SPN 410 - Heroes and Sinners

Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirement HU.
Prerequisite(s): SPN 304 - Advanced Spanish Conversation & Composition .
A study of representative works of Spanish literature of the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. Emphasis is placed on the literary analysis of both major and marginal genres, such as epic poetry, the fable, ballads, the miracle story, the picaresque novel, and mystic poetry. We will highlight the historical and socio-cultural context of these period texts, paying special attention to the relationships among Christian, Arabic, and Jewish cultures coexisting in the Iberian Peninsula at the time. We will also explore the way in which these different cultural products were experienced by their mainly illiterate audiences, through private performance (communal readings, moral exemplum, teaching lessons) and public performance on the stage or the street (theatrical productions, puppet shows, songs, and dances). Texts are accompanied by a number of films/videos based on the literary works and/or the historical period. Class is conducted in Spanish.