03:00 PM to 04:15 PM TR
Section Information for Spring 2020
Although Chaucer is the best-known Middle English author, medieval England produced a rich array of poems and prose works, ranging from adventure stories to political satire. This course will survey these fascinating works, focusing in particular on medieval conceptions of heroism and monstrosity. Since both heroes and monsters possess ‘supernatural’ qualities, both exist outside the norms of human behavior. Medieval romances, like modern retellings of fairy tales and superhero narratives, often pay close attention to the thin dividing line between laudable and subversive exceptionalism. The texts we read in this course will explore this fraught terrain, and in the process, help us to reflect on what makes us human.
No prior knowledge of Middle English is expected. We will devote ample time to learning how to read Middle English texts in their original form.
Image from BL Harley MS 3724 f. 45v
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Credits: 3
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