Rewriting Resemblance in Medieval French Romance

By reworking romances by such writers as Chr tien de Troyes and Marie de France, 13th-century French romancers redefined the notion of resemblance. This was done in subtle ways that questioned 12th-century modes of remembrance, proof, historical representation, and narrative authority. The new picture of resemblance that emerged was an integral component of the strategies used by 13th-century writers to supplant the historic-poetic narratives of the previous century with new versions of the past. An introductory chapter examines the rhetorical models that influenced medieval poetic composition and emphasizes the role of argumentation in medieval rewriting. In subsequent chapters-each dedicated to a different characterization of likeness-the transformations of resemblance and remembrance are traced from the "romans d'antiquit" ""through the works of Chr tien de Troyes and Marie de France to Galeran de Bretagne and the Lancelot-Grail Cycle. These are complemented by an extensive bibliography and a glossary of Old French terms. Foreign language citations are supplied both in the original and in English translation. Students and scholars of medieval romance will find in this volume a fresh approach to medieval rewriting, analyses of neglected texts, and new insights into medieval intertextualities.