LIT 207: English Literature I Summer I 2006 Section 30: Mon/Wed, 8:00-12:05;                  LAUREL 208

Brian T. Murphy Parker 319-V Ext. 1318 Office Hours e-mail: [email protected]

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Important Announcements and Updates: Click HERE
 

Print-friendly (MS Word) course outline here.
Other printable documents:
Model for Evaluation of Student Writing
Revision and Editing Checklist
Essay Outline

�Don�t let anyone talk you into a course where they make you read Beowulf.�
�Woody Allen, Annie Hall

DESCRIPTION:
This course traces the origin and development of English literature, from the Anglo-Saxon period through the eighteenth century.  Students will read and discuss a wide variety of literature, including poetry, prose and drama.  Representative British authors and stylistic developments in literature from Beowulf and Chaucer to Samuel Johnson and the late eighteenth century are introduced. The course will emphasize critical reading and analysis of selected fiction, poetry, drama, and essays.

It is assumed that students have successfully completed the prerequisites for this course, English 101 and English 102, or their equivalent.  Therefore, students are expected to have the necessary background and experience in analyzing, discussing, and responding to literature, as well as the ability to conduct independent research and to write correctly documented research essays  using MLA format.

Students are cautioned that this course requires extensive reading and writing in addition to taking part in class discussions. Students not prepared to read (up to 150 pages/week) and to write on a regular basis should not consider taking this course.

OBJECTIVES:
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

1.  Discuss the works of major British writers in the following contexts:
     ~  Literary periods (Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration, and Eighteenth Century)
     ~  Social movements
     ~  Intellectual movements
2.  Trace the development of themes and genres within their historical contexts;
3.  Analyze literary works for their aesthetic features and thematic patterns;
4.  Identify styles, themes, and works of major writers;
5.  Examine a variety of critical approaches to literature.

TEXTS:
Required:
Abrams, M. H. and Stephen Greenblatt, eds.  The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 7 ed. Vol. 1. New York: W. W. Norton, 2000.*

Supplemental readings and materials may be assigned at the instructor�s discretion.

Recommended:
Kirzner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. The Concise Wadsworth Handbook. Boston: Thomson Heinle, 2006;
Maimon, Elaine P. and Janice H. Peritz. A Writer�s Resource: A Handbook for Writing and Research. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003;
or another handbook covering grammar, writing, and MLA documentation.

A good college-level dictionary

Recommended additional texts:**
Ackroyd, Peter. Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination. New York: Nan A. Talese, 2002 (Available used starting at $9.49 at Amazon.com***).

Armitage, Simon. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A New Verse Translation. [New York?]: , 2007.�

Ashe, Geoffrey. The Discovery of King Arthur. New York: Henry Holt, 1985.

---., ed. The Quest for Arthur�s Britainn. Chicago: Academy, 1987.

Baugh, Albert C. and Thomas Cable. A History of the English Language, 3 ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1978.

Bloom, Harold. How to Read and Why. New York: Scribner, 2000. (Available starting at $1.00 at Amazon.com***)

Casagrande, June. Grammar Snobs are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite. New York: Penguin, 2006. (Available starting at $4.27 at Amazon.com***)

Chase, Colin, ed. The Dating of Beowulf. Toronto: U. of Toronto P., 1997.

Cornwall, Bernard. The Saxon Tales. New York: HarperCollins, 2005-2008, comprised of:

     I.   The Last Kingdom, 2005.

     II.  The Pale Horseman, 2006.

     III. The Lords of the North, 2007.

     IV. Sword Song: The Battle for London, 2008.� and so on....

Crichton, Michael. Eaters of the Dead.

Crystal, David. The Stories of English. New York: Overlook Press, 2004.

---. Words, Words, Words. New York: Oxford U P, 2006. (Available used starting at $9.28 at Amazon.com***)

Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York: Norton, 1999. (Available used, starting at $8.50, at Amazon.com***).

Dirda, Michael. Classics for Pleasure. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2007.

Fraser, Rebecca. The Story of Britain: From the Romans to the Present: A Narrative History. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005.

Freeman, Philip. The Philosopher and the Druids: A Journey Among the Ancient Celts. 2006. �

Fulghum, W. B. A Dictionary of Biblical Allusions in English Literature. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1965. (Available used, starting at $3.99, at Amazon.com ***).

Fulk, R. D., ed. Interpretations of Beowulf: A Critical Anthology. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana U. P., 1991.

Gardner, John. Grendel. (Available used starting at $0.20 at Amazon.com***).

Hardyment, Christina. Malory: The Knight Who Became King Arthur�s Chronicler. New York: HarperCollins, 2005.

Hinds, Gareth, adapt. and illus. Beowulf [graphic novel]. Cambridge, MA: Candelwick P, 2007.

Kress, Nancy. "Unto the Daughters." Sisters in Fantasy. Eds. Susan Schwartz and Martin H. Greenberg. New York: Roc, 1995. Reprinted in A Beaker's Dozen. New York: Tor, 1998. 163-172.

Loomis, Roger Sherman, ed. Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages: A Collaborative History. Oxford: Clarendon, 1959, 2001.

---. The Development of Arthurian Romance. New York: Norton, 1963.

McLynn, Frank. 1066: The Year of the Three Battles. 2006.�

Nicolson, Adam. God�s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible. New York: HaperCollins, 2003. (Available used, starting at $3.70, at Amazon.com***).

Tolkien, J. R. R., trans. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo. New York: Ballantine, 1975.

---.  The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Boerthelm�s Son. Essays and Studies for 1953. reprinted The Tolkien Reader. New York: Ballantine, 1966. 1-27. Also in Poems and Stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. 75-109.

Wray, T. J. and Gregory Mobley. The Birth of Satan. 2006.�

*Note that all major reading selections for the semester are available online, as indicated by links (see Schedule, below). However, students must have a copy of the appropriate text(s) with them for each class session, whether they have purchased the textbook or printed out hardcopy from the Internet;  no excuses about computer or printer problems will be accepted. In addition, a large number of recommended readings are available in the textbook, but not readily available online. Finally, although the longer works (Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , Canterbury Tales, Twelfth Night, Paradise Lost, and Gulliver�s Travels) are all available online, students who do not purchase The Norton Anthology of English Literature should for convenience consider obtaining paperback versions or library copies.

** Recommended additional texts are not required purchases, and have not been ordered for the course; however, they provide�depending on the course� alternative readings, historical and cultural backgrounds, criticism, personal literary responses, or entertaining (irreverent, possibly sacrilegious) revisions. Students who find themselves becoming deeply interested in one or more of the required readings may find these interesting and/or useful. When indicated with a dagger (�), texts are only provisionally recommended, as I have not read these works yet, although they have received excellent reviews or recommendations.

*** Prices listed at Amazon.com do not include shipping, and are accurate as of posting date only; no guarantees of prices or availability are express or implied�.

CLASS POLICIES:
Attendance and Participation:
Students must not only attend every class, but also arrive on time, be prepared, and take an active part in class (see Participation, below). According to the College Catalog, "Students are expected to attend all class, clinical, laboratory, and studio sessions for the full duration of each instructional session."  Moreover, once students get to class, they are expected to stay in the classroom until the class is over. Leaving class early or getting up in the middle of class is considered disruptive behavior and should happen only in extreme emergencies. Students may be required to sign in each class session to verify their attendance.

Students unable to attend class should contact the instructor regarding their absence in advance or as soon as they return to school. Excessive absences or repeated tardiness will result in a lowered grade and may result in failure of the course at the instructor�s discretion

Plagiarism and Cheating:
Plagiarism includes copying or paraphrasing another�s words, ideas, or facts without crediting the source; submitting a paper written by someone else, either in whole or in part, as one�s own work; or submitting work previously submitted for another course or instructor. Plagiarism, cheating, or other forms of academic dishonesty on any assignment will result in failure (a grade of zero) for that assignment and may result in further disciplinary action, including but not limited to failure for the course and expulsion from the College. Plagiarism on a second assignment will result in failure for the course and further disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the College. Please refer to the Burlington County College Student Code of Conduct in your Student Handbook for additional information regarding plagiarism and College regulations.

Homework/Essay Submission:
All writing assignments must be received by the instructor on or before the due date, by the beginning of the class period, as indicated on the schedule, below. In the event of an unavoidable absence the day an assignment is due, the work may be emailed. Only work submitted as an email attachment, in MS Word format, and received before the end of the normal class period will be accepted.

Make-up Exams/Late Work:
All assignment deadlines and scheduled exam dates are provided at the beginning of the semester; therefore, late papers will not be accepted nor will make-up exams be offered, except under extraordinary circumstances with appropriate documentation. Excuses such as �crashed computers,� �lost flash drives,� or �empty printer ink cartridges� will not be accepted. It is suggested that all computer work be saved both on your computer�s hard drive and again on disk or removable storage device. Work submitted after deadlines, if accepted, will receive a grade reduction of 10% for each day it is late.

Back to Top

ASSIGNMENTS:
Attendance and Participation (10 points):
As this class will combine both lecture and discussion, students are expected both to attend every session and to take an active part in class�joining in discussions and raising questions. Discussion is one of the best ways to clarify understandings and to test conclusions; therefore, it is imperative that all students participate regularly. Open discussion always involves personal exposure, and thus the taking of risks: your ideas may not be the same as your fellow students� or even the instructor�s. Yet as long as your points are honest and supportable, they will be respected by all of us in the classroom. Questions, discussion, disagreement, and laughter are all encouraged in this class (However, ridicule or scoffing is never tolerated).

Quizzes (10 points):
With the exception of the first day, class may begin with a short (five- to ten-minute) quiz or writing assignment on the reading(s) for the day, at the instructor�s discretion. Quizzes missed due to tardiness may not be made up. At the end of the semester, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. Total number of quizzes during the semester will determine the point value of each; that is, if 11 quizzes are given (lowest quiz grade will be dropped), each quiz is worth up to one full point.

Essays (2 @ 20 points):
Students will complete two essays during the semester; topics should be selected from the list of suggestions provided (see Essay Topics, below) or developed in consultation with the instructor. Essays must be at least 5 pages, typed (12-point Times New Roman), double-spaced, with both a cover page and a Works Cited page (cover page and Works Cited page do not count toward the five-page requirement); include a minimum of three authoritative sources, including at least one primary source (the text or texts discussed) and at least two reputable critical or scholarly secondary sources, properly documented (utilizing MLA format for documentation); and be stapled when submitted. Essays should be grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation, and will be evaluated according to the Model for Evaluation of Student Writing.

Please refer to the Essay Outline and Revising and Editing Checklist for additional assistance, as well as Writing About Literature, Writing a Literature Paper, and Getting an A on an English Paper.

Exams (2 @ 20 points):
Students will complete two ninety-minute exams: a midterm examination at the end of the first half of the semester, and a final examination during the the last class meeting. These exams will each evaluate students� recognition and comprehension of material studied during the previous weeks, covering specific texts, literary themes, and cultural and historical backgrounds.

GRADING:
Final grades will be determined as follows:

Total Points earned (Final Average) will determine the grade received for the course, as follows:

Back to Top

OUTLINE:
Projected Schedule of Readings and Assignments (This schedule is subject to revision)
Note:  All readings below are required, and must be completed by the day indicated; the only exceptions are those indicated with an asterisk (*), which are recommended additional readings.

Monday, May 22: 
Course Introduction; Old English History, Language and Poetry (1-22);
Religious Poetry: Bede and �C�dmon�s Hymn� (23-26); �The Dream of the Rood�: Old English text/Modern English translation (26-28);
Heroic Poetry: �The Battle of Maldon� (103-109);  �The Wanderer� (99-102)
*see also, Timeline of British History, 5000 BC-397 AD, 402 BC- 597 AD, and 633-1065 AD

*Recommended reading:

Baugh, Albert C. and Thomas Cable. A History of the English Language, 3 ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1978.

Cornwall, Bernard. The Saxon Tales. New York: HarperCollins, 2005-2008, comprised of:
I.   The Last Kingdom, 2005.
II.  The Pale Horseman, 2006.
III. The Lords of the North, 2007.
IV. Sword Song: The Battle for London, 2008.�

Crystal, David. The Stories of English. New York: Overlook Press, 2004.

Fraser, Rebecca. The Story of Britain: From the Romans to the Present: A Narrative History. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005.

Magoun, Francis P. "The Oral-Formulaic Character of Anglo-Saxon Narrative Poetry." Speculum 28 (1963): 446-67. (Reprinted in Fulk, R. D., ed. Interpretations of Beowulf: A Critical Anthology. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana U. P., 1991. 45-65).

Tolkien, J.R.R.  The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Boerthelm�s Son. Essays and Studies for 1953. reprinted The Tolkien Reader. New York: Ballantine, 1966. 1-27. Also in Poems and Stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. 75-109.

Wednesday, May 24: 
Selections from Beowulf (modern English verse translation by Francis B. Gummere, with line numbering) (29-99): ll. 1-490, 662-835, 1251-1650, 2200-2353, 2397-2424, 2510-end [*see also, Klaeber�s edition of Beowulf (Old English text), Beowulf (translation by Francis B. Gummere) and Beowulf (another modern English translation)];
*see also, Summary and Analysis of  Beowulf and Beowulf in Five Minutes  ("and there was much rejoicing...") or, even shorter, Beowulf from Book-a-Minute Classics
NOTE: The above links are provided as an aid to understanding the text, not as a substitute; You are still expected to read the original text!

*Recommended reading:

Chance, Jane. "Grendel�s Mother as Epic Anti-Type of the Virgin and the Queen." Chapter Seven of Chance, Jane. Woman as Hero in Old English Literature. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse U. P, 1986. 95-108, 131-5. (Reprinted in Fulk, R. D., ed. Interpretations of Beowulf: A Critical Anthology. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana U. P., 1991. 251-263)

Crichton, Michael. Eaters of the Dead.

Dirda, Michael. "Beowulf." Classics for Pleasure. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2007. 38-40.

Gardner, John. Grendel.

Hinds, Gareth, adapt. and illus. Beowulf [graphic novel]. Cambridge, MA: Candelwick P, 2007.

Leyerle, John. "The Interlace Structure of Beowulf." University of Toronto Quarterly 37 (1967): 1-17. (Reprinted in Fulk, R. D., ed. Interpretations of Beowulf: A Critical Anthology. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana U. P., 1991. 146-167)

Tolkien, J. R. R. "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics." Proceedings of the British Academy 22 (1936): 245-95. (Reprinted in Fulk, R. D., ed. Interpretations of Beowulf: A Critical Anthology. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana U. P., 1991. 45-65)

Also, check out the free study guide to Beowulf from Paramount Pictures

Monday, May 29: College Closed for Memorial Day

Wednesday, May 31:
The Anglo-Norman and Middle English Period: Arthurian Literature:
selections from Geoffrey of Monmouth, Wace, Layamon (115-125); Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (156-210)

*see also, Summary and Analysis of  Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, 40-question quiz on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Online Resources

NOTE: The above links are provided as an aid to understanding the text, not as a substitute; You are still expected to read the original text!

*see also, Timeline of British History, 1066-1485 AD

*Recommended reading:

Armitage, Simon. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A New Verse Translation. [New York?]: , 2007.�

Ashe, Geoffrey. The Discovery of King Arthur. New York: Henry Holt, 1985.

---., ed. The Quest for Arthur�s Britain. Chicago: Academy, 1987.

Dirda, Michael. "Arthurian Romances." Classics for Pleasure. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2007. 67-71.

Foulon, Charles. "Wace." Loomis, ed. 94-103.

Jackson, Kenneth H. "The Arthur of History." Loomis, ed. 1-11.

Hardyment, Christina. Malory: The Knight Who Became King Arthur�s Chronicler. New York: HarperCollins, 2005.

Loomis, Laura Hibbard. "Gawain and the Green Knight." Loomis, ed. 528-540.

Loomis, Roger Sherman, ed. Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages: A Collaborative History. Oxford: Clarendon, 1959, 2001.

--. The Development of Arthurian Romance. New York: Norton, 1963.

---. "Layamon�s Brut." Loomis, ed. 104-111.

---. "The Oral Diffusion of the Arthurian Legend." Loomis, ed. 52-63.

McLynn, Frank. 1066: The Year of the Three Battles. 2006.�

Parry, John Jay and Robert A. Caldwell. "Geoffrey of Monmouth." Loomis, ed. 72-93.

Tolkien, J. R. R., trans. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo. New York: Ballantine, 1975.

Monday, June 5: 
Chaucer (210-213); Canterbury Tales (213-252): General Prologue, Miller�s Prologue and Tale
*see also, Summary and Analysis of  General Prologue and Miller�s Tale or the ultra-concise The Canterbury Tales (General Prologue) from Book-a-Minute Classics
NOTE: The above links are provided as an aid to understanding the text, not as a substitute; You are still expected to read the original text!

Wednesday, June 7: 
Canterbury Tales continued: Wife of Bath�s Prologue and Tale (253-281); Nun�s Priest�s Tale, Closing and Chaucer�s Retraction (296-313)
*see also, Summary and Analysis of the Wife of Bath�s Tale, Nun�s Priest�s Tale  and Retraction
NOTE: The above links are provided as an aid to understanding the text, not as a substitute; You are still expected to read the original text!

Monday, June 12: 
Essay 1 Due
Midterm Exam
The Sixteenth Century (469-498)
William Shakespeare (1026-1027); selected Sonnets: 1, 3, 12, 15, 18, 20, 55, 73, 126, 129, 130, 135, 138 (1028-1043);
Twelfth Night (1043-1105)

*see also, No Fear Shakespeare: The Sonnets and Twelfth Night,  Summary and Analysis of  Twelfth Night and 25-question quiz on Twelfth Night
NOTE: The above links are provided as an aid to understanding the text, not as a substitute; You are still expected to read the original text!

*Recommended viewing:

She�s The Man. Dir. Andy Fickman. Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Robert Hoffman, Alex Breckenridge. DreamWorks Pictures, 2006. (No, not really recommended, but a mildly interesting twist on the play)

Wednesday, June 14:
Shakespeare, Twelfth Night continued;
John Donne (1233-1235); "The Flea" (1236); "Song" (1237-1238); "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" (1248-1249); Holy Sonnets 1, 5, 10, 14, 17, 18 (1268-1272)
George Herbert (1595-1596); "The Altar" (1597); "Redemption" (1597); "Easter Wings" (1599); "Church Monuments" (1602); "The Collar" (1609-1610); "Death" (1613-1614); "Love (III)" (1614-1615)

Extra Credit Assignment:
1812 Productions in Philadelphia is presenting Daughters of Genius (a world premiere comedy of original sin proportions), a comedy about John Milton, his daughters, and the writing of Paradise Lost, now through Saturday, June 18. Students who see the show can receive extra credit: up to 5 points added to your final average. If you go, bring to class on Monday, June 19,  a one- to two-page personal response to the production (review, analysis, reflection, et cetera) as well as a copy of the program and/or your ticket stub.

For tickets and information call 215.592.9560 or visit www.1812Productions.org.

Monday, June 19: The Seventeenth Century (1209-2044)
John Milton (1771-1774); Paradise Lost Book I, Book II (1815-1858); selections from Paradise Lost Books III-XII (1858-2044):
III. 1-586; IV. 1-1015; V. 1-135, 377-512; VII. 1-39; VIII. 249-653; IX 1-1189; X. 414-584, 706-1104; XII 466-649
*see also, Summary and Analysis of  Paradise Lost and 25-question quiz on Paradise Lost, or Paradise Lost (in under thirty seconds) from Book-a-Minute Classics
NOTE: The above links are provided as an aid to understanding the text, not as a substitute; You are still expected to read the original text!

*Recommended reading:

Kress, Nancy. "Unto the Daughters." Sisters in Fantasy. Eds. Susan Schwartz and Martin H. Greenberg. New York: Roc, 1995. Reprinted in A Beaker's Dozen. New York: Tor, 1998. 163-172.

Wray, T. J. and Gregory Mobley. The Birth of Satan. 2006.�

Wednesday, June 21:
selections from Paradise Lost continued;
The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century (2045-2888)
John Dryden (2071-72):  "London Reborn" from Annus Mirabilis (2071-2074); "To the Memory of Mr. Oldham" (2106); from "An Essay of Dramatic Poesy" (2114-2118);
Samuel Pepys (2122-2123), from The Diary (2122-2131)

Monday, June 26:
Essay 2 Due
Jonathan Swift (2298-2299); Gulliver�s Travels I, II (2331-2414), IV (2428-2473); "A Modest Proposal" (2473-2479)
*see also, Summary and Analysis of  Gulliver�s Travels and 25-question quiz on Gulliver�s Travels, or the ultra-concise Gulliver�s Travels from Book-a-Minute Classics
NOTE: The above links are provided as an aid to understanding the text, not as a substitute; You are still expected to read the original text!
*also fun is "Gulliver in Houynhnmland": a good reason not to trust what you read online!
Final Exam

Back to Top

ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS AND TOPICS:

General Instructions:

For each of the assigned essays, a list of topic choices is provided. Your essay must be on one of the assigned topics for that assignment or developed in consultation with the instructor. All essays must be submitted on or before the due date, by the beginning of the class period; late work will not be accepted.

For each of the essays, select one of the topics to discuss in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay of at least five (5) pages; essays must be typed (in 12-point Times New Roman font), double-spaced, with a cover page and Works Cited page (cover page and Works Cited page do not count toward the five-page requirement), and be stapled when submitted. Essays should be grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation, and will be evaluated according to the Model for Evaluation of Student Writing. In addition, essays must use a minimum of three authoritative sources, including at least one primary source (the text or texts discussed) and at least two reputable critical or scholarly secondary sources. Essays must contain quotations from or other references to your sources, and these references should be used to support your assertions about the text and be properly documented (utilizing MLA-style citations for documentation).

Be sure to focus carefully on the topic: formulate a strong, objectively worded thesis, and avoid plot summary. Remember that these are formal essays: they must have an appropriate, original title; contain an introduction, body, and conclusion; have a clear, explicit, assertive, objectively worded thesis statement; and avoid use of �I� or �you� throughout.

Please feel free to communicate any concerns or questions to me before the essays are due; I will be available to meet with any student who needs assistance or additional instruction. Please speak to me before or after class or e-mail me to set up an appointment during my office hours.

Essay 1: Due Monday, June 12

Topics:

1. Old English poetry (such as �The Dream of the Rood�) often seems to conflate Christian and non-Christian elements. Analyze how Christian elements are combined with pre-Christian (so-called "pagan") heroic elements in Beowulf. Is Beowulf a Christian poem, and Beowulf himself a Christian hero? Or have they been �Christianized�?

2. Utilizing at least one work from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) period (for example, �The Dream of the Rood,� �The Battle of Maldon,� or Beowulf) and at least one from the Medieval period (see Geoffrey of Monmouth, Wace, Layamon, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, or Chaucer�s Canterbury Tales , especially the General Prologue, The Knight�s Tale, and The Wife of Bath�s Tale), explore how the concept of the hero changes over time. What is the Old English heroic ideal, versus the Middle English heroic ideal?

3. It has been said of Chaucer�s Canterbury Tales that the teller fits the tale, whatever that means. Select any one of the pilgrims in the Tales and explore how the tale he or she relates is suited to his or her character, as depicted in the General Prologue.

4. Contrast one of the works discussed in the first half of the semester (Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, or one or more of  The Canterbury Tales) with a modern revision of that work; for example, Beowulf and Michael Crichton�s Eaters of the Dead or John Gardner�s Grendel. How does the modern revision alter or adapt the original text, and to what end? That is, not only how do the two differ, but why?

Essay 2: Due Monday, June 26

Topics:

1. In several of Shakespeare�s Sonnets and in Twelfth Night we can see a concern for beauty, concealment, and inner reality versus outward appearance. Analyze this theme: where and when does it occur? is it consistent, or does it change or develop new, additional significance?

2. Donne, Hebert and Milton (and many other seventeenth-century authors, if you wish to bring them in) all address the nature of Man�s relationship with God. In  what ways do two or more of these authors agree or disagree, and why do they express such similar concerns?

3. Paradise Lost, according to Milton, is written to �justify the ways of God to men� (I. 26). Explore his concept of the felix culpa, or happy fall: Does Milton successfully  �justify� the ideas that Man�s disobedience and fall are the product of free will, and not God�s fault?

4. In Book IV of Gulliver�s Travels, Gulliver decides that  �the wise and virtuous Houyhnhnms� are the paragon of reason, and that man is by contrast loathsome, bestial and unreasonable. How are we to understand this; that is, do Gulliver�s views of mankind resemble those of the author? Is mankind satirized, or is it Gulliver himself who is the object of Swift�s ridicule?

5. Contrast one of the works discussed in the second half of the semester (Twelfth Night, Paradise Lost, or another work by one of the sixteenth- through eighteenth-century authors) with a modern revision of that work; for example, Twelfth Night and Andy Fickman�s She�s The Man. How does the modern revision alter or adapt the ancient text, and to what end? That is, not only how do the two differ, but why?