UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

COURSE: HE313, Chaucer and his Age, Section 5001

INSTRUCTOR: Professor Michael P. Parker ()

Home phone: (410) 263-5680

Office: Room 209 Sampson - (410) 293-6211

OFFICE HOURS: MWF 346; T 23456. Please use the sign-up sheet outside my office.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

To gain a broad objective knowledge of the literature and culture of the European Middle Ages;

To develop techniques of research and criticism that can be applied to the literature of any period; and

To hone the students’ writing ability, helping each member of the class to refine a clear yet distinctive style.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Three short (5- to 6-page) papers

A longer paper (10-12 pages) OR a weekly journal on the readings

One oral presentation

A final examination

COURSE POLICIES:

1. Grades and Grading:

Short papers 45%

Longer paper/journal 25%

Oral presentation 15%

Final examination 15%

____

TOTAL 100%

I reserve the right to raise or lower the final grade by one letter on the basis of class participation.

2. Plagiarism and Collaboration:

All work submitted should be the student’s own. For a definition of plagiarism and examples of what constitutes it, consult Andrea Lunsford, The Everyday Writer, 2nd ed., pp. 109-22. Students should not collaborate on assignments unless I specifically authorize them to do so.

3. Late Papers:

Assignments should be submitted on time. If, for some unavoidable reason, you do not have your paper on the given day, I expect you to tell me about it BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE CLASSROOM and arrange to submit it promptly. If you fail to inform me that you have not submitted your paper or if you fail to meet a rescheduled deadline, I will deduct at least ten points from your grade.

4. Extra Instruction:

Extra instruction is available as needed or as requested. All students should sign up for an introductory appointment with me no later than Friday, 12 September.

5. Key to Numerical Grading Systems:

100 - 90 = A 4 = cool

89 - 80 = B 3

79 - 70 = C 2

69 - 60 = D 1

59 - 0 = F 0 = cold

(This system used on journals and oral

presentations)

Students must be thoroughly prepared for class, i.e., they must have read the assignment carefully and have the proper books with them. Failure to do so will result in a lower grade for the course. Students must complete all written and oral assignments to earn a passing final grade.

UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

HE313, Chaucer and his Age Mr. Parker

Texts

Michael Alexander, trans., The Earliest English Poems, 3rd ed.

Beowulf, trans. Seamus Heaney

Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, trans. W. H. McWilliams

Geoffrey Chaucer, The Riverside Chaucer, ed. Larry D. Benson

Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances, trans. William W. Kibler

Sir Thomas Malory, Malory: The Morte Darthur, ed. Derek Brewer

Njal’s Saga, trans. and ed. Robert Cook

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Patience, trans. Marie Borroff

Recitation Schedule

W 20 Aug Introduction to course

F 22 Aug Michael Alexander, The Earliest English Poems, ix-xxvi and “Caedmon’s Hymn,” pp. 5-6; Robert Cook, Njal’s Saga, pp. 3-61

M 25 Aug Alexander, “The Wanderer,” “The Seafarer,” and other elegies, pp. 40-62;

Cook, Njal’s Saga, pp. vii-xli; 61-112

W 27 Aug Alexander, “Deor” and “Widsith,” pp. 8-20; “Brunanburh,” pp. 95-98; Cook, Njal’s Saga, pp. 112-67

F 29 Aug Alexander, “The Dream of the Rood,” pp. 83-91; Cook, Njal’s Saga, pp. 168-233

M 1 Sep Labor Day - HOLIDAY

W 3 Sep Alexander, “The Battle of Maldon,” pp. 99-111; Riddles, pp. 67-76; Cook, Njal’s Saga, pp. 234-310

F 5 Sep Seamus Heaney, trans., Beowulf, pp. Introduction, ix-xxxi; 2-43 (last break)

M 8 Sep Heaney, Beowulf, pp. 43-87 (break)

W 10 Sep Heaney, Beowulf, pp. 87-149 (last break)

F 12 Sep Heaney, Beowulf, pp. 149-213

M 15 Sep Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances, pp. 1-22 and Yvain, pp. 295-325

W 17 Sep Chrétien de Troyes, Yvain, pp. 326-80

F 19 Sep Chrétien de Troyes, The Knight of the Cart, pp. 207-58

M 22 Sep Chrétien de Troyes, The Knight of the Cart, pp. 258-94

W 24 Sep Marie Borroff, trans., Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, pp. 3-14; Part I, pp. 15-26

F 26 Sep Borroff, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Parts II and III, pp. 11-42

M 29 Sep Borroff, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Part IV, pp. 62-74; Pearl, Parts I-III, pp. 111-130

W 1 Oct Borroff, Pearl, Parts IV-XX, pp. 130-61

F 3 Oct Sir Thomas Malory, The Morte Darthur, Introduction, pp. 1-12 and 35-37; Book VII, pp. 43-99

M 6 Oct Malory, The Morte Darthur, Introduction, pp. 12-35; Book VIII, pp. 100-58

W 8 Oct Geoffrey Chaucer, The Riverside Chaucer, Introduction, pp. xi-xxix

F 10 Oct Chaucer, Introduction, pp. xxix-xlii; The Parliament of Fowls, pp. 383-88

M 13 Oct Columbus Day - HOLIDAY

W 15 Oct Chaucer, Introduction, pp. xlii-xlvii; The Parliament of Fowls, pp. 389-94

F 17 Oct Mid-Semester Correction; Chaucerian Pronunciation

M 20 Oct Chaucer, The Book of the Duchess, pp. 329-39

W 22 Oct The Book of the Duchess, pp. 339-46

F 24 Oct Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue, pp. 23-30

M 27 Oct The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue, pp. 30-36

W 29 Oct The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale, pp. 37-50

F 31 Oct The Canterbury Tales, The Knight’s Tale, pp. 50-66

M 3 Nov The Canterbury Tales, The Miller’s Prologue and Tale, pp. 66-78

W 5 Nov The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale and the Cook’s Tale, pp. 78-86

F 7 Nov Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, pp. 1-66; 192-99; 677-82

M 10 Nov The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue, pp. 105-16

W 12 Nov The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale, pp. 116-22

F 14 Nov The Canterbury Tales, The Clerk’s Tale, pp. 137-53

M 17 Nov The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant’s Tale, pp. 153-68

M 19 Nov The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale, pp. 178-89

F 21 Nov The Canterbury Tales, The Physician’s Tale and the Pardoner’s Tale, pp. 190-202

M 24 Nov The Canterbury Tales, The Prioress’s Tale, pp. 209-12

W 26 Nov The Canterbury Tales, The Tale of Sir Thopas and Melibee, pp. 212-19

F 28 Nov Thanksgiving Friday - HOLIDAY

M 1 Dec The Canterbury Tales, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, pp. 252-61

W 3 Dec The Canterbury Tales, The Manciple’s Prologue and Tale and the Parson’s Prologue, pp. 282-88; The Retraction, p. 328

F 5 Dec Wrap-Up

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF PAPER DUE DATES:

Wednesday, 10 September

Wednesday, 8 October

Wednesday, 12 November

Wednesday, 26 November (Long Paper)

XXX