French Literature Reviews - 2026
The Quest for the Holy Grail
Medieval and Renaissance Studies
The Quest for the Holy Grail (based on the critical edition by A. Pauphilet). A study of pages 147, line 1 to 210, line 28
Author(s): Gaucher Elisabeth
Publisher: ELLIPSES MARKETING
Series: CAPES/AGREGATION LETTRES
Published on: 25/11/2004
ISBN: 2-7298-2115-5
204 pages
Abstract
This book is designed for candidates preparing for the external competitive examinations of CAPES, CAFEP, and Agrégation in Modern Literature and Grammar. It has been crafted to assist them in preparing for the Old French examination component by offering an in-depth study of the set text for the 2005 session: La Queste del Saint Graal, edited by A. Pauphilet (Paris: Champion, 2003, pages 147 to 210). The first part is devoted to a line-by-line commentary of the text, elucidating its challenging passages and most significant linguistic features. All notes are framed with the five examination questions in mind: translation, phonetics, morphology, syntax, and vocabulary. The second part features ten sample practice topics complete with answer keys, compiled in accordance with the most recent textbooks and competitive examination board reports. These address key grammatical phenomena frequently tested in exams. The lexicological studies provide an exhaustive inventory of usages attested in the prescribed excerpt. In the sections on morphology and syntax, explanations are occasionally supplemented by cross-references to passages outside the immediate exercise. An index at the end of the volume, organized according to the five exam questions, enables candidates to quickly collate commentary notes and compile comprehensive review sheets and occurrence lists.
Biography
Élisabeth GAUCHER, a former student of the École Normale Supérieure and holder of the Agrégation in Literature, is a professor of medieval language and literature at the University of Western Brittany (Brest). For several years, she served as a member of the external CAPES examination board for Modern Literature.
(information provided by the publisher)
Old French language study forms a traditional component of French higher education curricula, particularly for competitive examinations such as the Agrégation and CAPES. Preparation for these examinations typically requires candidates to master specific philological competencies, including historical phonetics, morphological analysis, syntactic structures, and translation methodology. Academic guides dedicated to these set texts often combine line-by-line commentary with targeted practice exercises to help students navigate the linguistic challenges of medieval texts while familiarizing themselves with the expectations of examination boards.
Elisabeth Gaucher provides a line-by-line commentary of the prescribed excerpt from The Quest for the Holy Grail alongside ten sample practice topics complete with answer keys. The volume includes lexicological studies and an index organized around the five core examination questions. Readers preparing for the Old French component of the 2005 competitive examinations in Modern Literature and Grammar may find it relevant to their studies.