ENGL/MDST
316/WTSG 305: GEOFFREY CHAUCER
2:30-3:45
TTH
Distribution I course
Geoffrey Chaucer
(1340?-1400) and his literary, cultural, and philosophical backgrounds. Readings
will include short poems, a dream vision, select Canterbury Tales, and the Troilus.
As well, film versions and adaptations of The
Canterbury Tales will be available.
Note:
Graduate students can sign up for this course as an English Department Graduate
Directed Reading.
TEXTS:
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Riverside Chaucer,
ed. Larry D. Benson, 3rd ed. (Oxford, 1988), pb. 0192821091 Used
$34.00 (amazon.com) PR1851 .B46
1987
Cassette Recording, The General Prologue, by Paul Thomas
(Provo: The Chaucer Studio, 1994).
Robert P. Miller, ed. Chaucer: Sources and Background (Oxford,
1977), pb., 0195021673 $29.95 PR1912 .A2 C48
Boethius, Consolation of Philosophy, trans. V.E.
Watts (Penguin), pb. $11.16 0140447806 B659.C2 E59 1969
Geoffrey Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde, trans. Nevill
Coghill (Penguin, rpt. 1995) $9.95
0140442391PR1870 .A1 C63 1977
FILMS
(ON RESERVE at Fondren; digital streaming at Language Resource Center):
Pier
Paolo Pasolini, dir., The Canterbury Tales, 1971 (English subtitles available); DVD
PN1997 .C368 2003 (106 mins.)
BBC
Canterbury Tales (Miller¡¯s Tale, Wife of Bath¡¯s Tale,
Knight¡¯s Tale, Captain¡¯s Tale, Pardoner¡¯s Tale, Man of Law¡¯s Tale), 2004; DVD
& VHS PN1997.2 .C267 2004 (338 minutes total) PN1997.2 .C2678 2004 v. 1-3
(VHS)
Danny
Boyle, dir., A Shallow Grave, 1995; DVD (94 mins.) Screenplay: http://inflow.corky.net/scripts/shallowGrave.html
-
SYLLABUS:
Tu Aug. 29 Introduction: See Pasolini¡¯s Canterbury Tales (possibly
4-6 p.m.)
Th Aug. 31 Chaucer's Short Poems: ¡°To Rosemounde¡±
Tu Sept. 5 "Gentilesse," "Truth"
Th Sept. 7 "Complaint to His Purse"
Short Paper #1 Due
Tu Sept. 12 Book of the Duchess
Read Macrobius, from the Commentary
on the Dream of Scipio, in Miller, pp. 44-52
Th Sept. 14 Read Ovid, ¡°Ceyx and Alcyone,¡± from the
Metamorphoses, in Miller, pp. 106-12
And
Andreas Capellanus, from The Treatise on Love, ¡°Distinctions concerning
Love¡± and ¡°The Rules of Love,¡± in Miller, pp. 291-99
Tu Sept. 19 General
Prologue to the CT: Introduction and Retraction to the Canterbury
Tales
Listen to the General Prologue on
tape
Th Sept. 21 The Knight: Read Geoffroi de Charny,
from The Book of Chivalry: ¡°The Making of a Knight,¡± in Miller, pp.
166-68; R¨¢mon Lull, from The Book of the Order of Chivalry, on ¡°The
Origins and Purpose of Chivalry,¡± and ¡°The Office of Knighthood,¡± in Miller,
pp. 180-86
Film
Showing: 4-5 p.m. BBC Canterbury Tales: Knight¡¯s Tale
Th Sept. 28 The Wife of
Bath, the Merchant, the Miller, the Reeve
Read
Ovid, from Amores, on ¡°The Lover¡¯s Warfare,¡± in Miller, pp. 286-88
Film
Showing: 4-5 BBC Canterbury Tales: Wife of Bath
Th
Oct. 5 Short
Paper #2 Due
Film Showing: 4-5 BBC Canterbury Tales: Pardoner
Tu Oct. 10 Boethius, Consolation of
Philosophy, Books 1-3
Th Oct. 12 Boethius, Consolation
of Philosophy, Books 4-5
Fr Oct. 13 Mid-term Exam due at 9 A.M.
Tu Oct. 17
Mid-term break
Th Oct. 19 Knight¡¯s
Tale, Part One
Read: Giovanni
Boccaccio, from the Teseide,
¡°Emilia appears to Palemon and Arcita,¡± in Miller, pp. 323-28
Tu Oct. 24 Knight¡¯s
Tale, Part Two and Three
Read: Giovanni Boccaccio, from the Teseide,
¡°Arcita¡¯s Prayer to Mars,¡± ¡°Gloss: The Temple of Mars,¡± ¡°Gloss: The Temple of
Venus,¡± in Miller, pp. 329-43
Th Oct. 26 Knight¡¯s
Tale, Part Four
Tu Oct. 31 Miller¡¯s
Tale
Th Nov. 2 Reeve¡¯s Tale
Tu Nov. 7 Wife of
Bath's Prologue
Read: Bartholomaeus
Anglicus, from The Properties of Things, on ¡°Husband and Wife,¡± in
Miller, pp. 385-87; Miller, on ¡°The Antifeminist Tradition,¡± pp. 399-402,
Theophrastus, from The Golden Book on
Marriage, in Miller, pp. 411-14; and St. Jerome, from The Epistle
Against Jovinian, in Miller, pp. 415-36
Tu Nov. 14 Clerk's
Tale
Read
Petrarch¡¯s Story of Griselda, in Miller, pp. 137-52
Th Nov. 16 Franklin's
Tale
Read Giovanni Boccaccio,
from Il Filocolo, ¡°The Question of Menedon and Fiammetta¡¯s Opinion,¡± in
Miller, pp. 121-35
Tu Nov. 21 Pardoner¡¯s Tale Film Showing 4-6: Danny Boyle¡¯s A Shallow Grave Short
Paper #3 Due
Th Nov. 23 Thanksgiving
Vacation
Tu Nov. 28 Troilus and Criseyde, Book 1 (in
translation)
Th Nov. 30 Troilus and Criseyde, Book 2
& 3
Tu Dec. 5 Troilus and Criseyde, Book 4
& 5
Th Dec. 7 Conclusions
Fr Dec. 8 Exam on Second Part of the Course is Due: 9:00 A.M.
Requirements:
1. Several short (3-5 pp.) papers, any of which
except the last can be revised for a possible higher grade
2. Take-home Honor Code-bound e-Midterm and
Final Examinations
Papers: 50% of your grade; Exams: 50% of your
grade. Participation enhances final grades.
Office Hours:
4-5
TTH 235 Herring Hall x2625 and by appointment. jchance@rice.edu
Website: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~jchance/chaucer3.htm