ENH3020

Heroes, Lovers and Monsters: The Literary Culture of Medieval England ( 6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL)

Leader: Charles Stevenson

Offered:
Not offered in 2005.

Synopsis: This unit examines the cultural concerns which form the historical context of Medieval English literature. Important, formative intellectual texts are read in modern English translation and the philosophical and social issues raised in these texts are studied in two key medieval English literary texts, which will be read in editions providing a modern English translation facing the text in its original form. Specific issues examined include: the literary impact of Christianity, medieval cosmology, fate, the importance of the manuscript context, rhetoric, the structures of medieval narrative, love and the significance of generic contexts.

Objectives: It is intended that students taking this subject should develop: 1. A basic knowledge of the historical and cultural background of the medieval English period. 2. Knowledge and understanding of relevant Christian doctrine and medieval philosophy. 3. Knowledge and understanding of medieval literary genres and in particular the nature of and conventions used in Germanic epic poetry and medieval romance. 4. Knowledge of the different critical approaches that have been brought to bear on early medieval texts in the 19th and 20th centuries and an understanding of the different kinds of textual readings generated by these approaches. 5. The skills required, in both written and oral work, to marshal such knowledge and understanding into arguments addressed to specific topics. 6. The capacity to meet the general Learning Objectives set out for the Department.

Assessment: Essay (2000 words): 40% + Essay (2000 words): 40% + Seminar assessment (500 words): 20% + An optional examination (3 hours) may replace up to 40% of the written work + Third-year students are required to write on two texts in their second essay.

Contact Hours: 2.5 hours (1 lecture and 1 tutorial) per week