Comps Example Question
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Narrative poetry: epic and clerecía (Cantar de mío Cid, Milagros
de Nuestra Señora, Poema de Fernán
González, Libro de buen amor),
origins and development. Castilian
texts.
Professor’s Introduction
El
Cantar de Mio Cid es el texto literario más importante de este periodo. Ha sido
central para la crítica medieval desde su reaparición en el siglo XIX. El Cantar
aparece en un sinfín de sitios, incluyendo http://www.laits.utexas.edu/cid/.
Este sitio contiene el texto antiguo y el modernizado, con una traduccion y una
lectura del texto. Seleccionen "Views" y entonces, escojan el segundo
escudo. El texto tambien se encuentra en Cervantes virtual en diferentes
versiones, una modernizada todavia parcial (http://www.cervantesvirtual.com
search Cantar de mio Cid).
Summary (Wikipedia)
Summary (Wikipedia)
The story begins with the exile of El Cid, whose enemies had unjustly accused him of stealing money from the king, Alfonso VI of Castile and León, leading to his exile. To regain his honor, he participated in the battles against the Moorish armies and conquered Valencia. By these heroic acts he regained the confidence of the king and his honor was restored. The king personally marries El Cid's daughters to the infantes (princes) of Carrión. However, when the princes are humiliated by El Cid's men for their cowardice, the infantes swear revenge. They beat their new wives and leave them for dead. When El Cid learns of this he pleads to the king for justice. The infantes are forced to return El Cid's dowry and are defeated in a duel, stripping them of all honor. El Cid's two daughters then remarry to the infantes of Navarre and Aragon. Through the marriages of his daughters, El Cid began the unification of Spain.
Themes /
Important ideas to note (In brief)
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Orality
-
Honor
(and revenge)
o
Dishonor
of the Cid when the king rejects him in the beginning and exiles him
o
Dishonor
of the Cid when all the mess with his daughters’ marriage goes down
-
Social/political
criticism
-
Concept
of hero (Cid, esp. as compared with infantes)
-
The
“other” (Jews, Moors/Arabs, women)
-
Idea
of extremes, extreme examples
o
Extreme
of a good vassal
o
Extreme
of a bad king (although the king realizes and rectifies his error)
Personajes
-
Infantes
de Carrión
o
Cowardly,
lazy, greedy, selfish, insincere, deceitful, rancorous, cruel, spendthrift
(wasteful)
o
Run
away when there’s a lion; don’t try to protect the Cid – try to hide instead
o
They
want to kill the Moorish friend of the Cid to win his riches without working
o
At
court when the Cid wants them to return the money, they don’t want to
o
Fernando
acts like he killed the moor in battle, when it was actually don Pero
o
They
never forget that the Cid’s vassals made fun of them because of the lion
episode
-
Cid
o
Both
militant side and political side
o
Pg.
240-241 (tercer canto) – long description of the Cid’s clothing at court… shows
that he’s not just a warrior; he can also be elegant. He’s conquering a
different type of society, but still using military-like strategy.
o
A
central characteristic of the Cid is his loyalty – he’s completely loyal to the
king
§
He
gives riches to the king – this is a criticism of the nobility (not sure why – maybe other nobles didn’t do
this?)
o
Theory
about the Cid’s origins – idea that the Cid and his family were actually part
of nobility, but that in the poem he’s portrayed as being of humble origins so
that his actions seem even more generous and amazing for Spain
§
The
problem is that there’s not much clarity about the Cid’s life and there’s no
way of knowing these things
o
Very
important quality of Cid – his use of strategy; he doesn’t react quickly to
things (example: the dishonor of his daughters), but rather thinks things over
Literary Style/Techniques/Structure
-
Type
of poetry that has a lot to do with oral poetry
-
It’s a very visual and action-oriented poem
-
*** Use of epic epithet – “el Cid que nació en
buena hora” – way of finishing a verse, also easier to memorize/remember
-
The Cantar includes many fantastic aspects
o
Example: heroes with supernatural strength
-
Structure
o
3000 verses, divided in three cantares
o
The division between the cantares is indicated
by the change in style and the phrases that start each cantar (“internal
evidence”)
-
La
obra está escrita en verso juglaresco: tiradas o series de irregular extensión
de versos asonantes y anisolibacios divididos en dos hemistiquios (pares) por
una cesura.
Context
(literary)
-
We can see the influence of the “juglar” or
ballad in some sections and transitions
-
There’s only one manuscript of the text
preserved (from 13th century), and it’s a manuscript in rather poor
quality – not very decorative
o
So many people were already familiar with the
Cid’s story, that nobody really read the written poetic version
-
Literary context
o
Other cantares
o
Lots of chronicles
-
Many cantares of the time period are about
revenge and the recuperation of lost honor – this cantar is a little different
because instead of recuperating honor through battle, the Cid does it with use
of strategy and law
-
The cantar would be presented in small sections in
fairs and other public events during the middle ages
o
Incorporation of places familiar to whichever
audience so that the public would appreciate the cantar more
Origins and Authorship of poem/cantar of Cid
-
Various cantares about the Cid started appearing
around the end of his life and also directly after his death
-
Composition of cantar text
o
Brought together three separate cantares
o
Think it’s an educated person who composed it –
knew how to read and write and had heavy interest in law, which would be why so
much of third cantar deals with legal process
Social/political context
-
The Cid’s life is considered part of the
national history of Spain
-
Division of power in the time period – nobility
of the north that controlled the court
-
The Cid is a central figure for Spanish culture
– the kings took the Cid’s history/story and associated it with their own
genealogy
-
The reality that is imposed in the cantar
reflects what is happening in Spain in the 13th century, when the
poem was written/composed, not what was happening in the 11th/12th
century when the Cid was actually alive
o
The 13th century is a time of change
and expansion for Castile. It’s a time during which Castile needs to create an
exemplary hero/figure.
o
King Fernando uses the Cid as a symbol to
justify his kingdom and his actions/decisions.
Orality in the cantar; context of orality
-
Many precedents in other areas (and previous time periods) of this type of oral
poetry – example: Beowulf
-
The effects that oral poetry has on poetry
reader/singer and listening audience:
o
Element of illiteracy – many audience members
didn’t know how to read; many readers/singers or oral poetry presenters also
didn’t know how to read
o
The singers generally learned from their
family/parents – that’s how they would get into that profession
o
The young singers didn’t necessarily learn long
memorized poems – they learned the common themes and the formula of a
song/poem’s composition, and went from there
o
Singers change existing epic poems as they go
along – the beginning of an epic poem is almost always the same, but towards
the end there can be various versions because different poets/singers change
-
The written composition of the cantar indicates
a sense of transition from the oral poem to a written poem in the time period;
gradual movement towards recording things by writing them down
-
Deglosia – mix of two languages (??)
-
Theoretical/critical debate over the purposes of
the manuscript of this poem – some theorists think it’s purely a written work,
while others think that it’s intended solely for oral recitation
-
Use of formulas – (rather limited vocabulary;
uses repetitive formulas)
o
Variety of ready-made phrases that mark change
in narration, or the way that a line/section should be read, or address the
audience to catch attention, etc.
o
Deíticos – single words that indicate a certain
character, or a certain theme/idea
o
Descriptive formulas – key adjectives
o
Narrative formulas –
§
to indicate passage of time
§
to indicate gestures and physical movements
(example: kissing hands/feet, also movements of horses – to indicate movements
of people from place to place)
§
to indicate expression of emotion
§
to describe battle
o
Epithets (epítetos)
Gender, Role of Women
-
Women do not have a central role here. It’s all
about what the men are up to.
-
Ximena’s prayer
o
Some allegorical significance here – in the
biblical figures that are present/referred to in her prayer. The biblical
figures reflect what will happen in the story.
Treatment of Jews
-
Cultural attitude of time:
o
Jews are necessary in society (social function:
loaning money), but they must be kept somewhat separated (alejado) to avoid any
“contamination”
o
Prejudice, anti-semitism
-
The Cid
is a good example of the cohabitation of the Christians and the Jews
-
Idea that text explores stereotypes about the
Jews that are based in reality
-
Representation of Jews (greed)
o
Are tricked in the bad deal with the arcas…
don’t open the arcas to check them out because they are greedy and want to earn
all they can
-
Depiction of the Jews as “suckers”
o
Example of another scene where some dude asks
them for breeches, and the Jews give him 30 pieces of gold (also symbolic
meaning – 30 pieces of gold… the same payment that Judas receives for betraying
Jesus)
-
The Jews that are in the story are only there as
a representation of the perspective that Christians had of Jews during the time
period
Treatment of Moors/Arabs
-
Moors are treated in a similar way as the Jews
-
Moors are often associated with the devil;
representatives of the devil
o
Moors = trickery, deceit
-
The Cantar recognizes that there are good moors
and bad moors
o
The good moors are the ones who have pledged to
be vassals of the Cid
o
The bad moors have to be killed
-
Moors do have some power, since they have
control over some lands.
-
Christians are fine with having “good” moors as
vassals/soldiers – they don’t even have to convert (during this time period, at
least).
The Cid’s relationships
-
With his family
o
Important events
§
The family can be with the Cid in Valencia
§
The Cid arranges the marriages of his daughters
o
The Cid tells Jimena that their daughters are
going to get married, he didn’t tell her or ask her opinion before deciding
this.
-
With the king Alfonso
o
At the beginning the king has a bad relationship
with the Cid because he thinks that he’s stolen from the king and the kingdom
o
The Cid gives the king a lot of gift to show
that he wants to increase the riches of the king
o
Little by little the Cid earns the friendship of
the king again
o
The king defends the Cid against a noble; says
that the Cid has served him well. The king likes the Cid more and more.
o
The king organizes the wedding of the Cid’s
daughters
-
The Cid and nobility (the count of Barcelona)
o
The nobility is powerful, dangerous, and
deceitful
o
There’s a conflict between the old nobility and
new nobility. The [new] nobility is created through military actions. It’s also
done through birth. The children of these noble warriors/soldiers are
accustomed to this power and riches, but they didn’t earn it themselves.
o
The Cid has power and is brave, but isn’t noble.
o
The old nobility is lazy. An example is the
infantes de Carrión. The count of Barcelona is also arrogant and weak.
o
The new nobility is at war. The old nobility is
in the court with the king, talking to him and advising him.
Marriage of Cid’s daughters
-
The suspicions of the Cid – he doesn’t want to
give away his daughters; Minaya is going to do it. He is still permitting their
marriage because he can’t say no to the king when he only has a bad feeling;
it’s not rational/fair.
-
The only responsibility that a father has in
this time period is to give his daughters a good marriage.
-
It’s important that it was the
king rather than the Cid who organized the weddings of Cid’s daughters because
now he’s responsible
-
Any marriage of nobles has to be approved by the
king
General Notes about aspects of poem (in terms of events that occur)
-
Cid’s exile
o
A financial punishment, because he doesn’t have
access to resources
o
An emotional punishment – separated from those
he loves
o
Kind of like a death sentence – no longer under
king’s protection
-
How does the Cid change over the course of the
text?
o
He has more power – he goes from conquering
pueblos to conquering big cities (ex: Valencia)
o
He’s creating a structured state
§
Census
§
Names a bishop
o
He’s more political than militant in the second
cantar
-
The actions of the Cid in Valencia
o
He establishes a church / Obispo. – the
re-conquest of a Moorish city for the Christian kingdom (yay!)
-
The importance of the scene of the lion
o
Shows the cowardice of the infantes de Carrión
o
Shows the bravery of the Cid, and the
faithfulness/loyalty of the Cid’s servants/vassals
o
Symbolism of the lion – relates back to the king
o
Reflects the divine favor that the Cid has (from
God)
§
Lion respects the Cid and his bravery
-
The importance of the sword for the knight –
represents victory and honor. Example: Cid taking back the swords given to the
infantes is a way of taking away their honor.
-
At the end, the Cid decides not to fight against
the infantes de Carrión, but instead he sends two gentlemen to do it. It’s as
though he wins in a new way the honor of his daughters. The Cid doesn’t want to
fight against them himself because they’re beneath them. He already has a
different type of power in which he can order other people to do this type of
work for him.
-
Importance of the element of the beard, and its
symbolic function:
o
Cid’s beard grows during the course of the
cantar – parallel to his development as a hero.
o
Touching someone’s beard is equivalent of
touching their testicles. Cid grabs Count of Barcelona’s beard, which is a
dishonor to this count.
o
Various epithets about the beard (way of
praising a man)
o
Beard is a sign of masculinity, and also a sign
of societal position
o
Luscious growth of beard is representative of
God’s favor in your life
-
Ximena’s prayer
o
Kind of a set strategy in literature – way to
discuss the helplessness of a character
o
Like a summary of the prayer that is recited at
the end of someone’s life, asking for protection and divine guidance for the
dying person
General notes about other, miscellaneous aspects of the poem
-
Geography of the Cid’s story – quite specific,
mentions many places that actually exist
-
Strategy: the use of this hero, the Cid, to
create a public criticism
-
The cantar starts out by alluding to the
“parias” of Sevilla (???)
o
This is reflected in the selection of the Tybiano
o
Exile
o
I think parias are some type of fee collected
for kingdom – not sure at all!!!!
-
The function of the Cid in the poem is
completely different from his function in real life – he’s an idealized and
somewhat fantastic character
-
The cantar is a unique work in the way that it
approaches the character of the Cid very closely and idealizes him
-
No clear indication that epic poems would have
been frequently sung at court – more likely that they sung/read shorter
composed poems, as well as participating in other activities such as dance or
other types of song.
-
The Cid is the
best, most important example of a work of its kind in medieval Spain; however,
it is an atypical work due to its theme.
-
Idea of the loyalty of the vassal – the vassals
of the Cid, and also the Cid as a vassal to the king
-
This poem can’t exactly criticize the king – the
farthest it can go is to imply that the king got bad advice
o
Advice is something central in the king’s role.
King gets tons of advice, and his role is to decide what to do, based on all
this advice.
-
Parallels between the Jews and the Infantes de
Carrión
o
There are two
o
The greed, materialism – want things
o
Message against greed
-
The Cid’s daughters
o
They have a material aspect as well – kind of
like “things” in some sense
o
They mirror the Cid – they are honorable women;
a continuation of the Cid’s honor
o
Father’s function – marry his daughters well
-
Relationship of Cid and monastery
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