Medieval and Renaissance (Christine de Pizan, Rabelais, Montaigne)

1. How did Christine de Pizan navigate the challenges of being a female writer in medieval society? What strategies did she use to gain authority?

2. Compare Rabelais's carnivalesque humor with contemporary satire. What makes his comedy both timeless and historically specific?

3. How does Montaigne's essay form differ from modern personal essays? What can contemporary writers learn from his method?

4. These three writers lived through periods of significant change (Hundred Years' War, Renaissance, Reformation). How do they each respond to historical trauma?

5. What role does classical learning play in each writer's work? How do they balance reverence and innovation?