ENGLISH 702: Monsters and Medieval
Identity
HYPERTEXT SYLLABUS WITH ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
ENGLISH 702: Monsters and Medieval
Identity
HYPERTEXT SYLLABUS WITH ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
Professor Jeffrey
J. Cohen (jjcohen@gwu.edu)
Office Hours: Mondays 2-4, Rome Hall 763
What is the relationship
between "monster" and "hero"? Are these categories really as different
as they seem at first glance? Does what constitutes a "hero" change over
time? How are these categories entwined in others, especially "race," "ethnicity"
and "gender"?
Course Requirements: class attendance
and active participation (every class you miss affects your grade; missing
more than TWO classes means that you have failed the course); two midterm
exams; weekly short writing assignments; an eight page paper; and a final
exam.
General Electronic Resources
for Medieval Studies
|
Schedule of Readings with Resource Clusters
8/23 Introduction: Myths of the Middle Ages
8/25 Beowulf: Beowulf and Grendel
8/30 Beowulf:
Beowulf and the Dragon
9/1 The Voyage
of St Brendan (in
The Age of Bede)
9/8 Life of Cuthbert (in The Age of Bede)
9/13 Geoffrey of
Monmouth, History of the Kings of Britain: Foundational Monsters
9/15 Gerald of Wales,
Journey
Through Wales
9/22 Writing Workshop
Bring ten copies
of your opening paragraph to class for peer critique.
 9/24
[Friday] Field Trip to National Cathedral
Meet at the West entrance at 10:30 AM. The website below has directions via Metro and maps. We'll be having lunch at a nearby restaurant and should be done by 1 PM. |
9/27 Gerald of Wales, History and Topography of Ireland
9/29 Celtic Ireland
Follow the links below to stories archived
at The Ulster Cycle
web site and the readings for today's class:
10/4 The Song
of Roland
10/6 "Saracens"
and Crusading Documents
Required readings from the Online Reference
Book for Medieval Studies and Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
In class we will attempt a view of the Crusades through the eyes of the
Other: Eastern Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
10/13 The Invention
of Chivalry
There are no required
readings for today's class. Sit back and enjoy a lecture on how the Middle
Ages taught its most violent men to be nice. In-class readings from John
of Salisbury, Peter of Blois, and Geoffroi de Charny.
10/18 Chrétien
de Troyes, The Knight with the Lion, pp. 257-90
NOTE: All readings
from Chretien de Troyes are found in the David Staines translation ordered
for the class.
You should think seriously
about an answer to the question, "What does the Giant Herdsman represent
in the text?" (look especially closely at pp. 260-61)
10/20 Chrétien
de Troyes, The Knight with the Lion, pp. 291-338
DUE TODAY: A
two page reaction paper which answers the question: "What is the function
of the lion in the text?" Think seriously about what the animal represents
for Yvain's identity -- what does the knight learn from and through his
leonine companion?
10/25 Chrétien
de Troyes, The Knight of the Cart, pp. 170-216
If you become interested
in the romance, a web site devoted to it can be found at:
10/27 [special pre-Halloween class] Witches and Witch Hunts
Required readings from the Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies and Internet Medieval Sourcebook
11/1 Chrétien de Troyes, The Knight of the Cart, pp. 217-256
11/3 IN CLASS WRITING EXERCISE
11/8 Chrétien de Troyes, Perceval (The Story of the Grail), pp. 339-386
11/10 Chrétien de Troyes, Perceval (The Story of the Grail), pp. 387-449. Supplement: Terry Gilliam, The Fisher King (selection shown in class)11/17 open paper consultations (drop-in hours, 12-2)
11/19 [Friday] PAPER
DUE BY 5 PM under my office door (Rome 763)
11/22, 11/24 NO CLASS (Happy Thanksgiving)
11/29 Geoffrey of Monmouth, History of the Kings of Britain: Arthur (pp. 212-61)
12/6 Conclusions, review, course evaluation, and celebratory pizza
12/15 Final Examination