1. Home
  2. NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities
  3. Bachelor in Languages, Literatures and Cultures
  4. Portuguese and French Studies
  5. French Literature (16th and 17th Century)

French Literature (16th and 17th Century)

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 codes rhetorical-stylistic and thematic present in major works of this period, trying to coverdifferent genres and modes of discourse.
At the end students should be able to understand the evolution and diversity of the literary manifestations of thisperiod and also its relevance in terms of social and cultural development, particularly in the formation andconsolidation of the French language and identity. They should also be able to perform, independently, an analyticaland critical reading of texts, trying to reach its significance and its aesthetic and literary value.

General characterization

Code

711111084

Credits

6.0

Responsible teacher

Margarida Gouveia Esperança Pina Saraiva de Reffoios

Hours

Weekly - 4

Total - 168

Teaching language

Portuguese

Prerequisites

The student should preferably have an intermediate level knowledge of French (level A2 of the CEFR).

Bibliography

  • Dubois, C.G (1985). L’imaginaire de la Renaissance. Paris: Puf.
  • Forestier, G. (1993). Introduction à l'analyse des textes classiques. Paris: Nathan.
  • Mazouer, Ch. (2010). Le théâtre français de l'âge classique. Paris: Honoré Champiom.
  • 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 gainmomentum by the teacher, the exposure of theoretical contents about the surrounding context of the author and theproduction of works, the issues of textual transmission of ancient texts, with practical sessions, the commentary ofliterary texts. Regular use of appropriate web resources shall be encouraged and the Moddle platform will be a used asa main tool for individual and collective work.
Seminars: 60%, lectures: 40%.

Evaluation method

Continuous assessment - Attendance and participation in practical classes(20%), Two written tests, one in the middle and one at the end of the class period(80%)

Subject matter

Renaissance and Humanism:
1 - The Humanist Ideal and its representation in the work of Rabelais: writing as an aesthetic and moral strategy.Representations of popular culture and grotesque body image in Rabelais
2 - La Pléiade: constitution and cultural role; the theoretical project (Défense et Illustration de la langue française de DuBellay) and the humanist problematic of lyrical poetry in the Renaissance: Les Amours de Ronsard.
Baroque and Classicism:
1 - The Classical Theater: from the Baroque to the economy of the classic ideal: Le Cid de Corneille. Motives andvalues of order and disorder of love; the hero, the desire and the duty; nobility, honor and glory in Phèdre de Racine.Molière and the comedian of ridicule and seriousness. Don Juan and the theme of "libertinage".
2. Cyrano de Bergerac, the precursor of the philosophical novel of the eighteenth century. Burlesque and fantastic,utopia and reality in L´Autre monde ou les états et empires de la lune.