To ruse with death: Three medieval readings of a topical sequence

The reading of a key episode in three different texts reveals the movement oftopoi between popular tales and the novel. The highlighting ofthese three texts shows in addition how each one actualizes and interprets these topoi. The intention is thus to demonstrate the heuristic value ofthe notion of the topos. The group oftopoi studied in this article is based on the ruses employed by a heroine to escape death. The success ofher scheme condemns …