Analysis of Gonzalo de Berceo’s Work
Gonzalo de Berceo
Characteristics Observed in the Text
- Use of the cuaderna vía (monorhymed quatrains)
- Religious theme (story of a miracle of the Virgin)
- Moralizing character (moral in the last stanza)
- Minstrel Resources:
- Expressions to address the public
- Use of direct style
Berceo’s Popular Style
- Use of diminutives (e.g., sucilla)
- Popular expressions (e.g., arrastrapajas)
- Simple lexicon (e.g., “devil by rope and dragged him with ropes, kicking well dog-eared”)
Adequacy and Coherence of the Text
Adjustment
The adjustment depends on the following elements:
- Intent: To indoctrinate the common people
- Language functions: Appellative and referential
- Code: Linguistic
- Channel: Written text to be read
- Language variety: Colloquial register
- Type of language: Argumentative and narrative
Coherence
Coherence refers to two fundamental concepts:
- Theme: The value of devotion to the Virgin
- Structure: Inductive (argument-thesis)
- Presentation (first three stanzas)
- Nudo (until the penultimate stanza)
- Outcome (penultimate stanza)
- Argumentative part (narrative structure)
- Thesis: Last stanza
Gonzalo de Berceo Text
Firstly, it is a text belonging to the Mester de Clerecía, which is justified by the presence of characteristic features of this Mester, such as the use of the cuaderna vía, i.e., monorhymed quatrains.
Moreover, the text uses the religious theme, one of the main topics of the Mester de Clerecía. It tells a miracle of the Virgin, in which a greedy farmer is saved from the clutches of the devil through his devotion to Mary. Therefore, the aim is clearly to indoctrinate the people in the fervor to Mary.
Finally, we also observe the use of resources typical of minstrels, such as expressions to address the public – “and truth is not lying, I say this now” – or the use of direct style – “rose an angel said, I am witness…” -.
Secondly, the author of the text is Gonzalo de Berceo, leader of the Mester de Clerecía in the thirteenth century. Some of the features that we observe are very characteristic of this author. For example, the use of diminutives – “made an enemy of truth sucilla” – or the use of popular expressions – “arrastrapajas” – as well as simple lexicon – “devil by rope and dragged him with ropes, kicking well fondled” -.
In relation to the suitability of the text, we can say that this is an appropriate text to the author’s intent, which is simply to indoctrinate the common people in the fervor of the Virgin Mary.
To do this, Berceo used as a priority the appellative function, an issue that is reflected in the last stanza of the text, which exposes the moral of it. Apart from this, and with a more secondary character, would be the referential and aesthetic functions, the latter focused mainly on the use of similes or comparisons – “like a sheep that was lying embroiled” – which is normal if we consider the didactic and moralizing purpose.
Moreover, the code and the channel are adequate, if we consider that the text is written to be read to the public.
Furthermore, the language variety used is the colloquial register, which is adequate, if we consider the cultural level of the receptors and the purpose for reading, which is to teach easily.
Therefore, the type of language will be prioritized as argumentative – the last stanza – which describes the whole thesis or morals advocated by the author. Alongside this is the narrative, since narration is used as an argument to justify the moral end.
Regarding consistency, we can say that the text is consistent globally, since the subject – the value of devotion to the Virgin – runs throughout the text, and at the line level, as the text presents a double structure: first, inductive, then language is prioritized according to the argumentative intent. That is, the text presents the arguments, located in the narration of an event, and ends with the moral in the last stanza.
Within the narrative-speech arguments, we see a typical structure of presentation (first three stanzas), rising action (until the penultimate stanza), and falling action (penultimate stanza).
Finally, in relation to the content, the text gives us a moral approach that is somewhat debatable, since it tells us that although you have a very negative conduct, devotion to the Virgin will be sufficient to remedy it.