Prof. N. Black                                                                                                  Spring 2003

Office: 2314 Boylan                                                     

Direct Voice: 951-5197 (during office hours)                   Voice Mail Only: 951-4275

Hours: M, T, and Th, 3:00-6:00 p.m.                                E-mail: nblack@brooklyn.cuny.edu

Web site: http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/English/black

 

English 708X: Literature of the Middle Ages

 

Required Texts:

  1. Beowulf: A Verse Translation. Trans. Seamus Heaney. New York: W. W. Norton, 2002. ISBN 0-393-97580-0.
  2. The Song of Roland. Trans. Frederick Goldin. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978. ISBN 0-393-09008-6.
  3. The Lais of Marie de France. Trans. Glyn S. Burgess and Keith Busby. London: Penguin, 1986. ISBN  0-140-44759-8.
  4. Chrétien de Troyes. Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart. Trans. Burton Raffel. New Haven: Yale UP, 1997. ISBN 0-300-07121-3.
  5. Chrétien de Troyes. Perceval: The Story of the Grail. New Haven: Yale UP, 1999. ISBN 0-300-07586-3.
  6. The Death of King Arthur. Trans. James Cable. London: Penguin, 1971. ISBN 0-14-044255-3.

 

Schedule of Readings and Topics for Discussion:

Jan. 28: Introduction to Anglo-Saxon culture; introduction to writing and research projects; formation of research groups.

Feb. 4: Beowulf, pp. 3-78.

Feb. 11: Oral reports from research group 1 and continued discussion of Beowulf, including interpretive and research strategies.

Feb. 18: The Song of Roland, pp. 51-163.

Feb. 25: Oral reports from research group 2 and continued discussion of The Song of Roland.

Mar. 4: The Lais of Marie de France, pp. 41-126.

Mar. 11: Oral reports from research group 3 and continued discussion of The Lais.

Mar. 18: Chrétien de Troyes’s Lancelot, pp. 1-224.

Mar. 25: Oral reports from research group 4 and continued discussion of Lancelot.

Apr. 1: Chrétien de Troyes’s Perceval, pp. 1-291.

Apr. 8: Oral reports from research group 5 and continued discussion of Perceval.

Apr. 15: Conversion day to a Wednesday; no Tuesday classes

Apr. 22: Spring Break

Apr. 29: The Death of King Arthur, pp. 23-235.

May 6: Oral reports on The Death of King Arthur

May 13: The Romance of the Rose manuscripts and selected texts (handouts); research paper due; review for final exam.

May 20: Final examination.

 

Expectations and grading:

Students are expected to attend every class and arrive with the reading or research prepared for the dates indicated above. Grades are based on the following:

  1. The oral report: 20%.
  2. The research paper (10-12 pages, with proper MLA documentation): 60%.
  3. The final examination: 20%.

 

 

HOME