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COURSE NUMBER: ENGL 311
COURSE TITLE: Introduction to Medieval British Literature
NAME OF INSTRUCTOR: Brett Roscoe
CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION: credits 3 (hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 0)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: How are we to understand literature which remains distant from us in time, space, and even language? Although we may be able to appreciate the artistry of early writing, only by placing it within its cultural context can we fully value the achievement of the past. This course will therefore consider the literary, political, social and religious climate of the Middle Ages in an investigation of the rich English literary tradition from its beginnings to the 15th century.

Prerequisites: ENGL 214, 215
REQUIRED TEXTS:
  • Black, Joseph, et al, eds. The Broadview Anthology of British Literature. Volume 1 The Medieval Period, 3rd ed., Broadview Press, 2015. (ISBN: 9781554812028)
  • Note: Other texts are either available online or will be uploaded to Moodle.
MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT:
Participation 10%
Quizzes 10%
Midterm 15%
Annotated Bibliography 10%
Essay (10 pages) 30%
Final Exam 25%
100%
COURSE OBJECTIVES:  Students will…
  • be introduced to major works and genres of medieval literature.
  • learn to link medieval literature to historical, cultural, and literary contexts.
  • develop close reading skills by learning to appreciate the relation between the form(s) and content of literature.
  • be encouraged to read both sympathetically and critically in a Christian framework.
  • gain practice in academic research and essay writing.
COURSE OUTLINE: Beginnings
  • Sept. 5 Introduction to Course
  • Sept. 7 Context Lecture
  • Sept. 10 Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People (26-30)
Elegy and Wisdom
  • Sept. 12 The Wanderer (41-43)
  • Sept. 14 The Cotton Maxims (53-59)
  • Sept. 17 Riddles 26 (pp. 57-58), 47 (p. 58); The Ruin (47-48)
  • Sept. 19 IS conference (regular classes canceled)
Runes and Magic
  • Sept. 21 The Rune Poem (Moodle)
  • Sept. 24 Old English Metrical Charms (60-64)
Epic, Lai, and Romance
  • Sept. 26 Beowulf (65-116)
  • Sept. 28 Beowulf (cont.)
  • Oct. 1 Beowulf (cont.)
  • Oct. 3 Beowulf (cont.)
  • Oct. 5 Sir Orfeo (275-85)
  • Oct. 8 Sir Isumbras (http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/hudson-four-middleenglish-romances)
  • Oct. 10 Athelston (http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/salisbury-four-romances-ofengland)
  • Oct. 12 The Tale of Gamelyn (http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/knight-andohlgren-robin-hood-and-other-outlaw-tales)
  • Oct. 15 Midterm
Biblical Paraphrase
  • Oct. 17 Context Lecture
  • Oct. 19 OE Exodus (136-45)
  • Oct. 22 Patience (Moodle)
  • Oct. 24 Cleanness (Moodle)
Dream Visions
  • Oct. 26 The Dream of the Rood (49-52)
  • Oct. 29 Pearl (Moodle)
  • Oct. 31 Pearl (cont.)
  • Nov. 2 Wynnere and Wastoure (Moodle)
Saints, Mystics, and Medieval Piety
  • Nov. 5 Context Lecture
  • Nov. 7 Ælfric of Eynsham, The Passion of Saint Edmund, King and Martyr (Moodle)
  • Nov. 9 The Life of Saint Margaret (Moodle)
  • Nov. 12 Remembrance Day (no classes)
  • Nov. 14 The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (598-616)
  • Nov. 16 The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (cont.)
  • Nov. 19 Medieval Lyrics (in text and online – details TBA)
  • Nov. 21 The Life of St. Francis of Assissi (http://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/publication/whatley-saints-lives-in-middleenglish-collections)
  • Nov. 23 Chaucer, “The Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale” (549-61)
  • Nov. 26 Julian of Norwich, A Revelation of Love (617-34)
  • Nov. 28 Julian of Norwich, A Revelation of Love (cont.)
Drama
  • Nov. 30 Everyman (Moodle)
  • Dec. 3 York Crucifixion (702—07)
  • Dec. 5 York Last Judgment (Moodle)
  • Dec. 7 Review


Required texts, assignments, and grade distributions may vary from one offering of this course to the next. Please consult the course instructor for up to date details.

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