Function and meaning of metamorphosis in the Lais of Marie de France
Doctoral Thesis
2007
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
The primary object of this dissertation is to explore the
concept and the manifestations of Metamorphosis, with special reference to the Lais of Marie de France. In
Chapter 1 the all-pervasive nature of Metamorphosis is examined. Attention is focused on the fact that
Metamorphosis occurs in all spheres: it may be seen in Nature, in physical development and in many
less visible forms such as emotional, attitudinal and moral transformations and transgressions
in which it plays a fundamental role. Chapter 2 focuses on the Twelfth Century Renaissance.
This chapter serves to emphasize a further aspect of Metamorphosis, that of social change and
intellectual development. It thus situates Marie de France in a historical context and clarifies
the Zeitgeist to which she was exposed, which influenced her writing and which she in turn influenced.
In Chapter 3 I analyze the individual Lais. Marie de France's approach to her material is that her
interest lies in the exploration of the emotional, spiritual, moral and attitudinal Metamorphosis
which her characters undergo. The analysis reveals the beginnings of a change in genre.
A further Metamorphosis of these tales becomes evident when an addition is made to the
purely anecdotal material: the authoress adds a Christian dimension and inserts a subtle
moral message. In Chapter 4 the findings of the analyses of the individual lais are grouped
in order to gain a more precise understanding of the kind of Metamorphosis the various topoi
have undergone in the course of the tale. Chapter 5 is devoted to the elucidation of the
narratological Metamorphosis the traditional tales undergo in the
process.
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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 257-264).
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Reference:
Van Heerden, H. 2007. Function and meaning of metamorphosis in the Lais of Marie de France. University of Cape Town.