Andreas and the ambiguity of courtly love

Resource Information

The work Andreas and the ambiguity of courtly love represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Massey University Library, University of New Zealand. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

Andreas and the ambiguity of courtly love

Statement of responsibility

Paolo Cherchi

Creator

• Cherchi, Paolo

Subject

• Courtly love in literature
• Andreas, Capellanus
• Amour courtois dans la littérature
• Civilization, Medieval, in literature
• Poésie provençale -- Histoire et critique
• Troubadours
• Provençal poetry -- History and criticism | Theory, etc
• André, le chapelain

Language

eng

Summary

A resolution to the vexed problem whether a troubadour's love is erotic or spiritual is offered by Paolo Cherchi through a new reading of Andreas Capellanus' De Amore (written around 1186-1196). He suggests that Andreas, using a rhetorical strategy that creates ambiguity, condemns courtly love because its claim that passion generates virtue is untenable and deceitful. Although Andreas grasped the core of the courtly love 'system, ' namely, the relation between passion and ethics, he failed to consider the notion of mezura, that courtly virtue through which troubadours transformed nature into culture, and erotic passion into social discourse. Cherchi offers an innovative interpretation and a close reading of selected poems. He traces the history of Provençal lyric poetry, highlighting some of the significant personalities and movements

Member of

• Toronto Italian studies

Dewey number

849/.1209354

Index

index present

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

• dictionaries
• bibliography

Series statement

Toronto Italian studies