Literary Representations of Rivalry Between France and Spain in the French Renaissance (1530-1560)

Abstract

Literary criticism of French Renaissance literature widely considers how prominent Greek, Roman, and Italian intertexts and allusions are present in, shaped, and contributed to the development of works of French Renaissance prose and poetry. The influence of Spain and Spanish literature, however, has been the focus of relatively little research. This dissertation proposes that the political rivalry between France and Spain under the reigns of Francis I and Charles V spurred literary productivity and thus must also be considered an important factor in the development and study of some major texts printed in the French language, particularly after 1519 when Charles V was elected Holy Roman Emperor. This election incited the French, among other major kingdoms, to balance Charles' growing empire and influence not only through warfare but also through literary representations that challenged his legitimacy, actions, authority, and supremacy.

Chapter One is a rereading of François Rabelais' prose novel Gargantua (1534, 1535) with its adversarial character Pichrocole as a French parody of Emperor Charles V. Chapter Two analyzes the French prologue to Herberay Des Essarts' French translation/adaptation Amadis de Gaule (1540) after the Spanish version Amadís de Gaula (1496?) by Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo. The French prologue is analyzed as a liminal text, an opening signal, for its direct discourse rivaling the Spanish text, and the work in itself is an example of emulation. Chapter Three studies the symbols representing Charles V and Francis I in the court poetry of Clément Marot's Oeuvres (1538, 1543) and in Maurice Scève's Délie: Objet de plus haute vertu (1544). These works of poetry are analyzed together to suggest a reading that considers how lyric poetry can be read as a political tool. Finally, Chapter Four is a reading of Joachim Du Bellay's Songe (1558) as a backward glance and criticism of Charles V's imperialism and heightened rivalry with France under Francis I.