Expand+ENG20410 Reading Medieval Literature
Academic Year 2022/2023

This module traces both the development of English literature and the development of Medieval English society, as we trace the transition from a shame culture to a guilt culture. Throug...

Hide-ENG20410 Reading Medieval Literature
Academic Year 2022/2023

This module traces both the development of English literature and the development of Medieval English society, as we trace the transition from a shame culture to a guilt culture. Through the course of the trimester, you will read a selection of outstanding literary works of the early and late medieval period. Beginning with some Old English literature in translation, we will consider the heroic ethos in Old English literature and its consequences for personal relationships and societal structures. We will then look at a variety of key Middle English texts, including some works by Marie de France, Chaucer, and the Pearl-poet, while we trace first the transition to feudalism and the later medieval rise of the middle class.

Learning Outcomes:
On completing this module, you will have gained an understanding of and access to some of the key cultural texts produced in English in the early and late medieval period. You will also be able to demonstrate a critical knowledge of a wide range of writing on the course, and to identify and engage in key critical and theoretical debates. You will engage in class discussion, and write a research essay.