EN3C5-30 Chaucer
Introductory description
This module allows students to read the major works of the most influential medieval poet in English alongside selections from the broader European literature that inspired him. Term 1 focuses on his early dream poems and his philosophical romance set in the Trojan War, Troilus and Criseyde. It will also introduce Chaucer’s unfinished experiment in writing a story-collection, The Legend of Good Women, and the General Prologue and manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales. Term 2 examines the range of Chaucer’s writing in The Canterbury Tales, introducing students to the important medieval genres of romance, exemplum, miracle, and fable. We will also consider Chaucer’s afterlife and some of the continuations to his work produced in Middle English and Older Scots in the century after his death.
Module aims
This module allows students to read the major works of the most influential medieval poet in English alongside selections from the broader European literature that inspired him. Term 1 focuses on his early dream poems and his philosophical romance set in the Trojan War, Troilus and Criseyde. It will also introduce Chaucer’s unfinished experiment in writing a story-collection, The Legend of Good Women, and the General Prologue and manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales. Term 2 examines the range of Chaucer’s writing in The Canterbury Tales, introducing students to the important medieval genres of romance, exemplum, miracle, and fable. We will also consider Chaucer’s afterlife and some of the continuations to his work produced in Middle English and Older Scots in the century after his death.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Term 1: Dream visions and Troilus
Term 2: The Canterbury Tales
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a coherent and detailed understanding, informed where relevant by recent scholarship, of Chaucerian Middle English; of a varied selection of Chaucer’s work in the late fourteenth-century European context; and of current critical approaches to Chaucer studies
- Deploy accurately in relation to particular texts their knowledge of the relationships between different genres and of the historical and cultural contexts in which the texts studied were produced.
- Develop an independent and creative response to primary texts studied on the course
- Describe and comment on particular aspects of recent research and scholarship
- Apply their knowledge and understanding in order to carry out an extended piece of writing
Indicative reading list
Reading lists can be found in Talis
Research element
Research for assessed essays
International
Includes study of texts produced in Europe
Subject specific skills
Critical analysis of literary texts; essay-writing skills
Transferable skills
Analytical skills; writing skills; independent research skills
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 18 sessions of 1 hour 30 minutes (9%) |
| Private study | 273 hours (91%) |
| Total | 300 hours |
Private study description
Reading & research
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Students can register for this module without taking any assessment.
Assessment group A2
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
|||
| Assessed essay 1 | 40% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
|||
Assessment component |
|||
| Assessed essay 2 | 60% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
|||
Feedback on assessment
Written feedback on essay and optional individual meeting with student
Pre-requisites
To take this module, you must have passed:
Courses
This module is Optional for:
- Year 3 of UENA-Q300 Undergraduate English Literature
- Year 3 of UENA-QP36 Undergraduate English Literature and Creative Writing
- Year 4 of UENA-QP37 Undergraduate English Literature and Creative Writing with Intercalated Year
- Year 4 of UENA-Q301 Undergraduate English Literature with Intercalated Year
- Year 3 of UENA-VQ32 Undergraduate English and History
- Year 4 of UENA-VQ33 Undergraduate English and History (with Intercalated year)
- Year 4 of UENA-QW35 Undergraduate English and Theatre Studies with Intercalated Year
This module is Core option list A for:
- Year 3 of UPHA-VQ52 Undergraduate Philosophy, Literature and Classics
This module is Option list A for:
- Year 3 of UCXA-QQ37 Undergraduate Classics and English
- Year 3 of UFIA-QW25 Undergraduate Film and Literature
This module is Option list B for:
- Year 3 of UTHA-QW34 Undergraduate English and Theatre Studies
This module is Option list C for:
- Year 3 of UPHA-VQ72 Undergraduate Philosophy and Literature