Middle-class literature

The literary history distinguishes under the name of middle-class literature or satirist from moralizing, comic works or satirical, which had the preference of the popular public and middle-class. They are in general courts Récit S which denounce abuses. They parody the courtly romance , or represent the life of the middle-class and the peasants. The most re-elected works this literature are the Romance of Renart and the Fabliau X. But one can also quote the Proverbe S, the collections in good mannerss, arts to like, arts to die where the recommendations mingle with sometimes crusty anecdotes. All these works are addressed to the public to point out a moral or religious requirement traditional, to denounce a fault, an error, a failure.

Romance of Renart

detailed Article - Romance of Renart

This Romance parody of the chansons de geste and the courtly romance to point out true royal justice or that of the pilgrimages. It is composed of independent accounts in the beginning, called “branches”, whose majority go back to Conte S which are found in the Folklore. They go back to various times, but are unceasingly renewed. Their unit is created by the setting in scene of the same animal characters: Renart Goupil, its easily deceived Isengrin the wolf, Lion the King, etc They transpose in the animal world the Croisade S, the pilgrimages, the Chevalerie, the papacy and all the conflicts of the feudal world. The painting of characters and the tables of manners give an alive idea of the company and organization of the feudal world.

French tale in verse

detailed Article - French tale in verse

In fact courts Récit S appear as of beginning of the 12th century and are created, in the majority, in the Loire Valley. One also indicates them under the name of known as, examples, Lai S. the favorite characters are the woman crafty one, the jealous husband, the priest addicted to drink and discharged, the grotesque and limited peasant. The spring of the action is almost always a deception. The public to which the French tale in verse were addressed was to be very broad, not only middle-class and popular, but aristocratic too. This kind is characteristic for mentalities of this time, representing in the culture the humorous element, what is called “the share of laughing”

The theater

The goal of the Theater, at the 11th century, was to teach the Christian Religion through the life of the Saint S. Initially it acts of short dialogs in Latin, later of a series of scenes played by people of Église. The Pantomime helped the comprehension of the direction of the play. As from the 12th century Latin is replaced by the Former French. With time the setting in scene and the play of the actors take importance more and more.

The character Profane of the kind is accentuated gradually. At the 13th century in the cities, increasingly rich, the townsmen need Spectacle S. the theater leaves the square of the churches to lead to the public places and in the streets where public and actors (there are no yet professional actors) mix. The characters are polarized between the well and the Mal. The spirit Gaulois is felt in the Sotie S and the joke S. the Comique finds its place beside the monk and of the serious one.

The stage performance is prolonged days of continuation at the time of a festival or at the time of an other social ceremony. The spectators believe in the truth of what is represented.

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