Here are the links to the texts you need for our last class meeting.
Here is a link to the required reading for de Pizan this week:
The City of the Ladies (abridged)
Since we are focusing on the representation of women in medieval literature as well as women writers for this section, I thought some of you may also be interested in the following short text. It is a response de Pizan wrote to John Montrevil’s Treatise on the Romance of the Rose, which gave the romance a very favorable review. De Pizan vehemently disagreed with Montrevil’s review primarily because of de Meun’s unfavorable treatment of women (or female representations/personifications) in the Romance of the Rose.
Lesser Treatise on the Romance of the Rose, June-July 1401
I have posted a link to Chaucer’s Parliament of Fowles on the Bibliography page. You will notice there are two links: one to a modern translation and one to the original text. You are welcome to read either one. If you choose to read the text in translation, you should (at the very least) spend a bit of time comparing that to the original so that you get a better feel for Chaucer’s style and language.
Today we’ll be discussing two medieval French texts, Reynard the Fox by Pierre de Saint-Cloud and Laeustic by Marie de France.
We’ll also be looking a several modern adaptations of the Reynard story:
One example of Christian influence on the Beowulf poem can be found in the description of Grendel’s Mere. Many scholars have noted that the description of the mere closely resembles a description of hell from a 10th century text entitled Blickling Homily 17. Here is the text of the Homily:
As Saint Paul was looking toward the northern part of this world, where all waters descend, he also saw over the waters a gray stone. And north of the stone had grown very frosty groves, and there were gloomy mists, and under the stone was the dwelling-place of sea-monsters and evil spirits. And he was that on the cliff many black souls were hanging in the icy groves, bound by their hands, and devils in the shape of sea-monsters were clutching at them like greedy wolves. And the water was black under the cliff below, and from the cliff to the water was about twelve miles. And when the boughs broke, the souls that hung on the twigs fell down, and the sea-monsters seized them.
Compare this description to the description of Grendel’s Mere in lines 1362-1382.
Today in class we will go over the course syllabus, discuss any questions you may have about the syllabus or assignments, and do some type of activities that will help us learn each other’s names.
In addition to the beginning of the semester activities, I will be providing an introduction to the medieval period in general and the literature we will be studying more specifically. You are expected to have purchased and read the entire Introductory section (pp. 1-23) in the Norton Anthology for this class. Be prepared to participate in a discussion based on this reading.
My office is located in room 5032 of the Batten Arts and Letters Building. My office hours for the Fall 2008 semester are as follows:
Tuesdays 1:30 – 2:30 PM
Thursdays 4:30 – 6 PM
or by appointment
You are also welcome to contact me virtually whenever I am online. My AIM ID is: rhiannonctr.
Welcome to the course website/blog for Dr. Kathie Gossett’s English 403/503: Medieval Literature.
