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CS92PROD
The Itinerary of Justice in Cervantes's Prose, Poetry, and Theater
SPAN 237
Fall 2009 not offered
Crosslisting: COL 240, MDST 236

Starting with Don Quixote's famous discourse on arms and letters, we will examine Cervantes's ideas on justice, with special attention to the topics of violence, law, love, and war. We will be interested in how Cervantes represents justice in different contexts, be these conflicts of war, captivity, literary duels, or love affairs. We will also be interested in the rhetorical mechanisms he uses to carry out his reflections (allegory, dialogism, double coding, and intertextual irony). Our case studies will reveal that Cervantes portrays justice in several ways and that in each case he establishes a dialogue with both the "literary community" contemporary to him and the literary tradition (Parnaso) that he inherited and sought to continue. Therefore, throughout the course we will refer to the works of other Spanish and Romance-language writers (Tasso, Montaigne, et al.), as well as to the visual art and the sociopolitical situation of Spain during the early modern period. Finally, the course aims to provide the tools necessary to understand how behind any representation (visual, textual, oral, etc.), a set of ideas or values is assumed that belong not only to the writer but also to her/his community and the period of time in which she/he writes.

Essential Capabilities: Speaking, Writing
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA RLAN
Course Format: DiscussionGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None

Last Updated on APR-19-2024
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