EN254: Chivalric Romance
Fall 2009

Syllabus

(Subject to revision)

Wednesday 9/2: Introduction

Texts: Troubador lyrics (distributed in class)

Wednesday 9/9: The Invention of Love

Texts: The Lais of Marie de France;

Kay, "Courts, Clerks, and Courtly Love," in The Cambridge Companion.

Wednesday 9/16: Romance Form: Wild with Love

Texts: Chrétien de Troyes, Yvain, or, The Knight with the Lion;

Bruckner, "The Shape of Romance in Medieval France," in The Cambridge Companion.

Wednesday 9/23: Romance Form: The Fair Unknown

Texts: Sir Thomas Malory, "The Tale of Sir Gareth";

Krueger, "Questions of Gender in Old French Courtly Romance"

Wednesday 9/30:The Origins of Arthur and the Grail Quest

Texts: Selections from Chrétien de Troyes, "Perceval";

Selections from Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur.

Wednesday 10/7: Lancelot and Guinevere

Texts: Selections from Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur

Wednesday 10/14: The Fall of Camelot

Texts: Selections from Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur.

Wednesday 10/21: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Texts: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Parts 1 and 2;

Hahn, "Gawain and Popular Chivalric Romance in Britain," in The Cambridge Companion.

First essay due.

Wednesday 10/28: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (cont.)

Texts: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Parts 3 and 4.

Wednesday 11/4: Chaucerian Romance

Texts: Selections from the General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales;

"The Knight's Tale," Parts 1 and 2.

Wednesday 11/11: Chaucerian Romance

Texts: "The Knight's Tale," Parts 3 and 4.

Wednesday 11/18: Chaucerian Fabliau

Text: Chaucer, "The Miller's Tale."

[THANKSGIVING BREAK]

Wednesday 12/2: Chaucerian Anti-Romance

Texts: Selections from "The Wife of Bath's Prologue";

"The Wife of Bath's Tale."

Wednesday 12/9: Chaucerian Breton Lai

Text: "The Franklin's Tale."

Second essay due.

Sunday 12/19, 3:00 PM: Final Exam