| Unit name | Women in Medieval Romance |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL20029 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Cathy Hume |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Literature One |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences |
On this unit we will explore the presentation of women in medieval romance. We will begin with a female writer, Marie de France, and her contemporary Chrétien de Troyes, considering the presentation of women in relation to love, marriage, family and the court in their pioneering romances. The rest of the course will concentrate on texts in Middle English, beginning with popular romances such as Sir Orfeo, Sir Gowther and The King of Tars, where we will look at women’s functions in relation to plot, the supernatural, salvation, love and madness. We will go on to read texts by Chaucer and Malory involving all of the themes previously encountered as well as a new level of psychological and social complexity. We will be using criticism on romance, historical scholarship about women in medieval Europe, and gender theory to deepen our analysis of the primary texts.
On successful completion of this unit students will: (1) have developed their understanding of the genre of medieval romance; (2) have deepened their knowledge of Middle English; (3) be able to analyse varied presentations of women in medieval romance, their literary function, and relation to recurrent themes and plots; (4) have developed a knowledge of the history of women in medieval England and of criticism on gender in medieval literature; (5) be able to apply this knowledge in their own analyses of medieval romance literature; and (6) have strengthened their skills in use of evidence, argumentation and academic writing.
1 x 2-hour seminar per week.
One short essay of 2000 words (33.3%) and one long essay of 4000 words (66.7%). Both summative elements will assess (1) knowledge and understanding of medieval romance; (2) ability to analyse the presentation and function of women in romances; (3) understanding of relevant cultural and historical contexts, criticism and gender theory. The second essay will also test (4) students’ ability to analyse texts in Middle English. Both essays will test (5, 6 and 7) students’ ability to analyse and assess competing accounts of the primary texts; their ability to adduce pertinent textual material in support of their argument; and their ability to present that argument lucidly and in accordance with academic conventions.
Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances, tr. Kibler (Penguin, 1991)
Marie de France, Lais, tr. Busby and Burgess (Penguin, 1999)
Riverside Chaucer, ed. Benson (Houghton Mifflin, 1987)
Malory, Le Morte Darthur (any edition)
Cambridge Companion to Medieval Women’s Writing, ed. Dinshaw and Wallace (Cambridge UP, 2003)
