English_281:_Medieval_and_Renaissance

Material and skills covered:

Because we use to have leaves

and on damp days

our muscles feel a tug,

painful now, from when roots pulled us into the ground

and because our children believe

they can fly, an instinct retained from when the bones in our arms

were shaped like zithers and broke

neatly under their feathers . . .

The selection above is from a poem by the contemporary author Lisle Mueller entitled “Why We Tell Stories.” And that issue about the origins of stories stands at the heart of this class, which examines some of the oldest recorded stories in the English language (including Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). Building on this issue we will consider how stories play a role in constructing cultural identity, looking specifically at myths about gods, heroes, and kings as they evolve in Middle English and Renaissance narratives (including several of the Canterbury Tales as well as two plays by Shakespeare).

Methods used:

Analytical papers will comprise the primary assignments in this WRP class.

Attendance policy:

After three absences, final grades will be deducted by one third of a letter grade per additional absence.