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Carcel de Amor and the courtly love tradition

University of British Columbia

The first chapter of this thesis is a survey of the diverse criticism of Carcel de amor available today. Gili y Gaya, in his prologue to San Pedro's Obras, presents a comprehensive study and evaluation of San Pedro's work which has been the point of departure for modern critics. Modern criticism of the Carcel encompasses its style and language as well as its sentimental, ethical, political and psychological aspects. Keith Whinnom offers the most complete study of the Carcel in numerous articles, in his prologue to San Pedro's complete works and in his book on San Pedro and his writings. However, San Pedro's peculiar interpretation of the courtly love tradition has not been sufficiently examined. The second chapter offers an appraisal of the author, his period and his work. During the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Spain enjoyed a period of great cultural activity. The refined atmosphere of the court favoured feminism and romantic literature. San Pedro was an experienced soldier at the service of don Juan Tellez Giron, Count of Urena. He was a courtier and a poet. Most information concerning his life and identity is speculation. We do not know the certain dates of his birth and death and the date of his works. Critics have speculated on his possible Jewish ancestry. A brief survey of San Pedro's works shows his versatility, his concern with pleasing his audience and the essentially courtly nature of his work. His earliest works were the religious poems the Passion trobada and Las siete anqustias de Nuestra Senora. These were followed by several poems in the courtly love tradition. His first sentimental novel, Arnalte y Lucenda is considered a precursor of Careel de amor. The Sermon is a code for lovers written within the tradition of the treatises of love popular throughout the Middle Ages, Its precepts are applied in the Carcel. The third chapter is the main part of the present work. San.Pedro's use of the courtly love tradition is examined here. The antecedents of Carcel de amor in European literature are considered in order to appreciate the particular treatment of love found in the Carcel and the unique place this novel occupies in Spanish fiction. Siervo libre de amor by Rodriguez de la Camara and its imitations can be considered as forerunners of the Carcel because they contain elements that constitute the basic characteristics of the sentimental novel. The relationship of the Carcel with other sentimental works such as Boccaccio's Fiammetta is also considered. Carcel de amor springs from the Arthurian tradition and is concerned primarily with putting into practice the ideas and code of behaviour of the courtly love tradition. An outline of the characteristics, rules, origins and development of this tradition is made. The works of Ovid and Andreas Capellanus are examined and compared in order to establish their differences. The courtly love tradition considers perfect love as an ever-insatiating and ever-increasing desire; it elevates the beloved to a position of superiority over the lover; it sustains that love is an ennobling force. These three concepts are the core of Carcel de amor. A thorough examination of the courtly elements of the Carcel is made. The setting and the protagonists of the novel are of the highest nobility and both are endowed with great nobility of soul and virtue. Two characteristics that set apart Castilian courtly love tradition from the Provencal and Catalan tradition are the preference for maidens and the concern with honour. The courtly concept of love traps the lover in a vicious circle whose only escape is death and Leriano lets himself die, thus fulfilling his destiny as a perfect lover. The fourth chapter deals with the style and structure of Carcel de amor. Menendez y Pelayo classified it as a sentimental novel and some critics have studied its links with the Latin tractatus, the Ovidian tale, the epistolary novel and the novel of chivalry. San Pedro's use of allegory is examined as well as the rhetorical units that form the novel. San Pedro fuses the narratio, epistles, discourses, planctus, harangue, and arqumehtatio into a polished work. Criticism of the,. Garcel's style and language is considered. It may be concluded that the three vital factors that give unity to the novel are (1) the theme, (2) the epistolary structure of the novel, and (3) the role of El Auctor. The final chapter stresses the importance and influence of Carcel de amor in Spanish literature in particular and European literature in general. It was widely read and started a vogue for sentimental novels throughout Europe. In Spain, Nicolas Nunez wrote a continuation and Juan de Flores published two courtly novels. However the work of Flores departs from the courtly love tradition. It was translated into French, English, Italian and German. A. Giannini believes that it influenced Baldassare Castiglione in writing II Corteqiano. Gustave Reynier has studied its influence on the French sentimental novel. Above all, Maria Rosa Lida de Malkiel considers it the forerunner of La Celestina. Peter G. Earle, after Lida de Malkiel compares the love concepts found in the works of Rojas and San Pedro. This thesis concludes by stressing the excellence of San Pedro's re-creation of the conventional ideals of courtly love in his novel. His consciousness as a courtly writer-inspired him to select the appropriate ideas, form, language, and style in order to produce an excellent example of courtly literature.

Text

2010-03-09

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/21656

Hispanic Studies

University of British Columbia

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