LIT 231
Prof. G. Steinberg

Response Paper:  Roman de la Rose, Chapters 1-3

The Roman de la Rose (Romance of the Rose) was begun by Guillaume de Lorris about two generations after Marie de France's lais and was expanded upon 50 years later by Jean de Meun.  Chapters 1-3 are the portion of the work that was written by Guillaume.  Chapters 4-12 were written by Jean (who expanded the poem to more than four times the length of Guillaume's original).

Choose one of the following areas as the focus of your response paper:

1. The Roman de la Rose is, like Marie's lais, about love.  So, how is the concept of love in the Roman de la Rose like and unlike Marie's concept of love?  How does Guillaume view love?  Is it a positive thing?  In the 60 years between Marie and Guillaume, how have the concept of love and the values associated with it changed?  (NOTE:  Use the reading assignment from Richard Firth Green's book to help you here.)
2. Guillaume has written an allegory in which the events that occur in the story symbolize steps in the process of love.  So, what are the steps in the process?  What is necessary before love can occur?  What is the prelude to love?  What must the lover do once he's in love?  What is his goal?  What happens to Guillaume's narrator in the end?  Is the lover successful?  Why or why not?  Why does Guillaume end his allegory this way?  (NOTE:  Use the reading assignment from Green's book to help you here as well.)
3. Who does Guillaume's audience seem to be?  Who is he writing for?  Whose values and whose life experience does his allegory reflect?  What purpose might his poem serve for that audience?  (NOTE:  Use the reading assignment from Green's book to help you here as well.)

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