English 345 - Chaucer
Fall 2013
Sheila Fisher
115 Vernon St., Room 208; x 2457
Office Hours: T/Th 2.45-3.45
Required Texts
Chaucer, The Complete Canterbury Tales (Fisher and Allen edition).
Schoeck and Taylor, eds. Chaucer Criticism: The Canterbury Tales (Vol. I).
Assignments
*** You are responsible for reading the Introduction, Prologue, and/or Epilogue for each of the
assigned Tales where appropriate. Xerox and bring to class all pdfs. you receive by email.
T
Th
9/3
9/5
Introduction to the course. Background to Chaucer.
Read background material, pp. 391-400 and endpapers, and The General Prologue
through the Friar's portrait (line 269). Further discussion of Chaucer's world.
T
9/10
Th
9/12
The General Prologue from the Merchant's portrait through the Pardoner's.
Ongoing work on Chaucer's language and pronunciation.
Finish the General Prologue; Donaldson essay, p. 1 in Schoeck & Taylor; Leicester essay
(pdf. sent by email). // This Thursday, and everyone thereafter, a ten-minute quiz.
T
Th
9/17
9/19
The Knight's Tale (Parts I & II, through line 1880). Discussion of courtly love.
The Knight's Tale (Parts III & IV); Frost, p. 98; Muscatine (pdf).
T
Th
9/24
9/26
The Miller's Tale; Beichner, p. 117.//TOPICS FOR ORAL REPORTS DUE in class.
The Tales of the Reeve and the Cook. Discussion of Part I of CTs (A-fragment).
T
Th
10/1
10/3
The Wife of Bath's Prologue.
The Wife of Bath's Tale; Romance of the Rose, Leicester, and Hansen (pdf).
T
Th
10/8
10/10
The Clerk's Tale.
The Clerk's Tale (review), Sledd, p. 160 and Boccaccio, Decameron, 10.10 (pdf).
T
Th
10/15
10/17
TRINITY DAYS
Visit to the Watkinson to see Chaucer editions and medieval manuscripts.
No quiz today, but the Watkinson trip will be part of the quiz on 10/25.
MIDTERM PAPER DUE by 11 PM electronically
T
Th
10/22
10/24
The Merchant's Tale; Tatlock, p. 175.
The Franklin's Tale.
T
Th
10/29
10/31
Kittredge, p. 130. Discussion of "The Marriage Group." The Physician’s Tale.
The Pardoner's Tale; Miller, p. 221.
T
Th
11/5
11/7
The Shipman's Tale
The Prioress's Tale; Hanning (pdf).
T
Th
11/12
11/14
The Tale of Sir Thopas and the Prologue to the Tale of Melibee.
The Nun's Priest's Tale
T
Th
11/19
11/21
The Second Nun's Tale. Topic suggestions distributed for Final Paper.
The Canon's Yeoman's Tale.
T
Th
11/26
11/28
Concluding discussion of The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale.
THANKSGIVING
T
Th
12/3
12/5
***Thursday
The Manciple's Tale.
The Parson's Prologue and the Retraction (p. 389). Concluding Discussion// Celebration
12/12 at 11 pm: FINAL PAPER SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. To develop a sophisticated understanding of one of the most important works of medieval European
literature.
2. To learn to read this work in its original Middle English.
3. To test translation, comprehension, and critical skills through short weekly quizzes.
3. To develop skills in oral expression through class participation and oral reports on the research project.
4. To develop skills in research methods and contextual criticism through the research project.
5. To develop sophisticated skills in written expression through formal papers.
Course Requirements
1. Writing (55%)
a. One midterm paper, 2800 words.
b. One long final paper, 5600 words.
2. Attendance and Class Participation (10%)
Punctual attendance is required. More than two unexcused absences will begin to lower your final
grade. In each class, be prepared for active discussion.
3. Quizzes and Recitation (20%)
a. Every Thursday, class will begin with a ten-point, ten-minute quiz, which will ask you to translate
some lines from your reading for that day as well as to answer brief questions on your reading and on class
discussions for that week.
b. At some point during the semester, you will read the first eighteen lines of The General Prologue
aloud, with correct Middle English pronunciation, either by making an appointment to do so or by
submitting an audio or video file. It is an experience that you will remember all your lives and share with
generations of Chaucer students across America.
4. Oral Report and Paper (15%)
After you have begun to familiarize yourself with Chaucer's world and setting, you will choose some
aspect of his social, historical, and/or cultural context as the basis of a focused research project. You will
be assigned to a small group based on your research interest. You will then research your topic in order to
present a brief oral report (7 min. max) to the class. One week after your presentation, you will hand in a
1750-word paper (minimum) that writes up your research and its relationship to Chaucer and incorporates
any additional thoughts you’ve had on your topic. You will each be responsible for your own section of the
oral report and for your individual research papers, and you will receive individual grades for this project.
N.B. You will send me your annotated bibliography for your group’s project by midnight before the day
when you’ll be reporting so that I can circulate it to the class.
LATE PAPER POLICY - All written work must be handed on time. Except in cases of certifiable
emergency or religious obligation, late papers are marked down a grade for each day they’re late.
ACADEMIC HONESTY - All work prepared for this course must be done in accordance with the College's
policy on Academic Honesty as it is articulated in The Student Handbook. Suspected plagiarism will be
brought before the Academic Affairs Committee. At all costs, avoid SPARKNOTES and their ilk. They
are totally worthless..
TURN OFF ALL CELLPHONES AND LAPTOPS BEFORE ENTERING THE CLASSROOM.
ONCE YOU ARE IN CLASS, PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE FOR BATHROOM BREAKS, ETC.