World Literature
Camden County College
Fall 2013
ENG 271-01 (MWF 8:00-8:50 am)
MAD 111
3 credits
Professor Beamen
jbeamen@camdencc.edu
Office: Jefferson 223 (in Suite 222)
Office Hours: Tues 12:50-3:20; 4:305:20 pm (or by appointment)
Phone: 856-227-7200 x4370
Mailbox: Wilson East 205 (English
Department Office)
www.professorbeamen.weebly.com
Textbooks
The Norton Anthology of World Literature, 3rd edition, Volumes A, B, and C. New York: W.W. Norton
and Company. 2012.
(Be sure to purchase the three-volume set!)
Course Description and Objectives
Students study masterpieces of world civilization representative of various epochs, nationalities, and literary genres
from ancient time to the seventeenth century. This course explores the relationship between people to their world and
their deities. The objectives of this course are to better understand and appreciate the masterpieces of the world; to
comprehend the major aspects of literature, such as plot, character, point of view, symbol, theme and irony; and to gain
insight into how literature illuminates the human condition so that students might better understand themselves as well
as those in their own world and other worlds.
Requirements and Grading
Three major essay exams
Unannounced Quizzes and participation
Final Paper (see directions on next page)
Class attendance
20% each (60% of total grade)
20% total
20%
Attendance
Attendance is crucial in any course, and it is recommended that you attend all classes. Excessive or recurring lateness
or early leaves will not be tolerated—three late arrivals (more than 5 minutes late maximum) or three early leaves (or a
combination thereof) will count as one full absence.
Maximum number of absences permitted = 5 full absences (or a combination of lateness/ early leaves/ absences)
Preferred number of absences =0
Your final letter grade will be dropped one point for each absence after 5 absences.
Group work and in-class assignments cannot be made up due to an absence.
Quizzes cannot be made up unless you make them up BEFORE the quiz is reviewed in class.
Likewise, in the case of an emergency absence on the day of a test, you must speak to me PRIOR to the next class
meeting to set up a make-up time. Once I go over the test in class, it is too late to make it up, and the zero will remain
part of your grade.
Regardless of your reason for your absence, it is still an absence, so please do not contact me to let me know why you
won’t be coming in. A doctor’s note or the like does not excuse your absence. Get contact information from a few
classmates in case you should unexpectedly miss a class.
If circumstances beyond your control occur during this semester, talk to me! However, it is in your best interests to take
this course when you can devote your full attention to the class.
Final Paper
Talk to me or contact me prior to writing your final paper; I must approve your topic and thesis.
You will write an essay on a recurring theme in one or more of the works we have studied, or you may do a character
analysis or comparison, or you may want to consider the most important or poignant lesson that has come up in one or
more of the works. In short, decide on a work or works that you would like to research further and come up with an
angle to argue something about it. You must include incidents and direct support from specific literature to prove your
thesis. You are to quote at least two secondary sources as well, using library-based source material.
Type your essay double-spaced, 4 to 5 pages in length, using no larger than a 12-point font. Give your essay a title.
Upon completion, E-mail me a copy of your essay. I will be running these papers through turnitin.com (FYI).
See “Essay Scoring Rubric” and other documents posted on my website, www.professorbeamen.weebly.com
Miscellaneous
I will drop the lowest quiz grade, but I will not otherwise curve your grade.
There are no extra credit opportunities available in this class, but help is available…just contact me if you need help with
the material or an assignment.
No cell phones, ipods, laptops, or other electronic devices will be permitted in my class.
If you are sleeping or text messaging during my class, I will mark you absent for the entire class; keep in mind that there
is a midterm and a final grade for participation.
Class Assignments (This list is subject to change):
Please note: You are expected to carefully read the work that is assigned. For example, on 9/2, come prepared to
discuss Gilgamesh Background, and on 9/7 come prepared to discuss books 2 and 3 of Gilgamesh.
Expect a quiz at any time!!!
Week 1
Wed 9/4:
Fri 9/6:
Use Volume A of your three-book Norton Anthology.
Course overview, review syllabus, literary terms.
Read Gilgamesh background, pgs. 95-99 AND Tablet 1 of Gilgamesh, pages 99-106
Week 2
Mon 9/9:
Gilgamesh: Read Tablets 2 to 4, pages 106-120
Wed 9/11:
Gilgamesh: Read Tablets 5-8, pages 106-134
Fri 9/13:
Gilgamesh: Read Tablets 9-11 (finish), pages 134-151
Week 3
Mon 9/16:
Read background on Homer, pages 222-229
In class: Odyssey background.
Wed 9/18:
Odyssey: Finish reading Book I, pages 332-342
In class: summary of books II-VIII
Fri 9/20:
Odyssey: Read Book IX, pages 426-438
Week 4
Mon 9/23:
Odyssey: Read Book X, pages 438-451
Wed 9/25:
Odyssey: In class: summary and discussion of Books XI-XXII
Fri 9/27:
Odyssey: Read books XXIII-XXIV, pages 600-622.
In class: Test One review.
Week 5
Mon 9/30:
TEST ONE (Gilgamesh and the Odyssey)
Wed 10/2:
Read background on Sophocles page 701-707
In class: background on Antigone
Fri 10/4:
Begin reading Antigone, pgs 747 to the top of 768
Week 6
Mon 10/7:
Wed 10/9:
Fri 10/11:
Finish reading Antigone, pgs 768-783
Use Volume B of your three-book Norton Anthology.
Read pages 387-391 on Dante Alighieri
In class: Dante and Inferno background
Dante’s Inferno: Read Cantos I, II, and III of Dante’s Inferno pgs. 392-402
Week 7
Mon 10/14:
Dante’s Inferno: Read Cantos IV through VII, pgs.402-415
Wed 10/16:
Dante’s Inferno: Read Cantos XX, XXV, and XXVI, pgs. 457-460, 475-482
Fri 10/18:
Dante’s Inferno: Read Cantos XXXII, XXXIII, and XXXIV, pgs. 500-511
Week 8
Mon 10/21:
Read background to The Thousand and One Nights, pgs. 552-556
Read “The Story of the Fisherman and the Demon” pg. 577; continue until pg.584 (stop before
the Thirteenth Night)
Wed 10/23:
Read pgs.584-591 of The Thousand and One Nights (stop before the Eighteenth
Night)
In Class: Review for test on Antigone/ 1001 Nights/ Inferno
Fri 10/25:
TEST TWO on Antigone/ Inferno / 1001 Nights
Week 9
Mon 10/28:
Canterbury Tales: Read background on Chaucer, pages 657-661
In Class: Chaucer and Canterbury Tales background
Wed 10/30:
Canterbury Tales: This week we will be presenting Canterbury Tales characters. Presentations
will count as two quiz grades, and your participation grade could be altered by your correct
identification of others’ character presentations. In addition to preparing your character
presentation, read the Prologue, pages 662-681.
Take brief notes on characters to use in class as a guide to the presentations.
Fri 11/1:
Canterbury Tales: Presentations of characters begins.
Week 10
Mon 11/4:
Canterbury Tales: Presentations of characters continue.
Wed 11/6:
Canterbury Tales: Read the “Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale”, pgs. 709-724
Fri 11/8:
Read background to Cervantes p. 381-386
In Class: Background to Don Quixote
Week 11
Mon 11/11:
Read Chapters 1-3 of Don Quixote p. 391-403
Wed 11/13:
Read Don Quixote chapter 8 p. 413 and chapter 18 pg. 447
Fri 11/15:
Read Don Quixote chapter 12 p. 473 and chapters 73, 74 p 509-515
In class: review Don Quixote
Week 12
Mon 11/18:
Use Volume C of your three-book Norton Anthology.
Read background to Shakespeare/Hamlet, pgs. 652-656
In class: notes on Shakespeare/ Hamlet.
Wed 11/20:
Hamlet: Read Act 1, scenes 1 and 2, pgs. 656-667
Fri 11/22:
Hamlet: Finish reading Act I--up to pg. 678
Week 13
Mon 11/25:
No Class: Holistic Reading for Comp I
Wed 11/27:
Hamlet: Read Act 2 pgs. 679-696
Fri 11/29:
No Class; Thanksgiving Break
Week 14
Mon 12/2:
Hamlet: Read Act 3 sc 1, 2, and 3 pgs. 696-712
Wed 12/4:
Hamlet: Read Act 3 scenes 4, pages 712-717, and Act 4 scenes 1-3 pages 718-721
Fri 12/6:
Hamlet: Read Act 4 scenes 4 through 7, pages 721-735
Week 15
Mon 12/9:
Hamlet: Read Act V scene 1, pgs. 735-741
Wed 12/11:
Hamlet: finish the play, p. 741-751
Fri 12/13:
In class: Review Hamlet/ review for Test Three on Don Quixote and Hamlet
Final Papers due (email to me by 12 PM (noon) today; late papers will lose 5 points per
hour)
Week 16
Mon 12/16:
Test Three on Don Quixote and Hamlet
Wed 12/18:
Review TEST THREE… Last Class…grades