SoSe 13: S-Medieval English Literatures II: Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
Regina Scheibe
Comments
Geoffrey Chaucer is widely regarded as the principal author of the Middle English period. Nowadays he is particularly famous for his Canterbury Tales, an incomplete collection of stories held together by a framing narrative. In this course we will discuss a selection of his tales, all of them well-known representatives of a variety of literary genres. Particular attention will be paid to central concerns of medieval life, culture, and learning, and to aspects of otherness and modernity in Chaucer's description of human foibles. These factors will improve our understanding of the 'codes' used by medieval listeners or readers in their interpretation of medieval literary art.
Language of instruction: English. Required language level: C1-C2.
Assessment: Participants will be expected to read the allocated tales in advance to each session and to take an active part in class discussion. The final mark will be based on participation in class and a 2000-word final essay.
Students are advised to purchase one of the following two editions: The Riverside Chaucer, general editor Larry D. Benson (Oxford: OUP, 1988, 3rd edition, 2008), or the Penguin Classics edition of the Canterbury Tales, edited by Jill Mann (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 2005).
close13 Class schedule
Regular appointments