ITAL 581BLove, Science, & Magic

Catalog

What is love? Medieval authors attempted to answer this question by drawing on knowledge from all spheres, including science. In this course we will read scientific and literary works as we consider the medieval views on such topics as the nature of lovesickness, the psychology of desire, the physics of love at first sight, the power of demons, and the magical properties of crystals. From Arthurian Romance to lyric poetry and bawdy short stories, we'll see how authors of all types of literature in the Middle Ages incorporated elements from both science and magic into their writings. Course is taught in English. Students taking the course for credit toward an Italian major or minor will have additional assignments in Italian.