6.1 Characteristics of the fabliau genre

Fabliaux are short, funny stories that poke fun at human nature. They're set in everyday places and feature characters like clever tricksters and gullible victims. These tales often involve adultery, deception, and crude humor, moving quickly with minimal character development.

These stories reflect the growing influence of the middle class and challenge ideals of courtly love and religious authority. Unlike romances or exempla, fabliaux use humor and satire to explore themes of social mobility, individualism, and the triumph of wit over status.

The Fabliau Genre

Elements of fabliau genre

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• Short, humorous stories in verse form typically 300-400 lines long written in octosyllabic couplets (rhyming pairs of lines with eight syllables each)
• Set in realistic, contemporary settings often urban or domestic spaces contrasting with idealized, courtly settings of romances (castles, forests)
• Satirical and bawdy content focuses on foibles and vices of human nature frequently includes sexual themes and crude humor (adultery, trickery)
• Fast-paced, straightforward narratives with minimal character development and description emphasizing action and dialogue move plot forward quickly

Structures and themes in fabliaux

• Plot structures often involve trickery, deception, and reversals of fortune commonly feature love triangles or illicit sexual relationships (adultery) with climax usually involving humiliation or punishment of a character
• Character types include clever, manipulative protagonists who outsmart their opponents, foolish, gullible victims who are easily deceived, and stock characters such as jealous husbands, unfaithful wives, and lecherous clergymen (priests, monks)
• Themes explore folly of human pride and consequences of moral failings, subversion of social hierarchies and expectations (class, gender), and triumph of wit and cunning over strength and status

The Fabliau in Context

Social commentary in fabliaux

• Reflects growing influence of bourgeoisie with characters often merchants, artisans, and members of middle class celebrating values of cleverness, practicality, and self-interest (social mobility, individualism)
• Subverts ideals of courtly love and chivalry presenting more cynical, realistic view of human relationships mocking elevated language and sentiments of romances (parody, irony)
• Challenges religious and moral authority depicting clergymen as corrupt, hypocritical, and sexually rapacious questioning efficacy of religious institutions in regulating human behavior (anticlericalism)

Fabliaux vs other medieval forms

• Romance
  • Similarities: Both written in verse form dealing with themes of love and relationships
  • Differences: Romances longer, more idealized, focusing on aristocratic characters and values (chivalry, courtly love)
• Exemplum
  • Similarities: Both short, didactic stories illustrating moral or religious lessons
  • Differences: Exempla more serious in tone and purpose lacking humor and subversive elements of fabliaux (allegory, exemplification)