Eastern Illinois UniversityThe Keep

Fall 2016 2016

Fall 8-15-2016

ENG 3800-001: Medieval British LiteratureMelissa CaldwellEastern Illinois University

Follow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_fall2016

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the 2016 at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Fall 2016 by an authorizedadministrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact tabruns@eiu.edu.

Recommended CitationCaldwell, Melissa, "ENG 3800-001: Medieval British Literature" (2016). Fall 2016. 63.http://thekeep.eiu.edu/english_syllabi_fall2016/63

MedievalBritishLiterature Magic,Visions,andVisionaries

English3800,Section001(3credithours)CH3170/12:00–12:50p.m./Fall2016

ProfessorCaldwellmcaldwell@eiu.eduOffice:CH3050OfficeHours:M1-3;W,F1-2;orbyappointmentRequiredTextsAbrams,ed.,TheNortonAnthologyofEnglishLiterature,Vol.1,7thed.GeoffreyChaucer,DreamVisionsandOtherPoemsMariedeFrance,TheLaisofMariedeFranceMargeryKempe,TheBookofMargeryKempeWilliamLangland,PiersPlowmanPearlPoet,SirGawainandtheGreenKnight,Patience,PearlCourseDescription,Goals,andExpectations

Inthiscourse,wewillexplorethediscoursesofmysteryinmedievalliteraturerangingfromthenostalgiaofArthurianromancetothefantasyworldofseculardreamvisionstoreligioustextsandmysticalvisions.Towardstheendofthecourse,wewillalsoconsiderwhyrepresentationsofthemedievalperiodcontinuetopreoccupyourimagination.Note:English1002Gisaprerequisiteforthiscourse.

ThiscourseisdesignedtointroduceyoutoseveralmajorBritishwritersoftheeraknownasthemedievalperiodorMiddleAges.Thissemester,youwill

• Developyourabilitytoread,analyze,andresearchmedievalliteratureofvariousgenres

• Honeyourwritingskillsbydevelopingpapersandsubstantiallyrevisingthembasedoninstructorfeedback

• Developyourspeakingandlisteningskillsbyengaginginlivelyandthought-provokingclassroomdiscussionanddebateandpresentingyourworktotheclass

• Developyourunderstandingofmedievalhistory,culture,andsciencebylearningaboutandresearchinghistoricalandculturalcontext

• Familiarizeyourselfwiththevarietyofelectronicresourcesthatscholarsusetoresearchmedievalliteratureandculture

• Makeconnectionsbetweentheliteratureandcultureofthemiddleagesandourowncontemporaryworldbyreflectingonthevalueofthisliteraturetobothyourselfpersonallyandoursocietyasawhole

Whilewewillreadmanytextsintranslation,insomecaseswewillreadtextsintheiroriginallanguage(e.g.,Chaucer).Ineitherevent,medievalliteratureisrarelyeasyforthetwenty-firstcenturyreader.Iadviseyoutogiveyourselfampletimetodothereadingcarefullyandnottoflinchwhenconfrontedbydifficulty—andrestassured,youwillbeconfrontedbydifficulty,aswillweall.Inordertoriseabovethischallenge,youshouldbeaproactivereader:whenyoudon’tunderstandsomething,re-read;consulttextualnotes,handbooksandthevastonlineresourcesatyourfingertipssuchastheOxfordEnglishDictionary(availablethroughBoothLibrary’swebpage),luminarium.org,ortheStanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy(tonamejustafew);posequestionsinclass;talktoyourclassmatesbeforeandafterclass;andbyallmeanscometalktomeduringofficehours.Classtimewillbedevotedtodiscussingthepolitical,religious,andintellectualcontextofourreadingsandtoaddressingboththeirinherentcomplexitiesandourownconfusion.Beadvisedthatinordertosucceedinthisclass,itisabsolutelyessentialforyoudothereading,attendclasswithyourtextinhand,beactivelyengagedinclassdiscussion,andtakenotes.Muchofthematerialontheexamswillcomefromclasslecturesandclassdiscussion.Pleaseusemyofficehourswheneveryouwouldliketodiscussyourpapersortheworkswearereadinginthecourse.AttendanceandClassParticipationMyattendancepolicyissimple:Iexpectyoutoattendeveryclass.Byattend,Imeannotmerelyshowingupasawarmbody,butbeingintellectuallypresentintheclass.Bringyourbook;takenotes;comewithsomethingtosayand/orbepreparedtorespondthoughtfullytothemattersthatwediscussinclass.Afteryour4thabsence,Iwillloweryourfinalgradeby1/3alettergradeforeachsubsequentabsence.Ifthereisareasonwhyyoumustmissclassforanextendedperiodoftime,youshouldconsultwithmeearlyaboutyourabsences.Ireservetherighttocountyouabsentforbehaviorinappropriateandunbefittingacollegeclassroomincluding,butnotlimitedto,texting,chatting,oranyirrelevantuseoftechnologyinclass,readingmaterialsirrelevanttoclass,repeatedtardiness,sleeping,oranyotherbehaviorthatisdisrespectfultomyselfandyourpeers.

Ifyoumissclassonthedayofthemidtermorfinalexam,youwillnotbepermittedtomakeuptheexamunlessyoucandocumentanexcusedabsence.AcademicIntegrityandPlagiarismStudentsareexpectedtomaintainprinciplesofacademicintegrityandconductasdefinedinEIU'sCodeofConduct(http://www.eiu.edu/judicial/studentconductcode.php).TheEnglishDepartment’spolicyonplagiarismstatesthefollowing:“Anyteacherwhodiscoversanactofplagiarism—‘Theappropriationorimitationofthelanguage,ideas,and/orthoughtsofanotherauthor,andrepresentationofthemasone’soriginalwork’(RandomHouseDictionaryoftheEnglishLanguage)—hastherightandtheresponsibilitytoimposeupontheguiltystudentanappropriatepenalty,uptoandincludingimmediateassignments,ofagradeofFfortheassignedessayandagradeofFforthecourse,andtoreporttheincidenttotheOfficeofStudentStandards.”Toputthisanotherway:plagiarismabsolutelywillnotbetoleratedinthisclassregardlessofwhetheritisintentionalorunintentional,orwhetheroccursinwritten,oralorelectronicwork(e.g.,aPowerPoint).PlagiaristswillbereportedtotheOfficeofStudentStandardsandwillfailthecourse.Ifyouareconfusedaboutplagiarismatanypointinthesemester,itisyourresponsibilitytoaskmeaboutitbeforeyouturninanassignment.InformationforStudentswithDisabilitiesIfyouareastudentwithadocumenteddisabilityinneedofaccommodationstofullyparticipateinthisclass,pleasecontacttheOfficeofStudentDisabilityServices(OSDS).AllaccommodationsmustbeapprovedthroughOSDS.PleasestopbyNinthStreetHall,Room2006,orcall217-581-6583.OtherResourcesTheStudentSuccessCenterStudentswhoarehavingdifficultyachievingtheiracademicgoalsareencouragedtocontacttheStudentSuccessCenter(www.eiu.edu/~success)forassistancewithtimemanagement,testtaking,notetaking,avoidingprocrastination,settinggoals,andotherskillstosupportacademicachievement.TheStudentSuccessCenterprovidesindividualizedconsultations.Tomakeanappointment,call217-581-6696,orgoto9thStreetHall,Room1302.TheWritingCenterYouarealwayswelcometomeetwithmeduringofficehourstodiscussanywritingissues.However,IalsoencourageyoutouseEIU'sWritingCenterlocatedat3110ColemanHall.Thisfreeserviceprovidesone-to-oneconferenceswithwritingcenterconsultantswhocanhelpyouwithbrainstorming,organizing,developingsupport,documentingyourpapers,andworkingwithsentence-levelconcerns.Thewritingcenterisopentohelpanystudentfromanymajoratanystageofhisorherwritingprocess,anditssystemofone-to-oneconferencesdemonstratesvalueandrespectforindividualwriters,allofwhomcanbenefitfromfeedbackabouttheir

worksinprogress.Toscheduleanappointment,youcandropbythecenter(3110ColemanHall)oryoucancall581-5929.EIUWritingPortfolioIfyouwishtodoso,youmaysubmitanyessaylongerthan750wordstoyourElectronicWritingPortfoliobytheendofthesemester.Pleaseseemeforadviseonrevisingyouressaybeforesubmittingit.TeacherCertificationStudentsStudentsseekingTeacherCertificationinEnglishLanguageArtsshouldprovideeachoftheirEnglishDepartmentprofessorswithacopyoftheyellow"ApplicationforEnglishDepartmentApprovaltoStudentTeach"beforetheendofthesemester.TheseformsareavailableinarackoutsidetheofficeofDr.DonnaBinns(CH3851).Assignments,GradeDistributionandScaleAssignment Weight FinalGradingScaleShortPapers(2) 20% 90-100 APresentations(2) 10% 80-89 BResearchpaper(draft1) 5% 70-79 CResearchpaperfinaldraft 25% 60-69 DMidterm 10% Below60 FFinalExam 15% ClassparticipationandQuizzes(asneeded) 15%

**Enrollmentinthiscourseconstitutesyouragreementtothestateofaffairsoutlinedinthiscoursepolicyandinthescheduleofreadingsbelow.**CourseCalendar**Coursecalendarissubjecttorevisionsmadeatmydiscretionasneededthroughoutthesemester.I.Britain’sLegendaryPastM8/22 Introduction,“TheMiddleAgestoca.1485”(Norton,p.1-22)W8/24Caedmon’sHymn,DreamoftheRood;TheWanderer;TheWife’sLament

(Norton,p.23-28,99-103)F8/26 Selectionsfrom“LegendaryHistoriesofBritain”(Norton,p.115-126)M8/29 Pearlpoet,SirGawainandtheGreenKnight,Part1W8/31 Pearlpoet,SirGawainandtheGreenKnight,Part2F9/2 Pearlpoet,SirGawainandtheGreenKnight,Part3M9/5 LaborDay—Noclass.

W9/7 Pearlpoet,SirGawainandtheGreenKnight,Part4F9/9 Malory,TBD(D2L)M9/12 MaloryW9/14 MaloryF9/16 MariedeFrance,Prologue,GuigemarM9/19 MariedeFrance,BisclavretW9/21 MariedeFrance,LanvalF9/23 MariedeFrance,YonecII.MedievalDreamVisionsM9/26 Chauceriandreamvision,readCicero,Scipio’sDreamand,Macrobius,Dreamof

Scipio(p.258-268);beginBookoftheDuchess.Paper1dueviaD2LDropbox.W9/28 Chaucer,BookoftheDuchessF9/30 ChaucerHouseofFame,readBoethius,ConsolationofPhilosophy(p.268-272)M10/3 Chaucer,HouseofFameW10/5 Chaucer,HouseofFameF10/7 Chaucer,ParliamentofFowlsM10/10 Chaucer,TheLegendofGoodWomen,prologueW10/12 Chaucer,TheLegendofGoodWomen,CleopatraF10/14 FallBreak—NoclassM10/17 TheLegendofGoodWomen,GrouppresentationsW10/19 TheLegendofGoodWomen,GrouppresentationsF10/21 MidtermexamIII.VisionsofMedievalSpiritualityM10/24 FemalereligiousintheMiddleAges,AncreneRiwle(Norton,p.153-155)W10/26 JulianofNorwich,ABookofShowings,(1-10,22-25)F10/28 JulianofNorwich,ABookofShowings,(29-30,51,59-66)M10/31 MargeryKempe,TheBookofMargeryKempe,(Chapters1-16,18);Paper2due.W11/2 MargeryKempe,TheBookofMargeryKempe,(Chapters46-54,79-81)F11/4 Pearlpoet,Pearl(I-V)M11/7 Pearlpoet,Pearl(VI-X)W11/9 Pearlpoet,Pearl(XI-XV)F11/11 Pearlpoet,Pearl(XVI-XX)M11/14 PiersPlowman,VisionOne,PassusI-IV

W11/16 PiersPlowman,VisionTwo,PassusV-VIIF11/18 PiersPlowman,VisionThree,PassusVIII-XII.Draftofresearchpaperdue.M11/21–F11/25 ThanksgivingBreakM11/28 ConferencesW11/30 MedievalDrama,WakefieldSecondShepherds’Play(Norton,p.379-380,391-

419)F12/2 Everyman(Norton,p.445-465)M12/5 Presentations;Finaldraftofresearchpaperdue.W12/7 PresentationsF12/9 CourseReviewFinalExam:Wednesday,December14th,12:30-2:30p.m.