{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/10818"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/10818","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Function and meaning of metamorphosis in the Lais of Marie de France","abstract":"The primary object of this dissertation is to explore the concept and the manifestations of Metamorphosis, with special reference to the Lais of Marie de France. In Chapter 1 the all-pervasive nature of Metamorphosis is examined. Attention is focused on the fact that Metamorphosis occurs in all spheres: it may be seen in Nature, in physical development and in many less visible forms such as emotional, attitudinal and moral transformations and transgressions in which it plays a fundamental role. Chapter 2 focuses on the Twelfth Century Renaissance. This chapter serves to emphasize a further aspect of Metamorphosis, that of social change and intellectual development. It thus situates Marie de France in a historical context and clarifies the Zeitgeist to which she was exposed, which influenced her writing and which she in turn influenced. In Chapter 3 I analyze the individual Lais. Marie de France's approach to her material is that her interest lies in the exploration of the emotional, spiritual, moral and attitudinal Metamorphosis which her characters undergo. The analysis reveals the beginnings of a change in genre. A further Metamorphosis of these tales becomes evident when an addition is made to the purely anecdotal material: the authoress adds a Christian dimension and inserts a subtle moral message. In Chapter 4 the findings of the analyses of the individual lais are grouped in order to gain a more precise understanding of the kind of Metamorphosis the various topoi have undergone in the course of the tale. Chapter 5 is devoted to the elucidation of the narratological Metamorphosis the traditional tales undergo in the process.","abstract_html":"The primary object of this dissertation is to explore the concept and the manifestations of Metamorphosis, with special reference to the Lais of Marie de France. In Chapter 1 the all-pervasive nature of Metamorphosis is examined. Attention is focused on the fact that Metamorphosis occurs in all spheres: it may be seen in Nature, in physical development and in many less visible forms such as emotional, attitudinal and moral transformations and transgressions in which it plays a fundamental role. Chapter 2 focuses on the Twelfth Century Renaissance. This chapter serves to emphasize a further aspect of Metamorphosis, that of social change and intellectual development. It thus situates Marie de France in a historical context and clarifies the Zeitgeist to which she was exposed, which influenced her writing and which she in turn influenced. In Chapter 3 I analyze the individual Lais. Marie de France's approach to her material is that her interest lies in the exploration of the emotional, spiritual, moral and attitudinal Metamorphosis which her characters undergo. The analysis reveals the beginnings of a change in genre. A further Metamorphosis of these tales becomes evident when an addition is made to the purely anecdotal material: the authoress adds a Christian dimension and inserts a subtle moral message. In Chapter 4 the findings of the analyses of the individual lais are grouped in order to gain a more precise understanding of the kind of Metamorphosis the various topoi have undergone in the course of the tale. Chapter 5 is devoted to the elucidation of the narratological Metamorphosis the traditional tales undergo in the process.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Van Heerden, Helga Dieta"],"institution":"French Language and Literature","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Chandler, Clive","Sienaert, Edgard"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2007,"date_issued":"2007","date_published":"2007","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:31Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10818","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Chandler, Clive","Sienaert, Edgard"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Van Heerden, Helga Dieta"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2015-01-01T12:27:14Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-01-01T12:27:14Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2007"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["French Language and Literature"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Doctoral Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["PhD"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10818"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Includes bibliographical references (leaves 257-264)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The primary object of this dissertation is to explore the concept and the manifestations of Metamorphosis, with special reference to the Lais of Marie de France. In Chapter 1 the all-pervasive nature of Metamorphosis is examined. Attention is focused on the fact that Metamorphosis occurs in all spheres: it may be seen in Nature, in physical development and in many less visible forms such as emotional, attitudinal and moral transformations and transgressions in which it plays a fundamental role. Chapter 2 focuses on the Twelfth Century Renaissance. This chapter serves to emphasize a further aspect of Metamorphosis, that of social change and intellectual development. It thus situates Marie de France in a historical context and clarifies the Zeitgeist to which she was exposed, which influenced her writing and which she in turn influenced. In Chapter 3 I analyze the individual Lais. Marie de France's approach to her material is that her interest lies in the exploration of the emotional, spiritual, moral and attitudinal Metamorphosis which her characters undergo. The analysis reveals the beginnings of a change in genre. A further Metamorphosis of these tales becomes evident when an addition is made to the purely anecdotal material: the authoress adds a Christian dimension and inserts a subtle moral message. In Chapter 4 the findings of the analyses of the individual lais are grouped in order to gain a more precise understanding of the kind of Metamorphosis the various topoi have undergone in the course of the tale. Chapter 5 is devoted to the elucidation of the narratological Metamorphosis the traditional tales undergo in the process."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Function and meaning of metamorphosis in the Lais of Marie de France"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Chandler, Clive","Sienaert, Edgard"],"dc:creator":["Van Heerden, Helga Dieta"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2015-01-01T12:27:14Z"],"dc:date.available":["2015-01-01T12:27:14Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2007"],"dc:description":["Includes bibliographical references (leaves 257-264)."],"dc:description.abstract":["The primary object of this dissertation is to explore the concept and the manifestations of Metamorphosis, with special reference to the Lais of Marie de France. In Chapter 1 the all-pervasive nature of Metamorphosis is examined. Attention is focused on the fact that Metamorphosis occurs in all spheres: it may be seen in Nature, in physical development and in many less visible forms such as emotional, attitudinal and moral transformations and transgressions in which it plays a fundamental role. Chapter 2 focuses on the Twelfth Century Renaissance. This chapter serves to emphasize a further aspect of Metamorphosis, that of social change and intellectual development. It thus situates Marie de France in a historical context and clarifies the Zeitgeist to which she was exposed, which influenced her writing and which she in turn influenced. In Chapter 3 I analyze the individual Lais. Marie de France's approach to her material is that her interest lies in the exploration of the emotional, spiritual, moral and attitudinal Metamorphosis which her characters undergo. The analysis reveals the beginnings of a change in genre. A further Metamorphosis of these tales becomes evident when an addition is made to the purely anecdotal material: the authoress adds a Christian dimension and inserts a subtle moral message. In Chapter 4 the findings of the analyses of the individual lais are grouped in order to gain a more precise understanding of the kind of Metamorphosis the various topoi have undergone in the course of the tale. Chapter 5 is devoted to the elucidation of the narratological Metamorphosis the traditional tales undergo in the process."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10818"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["French Language and Literature"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["Function and meaning of metamorphosis in the Lais of Marie de France"],"dc:type":["Doctoral Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Doctoral"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["PhD"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:31Z"}