What was controversial about the literature of “courtly love”?
a. It placed women in positions of power.
b. It celebrated love and sexual happiness outside of the rules for marriage.
c. It revived pre-Christian tropes about love and marriage by classical authors such as Sappho and Ovid.
d. all of the above.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is d. all of the above.
The literature of courtly love was controversial during the medieval period for several reasons, particularly because it challenged traditional norms about love, marriage, and gender roles. The concept of courtly love emerged in the 12th century, influenced by the works of troubadours in the courts of southern France. It celebrated an idealized and often extramarital form of romantic love that stood in stark contrast to the established social and religious expectations of the time.
a. It placed women in positions of power. Courtly love literature often depicted women as the object of intense devotion, admiration, and veneration. In this idealized vision, women were seen as morally superior, and their role in relationships was elevated. The lover would often undergo trials and hardships to prove his devotion, which placed the woman in a position of moral authority. This idea was seen as controversial because it went against the traditional Christian view that women should be subservient to men.
b. It celebrated love and sexual happiness outside of the rules for marriage. Courtly love frequently involved affairs outside the institution of marriage. These relationships were portrayed as more spiritually and emotionally fulfilling than traditional marriages, which were often based on social, economic, or familial obligations. The focus on unconsummated or adulterous love was seen as a challenge to the sanctity of marriage, as it promoted the idea that love could exist independently of marriage and social conventions.
c. It revived pre-Christian tropes about love and marriage by classical authors such as Sappho and Ovid. Courtly love literature drew on ancient Greek and Roman notions of love, particularly the writings of poets like Sappho and Ovid, who often explored themes of unattainable or forbidden love. These classical authors treated love as a force of nature that could transcend societal rules, which was considered subversive when applied to Christian medieval society.
Together, these elements made courtly love literature controversial, as it both challenged social norms and promoted ideas that were at odds with the Church’s teachings on marriage and gender roles.