King Arthur in German Literature
German 240 / English 304
Professor Michael Resler
Office: Lyons Hall 201C
Telephone: 552-3744; E-mail: resler@bc.edu
Web: www2.bc.edu/~resler
Office hours: •M W F 11 - 12 o’clock
•and by appointment
Spring Semester 2010
M W F 12 - 1 o’clock
Lyons Hall 207
Texts:
Chrétien de Troyes. Erec and Enide. In Arthurian Romances. Trans. D. D. R.
Owen. Everyman Classics. London: Dent, 1987.
Joseph and Frances Gies. Life in a Medieval Castle. New York: Harper & Row,
1969.
Hartmann von Aue. Erec. Trans. Michael Resler. Philadelphia: University of
Pennsylvania Press, 1987.
-----------. Iwein: The Knight with the Lion. Trans. J. W. Thomas. Lincoln:
University of Nebraska, 1979.
-----------. Iwein by Hartmann von Aue. Trans. Michael Resler. Unpublished
work in progress.
Der Stricker. Daniel of the Blossoming Valley. Trans. Michael Resler. New York
& London: Garland, 1990.
Wolfram von Eschenbach. Parzival. Trans. A. T. Hatto. The Penguin Classics.
Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1980.
Course Schedule:
W Jan.
20 Introduction
Lecture: The High Middle Ages
F
22 Lecture: Did King Arthur really exist?
Reading: “Early Arthurian Documents” (Xerox); Resler, Erec
Introduction, pp. 3-11 (“Historical and Cultural Background”)
Jan.
German Studies Department Web-Site: http://www.bc.edu/germanic
2
M Jan.
25 Lecture/Discussion: Geoffrey of Monmouth, History of the Kings of
Britain
Reading: Geoffrey of Monmouth, excerpts from History of the
Kings of Britain (Xerox); Hartmann von Aue, Erec, pp. 57100; Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 15-18 (“Arthurian
Romance”)
W Jan.
27 Lecture/Discussion: Wace, Roman de Brut
Reading: Wace, excerpts from Roman de Brut (Xerox); Hartmann
von Aue, Erec, pp. 100-140
F
29 Lecture: Who was Hartmann von Aue?
Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Erec I
Reading: Hartmann von Aue, Erec, pp. 141-181; Resler, Erec
Introduction, pp. 11-15 (“Hartmann von Aue”) and pp.
36-42 (“The Chivalric Ethic”)
Jan.
M Feb.
1 Lecture: Problems with the Erec text
Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Erec II
Reading: Reread all of Erec; Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 18f. (“Problems with the Text”) and pp. 44-47 (“Joy and Sorrow”)
W Feb.
3 Lecture: The narrator in Hartmann’s Erec
Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Erec III
Reading: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide, pp. 1-41 (up to line
3086); Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 24-30 (“The
Narrator”)
F
5 Lecture: Courtly love
Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Erec IV
Reading: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide, pp. 41-65 (up to line 4914);
Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 31f. (“Courtly Love”)
Feb.
M Feb.
8 Lecture: The life and work of Chrétien de Troyes
Discussion: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide I
Reading: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide, pp. 65-92; Resler, Erec
Introduction, pp. 19-22 (“Hartmann’s Source”)
W Feb. 10 Lecture: Chrétien’s sources for Erec et Enide
Discussion: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide II
Reading: Reread all of Erec et Enide
F
Feb. 12 Lecture: Chrétien’s patrons
Discussion: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec et Enide III
Reading: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein, pp. 55-79 (up to last paragraph)
3
M Feb. 15 Slide lecture: Medieval castles
Discussion: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter III
Reading: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter III (“The Castle as a
House”), pp. 57-74; Hartmann von Aue, Iwein, pp. 79-101
(up to second paragraph)
W Feb. 17 Slide lecture: Medieval castles and churches
Discussion: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter X
Reading: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter X (“The Castle at
War”), pp. 186-205; Hartmann von Aue, Iwein, pp. 101123 (up to third paragraph)
F
Feb. 19 Lecture: Hartmann’s sources for Iwein
Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein I
Reading: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein, pp. 123-149; Thomas, Iwein
Introduction, pp. 8-25 (“The Theme of Iwein”)
M Feb. 22 Lecture: The plot line of Arthurian romance
Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein II
Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 15-69; Resler,
Erec Introduction, pp. 22-24 (“The Structure of Erec”)
W Feb. 24 Lecture: The “other” Hartmann
Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein III
Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 70-119
F
Feb. 26 Lecture: Women in the Middle Ages
Discussion: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter IV; Hartmann von
Aue, Iwein IV
Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 120-175; Life in a
Medieval Castle, Chapter IV (“The Lady”), pp. 75-94;
Resler, Erec Introduction, pp. 33-36 (“The Role of
Women”)
M Mar.
1 WINTER VACATION
W Mar.
3 WINTER VACATION
F
5 WINTER VACATION
Mar.
M Mar.
8 Lectures: Hartmann’s legacy; Hartmann’s language
Discussion: Hartmann von Aue, Iwein V
Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 176-221
4
W Mar. 10 Review session
Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 222-279
F
Mar. 12 MID-SEMESTER EXAM
M Mar. 15 Slide lecture: Manuscripts, books and literacy
Discussion: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapters VI and VII
Reading: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter VI (“A Day in the
Castle”), pp. 109-124 and Chapter VII (“Hunting as a
Way of Life”), pp. 125-146; Wolfram von Eschenbach,
Parzival, pp. 280-314
W Mar. 17 Slide lecture: Chivalry and the crusades
Discussion: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapters II (pp. 45-56 only)
and IX
Reading: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter II (“The Lord of the
Castle”), pp. 45-56 only and Chapter IX (“The Making of
a Knight”), pp. 166-185; Wolfram von Eschenbach,
Parzival, pp. 315-365
F
Mar. 19 Lecture: Who was Wolfram von Eschenbach?
Discussion: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival I
Reading: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, pp. 366-411; Hatto,
Foreword to Parzival, pp. 7-13
M Mar. 22 Lecture: Was Wolfram really illiterate?
Discussion: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival II
Reading: Reread Parzival, pp. 15-16
W Mar. 24 TERM PAPER PRESENTATIONS
F
Mar. 26 Discussion: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival III
M Mar. 29 Lecture: Wolfram’s sources for Parzival
Discussion: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival IV
W Mar. 31 Slide lecture: In search of Wolfram von Eschenbach
F
Apr.
2 EASTER VACATION
M Apr.
5 EASTER VACATION
5
W Apr.
7 Discussion: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival V
Reading: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley, pp. 3-35
F
9 Film: Perceval le Gallois
Lecture: Eric Rohmer, Perceval le Gallois
Reading: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley, pp. 35-77
Apr.
M Apr. 12 Film: Perceval le Gallois
Discussion: Eric Rohmer, Perceval le Gallois
W Apr. 14 TERM PAPER due
Discussion: Term papers
F
Apr. 16 Slide lecture: Literary patronage in the Middle Ages
Reading: Life in a Medieval Castle, Chapter IV (“The Lady”), pp.
86-87 only; der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley,
pp. 78-118
M Apr. 19 PATRIOTS’ DAY
W Apr. 21 Lecture: Der Stricker’s life and work
Discussion: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley I
Reading: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley, pp. 118-158;
Resler, Daniel Introduction, pp. xii-xxii (“The Poet”)
F
Apr. 23 Lecture: The “post-classical” Arthurian romance
Discussion: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley II
M Apr. 26 Lecture: The prologue to Daniel of the Blossoming Valley
Discussion: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley III
Reading: Reread all of Daniel of the Blossoming Valley
W Apr. 28 Discussion: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley III and IV
F
Apr. 30 Discussion: Der Stricker, Daniel of the Blossoming Valley IV
M May
3 Film lecture: King Arthur goes to Hollywood (The Lion in Winter,
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Excalibur)
W May
5 Review session
Tu May 11 FINAL EXAMINATION at 9 a.m. in Lyons Hall 207