L'espace et le jeu des Cent Nouvelles nouvelles

Abstract

The oral tradition the prose tale inherited from the fabliau, as well as the thematic proximity it shares with farce, reveals that this growing genre in the 15th Century, represented by the Cent Nouvelles nouvelles, bears the signs of theatricality. Indeed, as in the theatre, there is a significant exchange between the spatial framework and the physical presence of the characters in the prose tale. The example of the observing, hidden character wonderfully illustrates the process. The role played by visual and auditory perception is thus amplified. Similarly, the physical space occupied by the characters in relation to objects can carry narrative importance, which sometimes allows a narratological reading of the stories. In the case of the written text, the miniatures can insure the visualization of these processes. The interdependence of space and action contribute to the author’s aesthetic project and thus insure the collection’s originality.