This course will be devoted to the reading and discussion of the most important collections of medieval Spanish exempla, such as the "Sendebar,"the book of "Calila et Dimna," the "Barlaam et Josafat," the "Conde Lucanor," the "Libro de los Gatos," and the "Libro de los Exemplos por A.B.C." We will study various theoretical issues that can contribute to the understanding and aesthetic appreciation of these texts, such as their narrative structures, the cultural and ethical issues that led to their creation, and the ways in which these issues were treated by different authors and translators. We will also try to understand how these written texts existed in a society that was predominantly oral and how this same orality contributed to their shaping, transmission, and preservation.
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