Medieval Studies ENG331
Spring 2014 Prof.
Mead
January
14 T Introduction
16 R Unit I: Clans. Beowulf, ix-47 (Lines 1-687)
21 T Beowulf,
47-81 Lines 688-1158)
23 R Beowulf,
83-123 (Lines 1159-1784)
28 T Beowulf,
123-213 ( Lines 1785-end of poem)
30 R Njal’s
Saga, vii-95 (Intro, Sections 1-55)
February
4 T Njal’s Saga, 95-198 (Sections 56-118)
6 R Njal’s Saga, 198-278 (Sections 119-145)
11 T Njal’s
Saga, 278-310 (Sections 146-159)
13 R Unit II: Feudalism. The Lais of Marie de France, Introduction, “Guigemar,”
“Equitan,”
& “Le Fresna.”
18 T The
Lais of Marie de France, “Bisclavret,” “Lanval,” & “Les Deux Amanz.”
20 R The
Lais of Marie de France, “Yonec,” “Laustic,” & “Milun.”
25 T The
Lais of Marie de France, “Chaitivel,” “Chevrefoil,” & “Eliduc.”
27 R Sir
Gawain & the Green Knight, Intro, Note, “Fitt I”
March
4 T Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, “Fitt
II”
6 R Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, “Fitt
III”
11 T SPRING BREAK
13 R SPRING BREAK
18 T Sir
Gawain & the Green Knight, “Fitt IV”
20 R Unit III: Christendom. Inferno, Intro, Cantos 1-5
25 T Advising Day, No classes
27 R NO CLASS
April
1 T Inferno, Cantos 6-10
3 R Inferno, Cantos 11-15
15 T Inferno,
Cantos 16-20
17 R Inferno,
Cantos 21-25
22 T Inferno,
Cantos 26-30
24 R Inferno,
Cantos 31-34
29 T Scholars Day. Evaluations.
Papers: Unit I. Kinship and law play heavily in the maintenance
of order in both Beowulf and Njal’s Saga, yet both worlds are also
jeopardized by threats to this order. In
Beowulf the main threats seem to come from the outside; in Njal’s Saga, the threats seem to come from within the
community. Write a thesis-driven paper
that argues against one of these assertions; i.e., argue that Beowulf’s “monsters” are actually
internal or that the saga’s agents of chaos are actually external to the
Icelandic community. Unit II. Bonds of
kinship seem to give away in the second unit to bonds of chosen vassalage: a
person’s promise becomes almost sacred to interpersonal trust. How does the “game”
that Gawain plays with his Host comment upon Gawain’s promise to meet the Green
Knight a year after the beheading? How
do the promises between men or between lovers presuppose a spiritual
understanding of humanity in the lais of Marie? Choose either to write on SGGK or one at least three of Marie’s
lais. Unit III. It seems a huge distance having moved from Heorot, the “best of
halls,” in Beowulf to Dante’s
conception of a universal reality in The
Divine Comedy. Although we have only read the first of three books at that
make up La Comedia, we see
Christians, Jews, Muslims, Pagans, and mythological creatures all engaged in
the same ontology, and a very Catholic one at that. Are there places where Dante seems to be
deliberately straining his universal concept, perhaps in order to lay a passive
critique to his own work? Another topic
you can choose would be to examine the nature of movement and stasis, particularly
as regards morality within a geocentric universe.
All papers are to be 6-9 pages long, with 1) a clear,
provocative thesis; a detailed methodology; and a case for the argument’s
importance in the first paragraph; 2) topics sentences for each body paragraph
that explicitly connect the paragraph’s topic with the paper’s thesis; and 3)
close reading (i.e. analysis of word choice, tone, sound effects, meter,
rhythm, repetition, or syntax). Papers
should also integrate at least three scholarly works (for support, challenge,
data, etc.) into your argument. All
papers must be submitted with two earlier drafts that illustrate the process
of your revisions. You must complete all
assignments to pass the course. Each
paper will be roughly equally weighed, although I will take into account
improvement. Late papers usually lose
one decrement per day late.
Participation will count toward one full quarter of your
final grade: this is important; it means
you have to do more than show up on time with the texts read and respond to my
questions (such participation will earn a participation grade of “C”); you must
actively and proactively engage in analysis of the texts, come to class and
take the lead in questions, proposals, responses to the works, and
analysis.
Attendance is, therefore, required and expected for all of
our class meetings. More than two
absences may lower your final grade (usually by one decrement per absence over
two). Students who miss more than four
classes may be asked to drop the class.
Grades: Unit I research paper: 25%
Unit
II research paper : 25%
Unit
III research paper: 25%
Participation: 25%
Students who memorize and recite 20+ lines of Beowulf, SGGK, or Inferno
(passages must be approved by instructor ahead of time) with less than five
errors will have their FINAL grade boosted by one increment. It’s crazy not to
do this.
Please remember that I am here to help you along with all
these tasks: reading, preparing for
class discussion, freewrites, rough drafts, research, revisions, and digesting
instructor comments on your work. Take
advantage! My office hours for Spring
Semester are MWF 9-10, 11-12; TR 8:30-9:30 AND BY APPOINTMENT.
I an often off-campus in the pm, but I will make it work so that anyone
who wants to meet with me can. Office OM
312b tel. 438-4336.
Visit my blogs at http://stephenxmead.blogspot.com/
for lots of useful handouts, links, and instructions. My blog also has
important policies on plagiarism.
Students with special
needs must contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester and he will
make all reasonable accommodations.
Required Editions:
Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney. Norton, 2000.
Hjal’s Saga, translated by Robert Cook. Penguin, 2001.
The Lais of Marie de
France, translated by Glyn S. Burgess & Keith Busb, Penguin, 2003.
Sir Gawain & the
Green Knight, translated by Simon
Armitage. Norton, 2007
Dante: the Inferno,
translated by Robert & Jean Hollander. Anchor, 2002
“Your Majesty, when we
compare the present life of man on earth with that time of which we have no
knowledge, it seems to me like the swift flight of a single sparrow through the
banqueting-hall where you are sitting at dinner on a winter’s day with your
thegns and counsellors. In the midst there is a comforting fire to warm the
hall; outside the storms of winter rain or snow are raging. This sparrow flies
swiftly in through one door of the hall, and out through another. While he is
inside, he is safe from the winter storms; but after a moment of comfort, he
vanishes from sight into the wintry world from which he came. Even so, man
appears on earth for a little while; but of what went before this life or of
what follows, we know nothing. Therefore, if this new teaching has brought any
more certain knowledge, it seems only right that we should follow it.”
