspectives, identify and accommodate ambiguities and show an awareness of nuance;
• to develop original ideas;
• to demonstrate an awareness of the research agenda relating to the topic.