Week 3 Jan 27-31
Medieval period objectives
Primary learning objective: To show how the medieval (Middle Ages) period affects the West in the twentieth century.
Individual learning objectives. In the mid-term exam students will answer some of these questions.
1 Understand the difference between the Ptolemaic (earth-centered) vision of the universe and the Copernican (heliocentric) and how the difference between the two affects humankind's faith in God.
What is the state of Christian faith today?
2 Understand the hierarchical vision of life; cosmic, social (feudal), individual (the relationship of the soul and the body).
To what extent does this ancient concept affect us today? Do we believe in the separation of soul and body?
3 Understand St. Augustine's influence on literature.
Does his influence persist in the twentieth century?
4 Understand courtly love.
To what extent has courtly love shaped our expectations of love?
Assignment
On Chaucer's site, view in the following order -- cosmos, the social order, art, cathedrals, and music (on the supplemental CD). Write response paper # 3 on the connections among literature, art, architecture, cosmos, social structures, etc. In other words, what do the cosmos, the social order, music, art, literature, and the cathedrals have in common with each other? This response paper has no specific due date. Please turn this in before we finish our study of Malory and the medieval period. You may want to read Malory and "Sir Gawain" before writing the response so that you can include the Arthurian knights' tales instead of Chaucer's tales.
The CD is a mirror image of the Brit Lit I web site; the advantage of the CD is that you don't have to download images (and of course music) from the web, which is so slow, but can access them quickly from the CD.
This week, please be reading ahead for the coming assignments on Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.
Also, compare European medieval art with the rest of the world look at the "Non-European Art" site. Notice how other cultures express themselves in art.
Week 4 Feb. 3-7
Relevant web sites:
The Labyrinth: a search engine for medieval materials
Read additional information on the Chaucer site: "Ideas," first, then "Canterbury Tales." Also, read these selections of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales: "The General Prologue"; "The Pardoner's Tale"; "The Miller's Tale"; "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale."
Important notice: your textbook gives you the original Middle English Canterbury Tales. Feel free to use a modern English translation which you may buy in paper book or check out from your local library.
Assignment
Response paper # 4: In what way does the tale fit the personality and description of the teller of the tale? And in what way may "The Pardoner's Tale" and "The Miller's Tale" have an Augustine interpretation; in other words, what is the Christian moral or meaning below the surface of the tales? Due noon Wed. Feb. 12
Week 5 Feb. 5-14
Read The Canterbury Tales: "The Nun's Priest's Tale"; "The Reeve's Tale"; "The Merchant's Tale"; "The Franklin's Tale"; "The Clerk's Tale"
Assignment
Essay 1due by noon Wed., Feb. 19: Analyze what Chaucer is saying about marriage in these last three tales. Which of the marriages is the best and why?