Reading Medieval Literature

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.