The decline of courtly love ideal in the prose of 15th century

This study, entitled ''The Dechne of Courtly Love Ideal in the Prose of 15th century", examines the origins, evolution, and the eventual dechne of courtly love. The Mal period is illustrated by Antoine de la Sale's piece from the mid-fifteenth century, fehan de Saintré. The first part introduces various theories of the origin of courtly love. Denis de Rougemonťs controversial theory of the religious origin of courtly love is presented in more detail, and compared to other, more c1assical theories. The fundamentals of courtly love as described in The Romance oj the Rose are compared to those in De Amore by Andreas Capellanus. The uptake of courtly ideals by pro se, as well as their further deve1opment, especially in nove1s, are also treated. The second part outlines two principal perspectives of the literary theory on fehan de Saintré. In particular, the consideration of this piece as a nostalgic remembrance of the vanishing fame of courtly love is contrasted with the interpretation of fehan de Saintré as a portrait of Jehan's successful chivalric career. The detailed study of the sections relevant to the "courtoise" reveals the latter theory to be more persuasive