ENG 405/505: Chaucer
Fall 2014
MWF 12:00-12:50
Dr. Andrew Higl
Office: Minne 320
Phone: 507-457-5527
Email: ahigl@winona.edu
Office Hours: MW 1:00-4:00; T TH 10:00-12:00
Course Description
Chaucer may be the most entertaining and thought-provoking writer you will ever encounter.
However, Chaucer is not the easiest writer to read. In this course, we will work to become
better readers of Chaucer’s works, hopefully enjoying those especially humorous and
entertaining moments, but also tackling Chaucer’s language, delving into the potential
meanings of his work, and understanding his historically distant cultural environment.
This course is an introduction to some of the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, including and
especially the Canterbury Tales. Chaucer is the most influential Middle English poet and is
generally regarded as one of the most important writers in the English tradition. We will read
Chaucer’s literary works in a variety of ways in order to better grasp the nuances of Middle
English, the cultural context of fourteenth-century England, and the textual condition of
Chaucer’s work. These multifarious approaches will allow us to engage with the linguistic
content of his work closely, look at the material conditions and variations in Chaucer’s work
broadly, and explore the cultural and historical context of his work directly.
Our Goals
We will work towards…
1. Developing as readers of Chaucer’s Middle English.
2. Enriching our understanding of the culture and cultural productions of Fourteenth-Century England.
3. Learning to read the historically distant texts of Chaucer in a way that enlightens our understanding of the past
and explores Chaucer’s relevance in the present.
Texts
Our Course Site: http://eng405chaucer.wordpress.com/
Print:
Norton Critical Editions of the Following:
Dream Visions and Other Poems
The Canterbury Tales
Troilus and Criseyde
Online:
The Canterbury Tales: Fifteenth-Century Continuations and Additions
(http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/bowers.htm)
Six Ecclesiastical Satires
(http://www.lib.rochester.edu/CAMELOT/teams/dean2.htm)
Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales
(http://www.lib.rochester.edu/CAMELOT/TEAMS/gamint.htm)
Other online materials (handouts) and links via our course site
Assignments
Various Short Assignments: Various weekly multi-modal activities, which will ask you to engage with Chaucer's texts
both critically and creatively. Brief descriptions are below. More details will be provided in advance. These activities
will ask you to engage closely with Middle English, historical context, and scholarly criticism. Short essays will be 23pages each and ought to be submitted to the appropriate dropbox folder before class. A brief preview (1-2 sentence
blurb) ought to be posted as a reply to the daily discussion post. The recitation of the first eighteen lines of the General
Prologue from memory with correct ME pronunciation is required before April 3, and may be completed by seeing me
during office hours or by appointment)
MED exercise
ME language quiz (must take and retake until at least 75%)
Translation exercise
Proposal for Ending the Cook’s Tale
General Prologue Recitation
Connection of two unlinked tales
*** failure to turn in one of the short assignments will result in a 0 for the Commitment/Daily Discussion/
Informal Assignments portion of your grade.
Introductory Leads and Reports: Each person in the class will lead discussion twice over the course of the semester,
presenting a report on some outside research and then raising some issues/questions for discussion. A written report
(4-5 pages, each) is due one week after the assigned class period and ought to make clear connections between primary
and/or secondary sources and the assigned Chaucerian text, and it should make clear the interpretative issue and
questions raised by your critical analysis. Since it is due one week after the class period, you may also wish to
incorporate ideas/issues/problems raised by class discussion.
Final Project: A final paper of about 10-15 pages for which you will research and closely analyze a particular aspect of
Chaucer’s corpus or Chaucer’s reception. Details will be forthcoming.
Exams: There will be a midterm and a final consisting of some short answers, fill-ins, and passage identification. I will
let you know the format and scope of the tests well in advance of the test dates.
Daily Discussion/Reflection: For each class (except exam days) I expect you to write a paragraph about the reading
for that day and post it to the class website. Your paragraph should include an element of reflection and propose a
point for discussion that we might take up in class. Your point of reflection might be simply a statement of synthesis or
a gut reaction to the reading. Your discussion point must be specific to the text, but it should be something that opens
up an issue of interpretation. Your paragraph must be posted to the course site five hours before class.
Quizzes: I only use quizzes if I notice a lack of class participation. If everyone participates online and in the classroom,
surprise reading quizzes may be avoided.
Commitment Grade
The commitment grade is like a participation grade except a little different. The commitment grade is based on several
things. (1) It is based on your attendance. This means that you should attend class. If you have more than three
unexcused absences, your commitment grade will be reduced. If you have a chronic attendance problem, this will not
only affect your commitment grade, but it will likely hurt your grade for the whole course. Simply, show up to class!
Excused absences are fine and will not hurt your grade. Please communicate with me. If I suspect that you are simply
skipping class regularly, I reserve the right to reduce your grade for the course by one grade (i.e A becomes B). (2) I
expect you to be prepared. This part of the grade is based on coming to class prepared to answer questions related to
the assigned reading for that day and with printed or electronic copies of the readings handy for reference. (3)
Please post comments to any discussion points I post on the blog. You are not expected to have something to add to
every post, but an active engagement with the blog will certainly help boost your commitment grade.
In general commitment means being prepared to ask thoughtful questions that help me and other members of the
class understand what we don't yet understand. lt doesn't mean perfect mastery of the material on the first try. In
other words: PLEASE don't hesitate to ask and ask again when you are puzzled!
Grade Breakdown
Commitment/Daily Discussion (in-class and online) 10%
Short Assignments 10%
Midterm 15%
Introductions/Leads 20%
Final Paper 25%
Final 20%
90-100%--A
80-90%--B
70-80%--C
60-70%--D
<60%--F
Unexcused late assignments (final drafts) will receive a deduction of 20% each day they are late. (i.e. 90% becomes 70%).
PLEASE COMMUNICATE WITH ME IF YOU NEED MORE TIME!
I will not accept any plagiarized assignments. If you plagiarize, you will fail the assignment and your commitment grade will be
reduced by 30%. A second offense will result in immediate failure of the course. Using another person’s words or ideas without
attribution is plagiarism. No credit will be given for plagiarized work. If you borrow an idea or quote from another author, you
must cite where you found the material. Sources must be cited in handouts as well as in formal papers. I don't mind what form
of citation you use as long as your citations allow your reader to find your source easily. If you need help with creating citations
or finding sources, please see me and I will be glad to help. You will receive no credit for the assignment and repeat offenses
may result in an F for the course.
Commitment to Inclusive Excellence
WSU recognizes that our individual differences can deepen our understanding of one another and the world
around us, rather than divide us. In this class, people of all ethnicities, genders and gender identities, religions,
ages, sexual orientations, disabilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, regions, and nationalities are strongly
encouraged to share their rich array of perspectives and experiences. If you feel your differences may in some way
isolate you from WSU’s community or if you have a need of any specific accommodations, please speak with the
instructor early in the semester about your concerns and what we can do together to help you become an active
and engaged member of our class and community.
For a list of resources, see http://www.winona.edu/diversity/estatement.asp
Course Schedule
Week 1 (Aug 25, 27, 29)
M
Intro to Chaucer—life, legend, lore (see email)
Intro to reading Chaucer’s poetry and the critical issues of the course
W
Crash Course on Middle English
F
Crash Course on Middle English
Week 2 (Sept 3, 5)
M
No class
W
The Parliament of Fowles
Intro 1: Dreams in the Middle Ages (Scipio’s Dream material)
F
The Parliament of Fowles
Week 3 (Sept 8, 10, 12)
M
House of Fame (Intro-Book 1)
W
House of Fame (Book 2)
MED paper due
F
House of Fame (Book 3)
Intro 2: House of Fame Criticism
Week 4 (Sept 15, 17, 19)
M
Legend of Good Women (Prologue)
Intro 3: LGW Criticism
W
LGW (TBA)
F
ME language quiz
Introduction to the Tales
Week 5 (Sept 22, 24, 26)
M
General Prologue
Intro 4: Pilgrimage
W
Finish the GP
F
Knight’s Tale (part one)
Intro 5: Boethius and the Wheel of Fortune
Week 6 (Sept 29, Oct 1, 3)
M
Knight’s Tale
W
Miller’s Tale
Intro 6: Fabliaux genre
F
Reeve’s Tale
Week 7 (Oct 6, 8, 10)
M
Cook’s fragment; Tale of Gamelyn (in Robin Hood and Other Outlaw Tales)
The Cook’s Tale in Manuscript Bodley 686
See also the four-line conclusion (found in two mss) in the intro to the Bodley 686 text
My chapter on the tale
Assignment: Propose and share an ending for the Cook
W
How to read medieval manuscripts
F
Midterm
Week 8 (Oct 13, 15, 17)
M
Paleography and Codicology exercise; practice transcribing and describing manuscripts
W
Wife of Bath’s Prologue (w/ alternate beginnings—see d2l)
Intro 7: Prologue sources and contexts
F
Wife of Bath’s Tale
Week 9 (Oct 20, 22, 24)
M
Friar’s Tale
W
Summoner’s Tale
F
Clerk’s Tale
Intro 8: Sources and Contexts, especially Italian
Week 10 (Oct 27, 29, 31)
M
Merchant’s Tale
Intro 9: Sources and Contexts
W
Franklin’s Tale
F
Pardoner
Intro 10: Relics and Pardons
Week 11 (Nov 3, 5, 7)
M
Prioress
Intro 11: Jews in fourteenth-century England
W
Thopas
Intro 12: What is Thopas Parodying?
F
Melibee
Week 12 (Nov 10, 12, 14)
M
Nun’s Priest
Intro 13: Beast Fable Tradition
W
Parson/Retraction
F
Plowman/Ploughman’s Tales
Week 13 (Nov 17, 19, 21)
M
Troilus and Criseyde, Book 1
W
Troilus and Criseyde, Book 2
F
Troilus and Criseyde, Book 3 (manuscript work)
Week 14 (Nov 24, 26, 28)
M
Troilus and Criseyde, Book 4
W
NO CLASS
F
NO CLASS
Week 15 (Dec 1, 3, 5)
M
Troilus and Criseyde, Book 5
W
Testament of Cresseid
Intro 14: Boccaccio’s Filostrato,
F
Final Exam
Review