Guillaume de Palerne— There was a problem with the e-reserve for Guillaume. The missing last pp. will be handed out hard copy in class.  Please note some small changes from the syllabus for readings for Monday, April 26.

 

Mon., April 26: Guillaume de Palerne.  Read lines 1-358 and 2961 of Guillaume and selections from Marie de France and Gerald of Wales on e-reserve

Wed., April 28: Read the rest of the excerpts from Guillaume (see below for lines and summary of missing portions)

Fri., April 30: Guillaume wrap-up and intro to Chaucer and Canterbury Tales. Read section from PSML

 

Possible quiz questions:

 

Monday April 26:  No quiz

Wednesday April 28:   Be prepared to answer one of the following two questions: 

 

1.     What is the importance of gender in Guillaume de Palerne?  Pick one character and discuss her role.

 

2.     What does the werewolf in Guillaume symbolize?

 

Friday April 30:  How would you compare the depiction of transformation in two out of three texts depicting werewolves:  Marie, Gerald or Guillaume?

 

Be prepared also to consider the role of Christianity in the text and the importance of its setting in Sicily.

 

 

Because the only available Guillaume translation costs $45, IÕve cut it down for us in order to place it on e-reserve.  What follows is a summary of the parts IÕve had to cut out between your reading.

 

You read: Lines 1-358. 

 

Lines: 359-2961: Guillaume is taken away from his foster parents and brought to the court of the Emperor, who has a daughter, Melior.  Although everyone thinks he comes from a low background, his natural nobility shines through and everyone adores him.  Melior falls in love with him and is striken with love-sickness.  She turns to her dear cousin, Alixandrine, for help.  Alixandrine vows to help with an herb, but she also contacts Guillaume.  Melior and Guillaume each dream of each other and they fall in love and are eventually united as a secret couple.  Guillaume is then called upon to help battle the Saxons, which he does brilliantly and for a brief while the lovers are happy.  Then the King of Greece asks that Melior marry his son and her father agrees. The lovers are distraught, but Melior has a planÉ

 

You read: Lines 2962-3410, which begins with the lovers speaking to each other about the plan to marry off Melior and what they should do about it

 

Lines 3411-4079:  We have left the lovers and the action returns to Rome, where, not surprisingly, they realize Melior is missing and after looking under every branch, rock and mosquito net, they call a search for both her and Guillaume, who are under threat of death.  The lovers are on the run and the werewolf, who had saved Guillaume as a baby, helps them as the peasants hunt them for a reward.  They head toward Italy and toward GuillaumeÕs birthplace.  

 

You read lines 4080-4152, which show the werewolf kidnapping a child to divert those hunting for the lovers

 

Lines 4153-4908: the peasant bounty hunters are still looking for the pair.  The werewolf kills two deer and they have new disguises.  They reach Palermo, the site of GuillaumeÕs birth, where his now-widowed mother, the Queen, is under bitter siege by the Spanish.  The Queen dreams of two white bears, who then look like deer and then of a child in a crown.  Her priest, Moysant, interprets the dream as her being saved from the siege by her long-lost son, who will restore her lands.  The Queen then sees the two lovers, still in their deer-suits, sleeping in her garden.

 

You read lines 4909- 4976 in which the Queen observes the lovers and then goes off to her hall to dine and rally her knights in defense of PalermoÉ

 

Lines 4977-5156:  The Queen eats with her men and rallies them to defend her.  She then plans to go to the lovers, who she realizes are the missing pair.  She will go herself disguised as a deerÉ

 

You read 5157-5656

 

Lines 5657-5822: Battle scenes in which Guillaume is valiant and successful against the Spanish siegers

 

You read lines 5823-5934 in which the Queen gives control to Guillaume and the werewolf appearsÉ

 

Lines 5935-6298: Guillaume, aided by the werewolf, battles for the Queen and is then distraught when she seems to react with dismay, but, of course, she is so upset because she now sees that he is her missing son

 

You read lines 6299-6334 for their reunion

 

Lines 6335-7107:  Guillaume and the werewolf win the siege for the Queen; the Spanish surrender

 

You read 7107 to conclusion  (donÕt forget—final pp. handed out in hard copy)