Literature and Culture of the Middle Ages (008:101:001/162:101:001)
Monstrosity and Otherness in Medieval Literature
Fall 2012
MWF 12:30-1:20, 209 EPB
Instructor: Joseph Rodriguez
Office location and hours: 432 EPB, M 1:30-3 and T 3-4:30
E-mail: joseph-p-rodriguez@uiowa.edu
Course website: http://icon.uiowa.edu
Course Description
In this course, we will explore the wide range of depictions of monsters and monstrosity in
medieval literature. From the exotic monsters of lavishly illustrated bestiaries to men with heads set
into their shoulders, from racial and religious aliens such as Jews and Muslims to monsters who eat
faithful husbands and wives, we will examine portrayals of monstrosity and otherness in texts from
several different part of Europe throughout the medieval period. Beginning with a theoretical and
historical context for examining medieval monsters, we will be tracing the appearance and uses of
monsters in literary and historical texts. Some questions we will examine with regard to these texts:
How was the monstrous defined during the Middle Ages? What roles do these monsters play in
medieval thought? How would they have functioned as a contrast, or as a mirror, to medieval
audiences? And finally, what might medieval audiences have thought about these monsters when
reading these texts, or hearing them performed?
You will be expected to write several 2-page exploratory papers and two longer papers: one
on historical, literary, or cultural context for a chosen work, and one on a topic of your choice. You
will additionally be expected to deliver and facilitate, in pairs, one 10-minute presentation and
subsequent discussion on a scholarly article. There will also be a midterm exam and a final exam.
Finally, physical and mental presence in class is a major part of this course, and you are responsible
for contributing to our discussion on a regular basis.
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Required Texts
Seamus Heaney (trans.), Beowulf: A Verse Translation (Norton Critical, ISBN 978-0393975802,
$13.95)
 Valerie Krishna (trans.), The Alliterative Morte Arthure: A New Verse Translation (University
Press of America, ISBN 978-0819130365, $42)
 Richard Barber, Bestiary: Being an English Version of the Bodleian Library, Oxford, MS Bodley 764
(Boydell, ISBN 978-0851157535, $24.95)
 C.W.R.D. Moseley (trans.), The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (Penguin Classics, ISBN 9780141441436, $15)
All above texts are available at Prairie Lights Bookstore; all other texts will be on ICON
A note on the readings: Do not be scared off by the amount of secondary critical articles listed on
the schedule! You will be expected to skim critical selections once we begin Beowulf—enough to get
the major ideas of the piece—but you are not responsible for thoroughly and carefully reading any
critical articles except for the one you and your partner will be presenting on. Otherwise, the
majority of your reading time should be devoted to reading and analyzing our primary texts. (If you
have the time and the inclination to thoroughly read and digest all the criticism thoroughly, that
would be wonderful, but it is not expected.)
Grading/Exam Policy
Your grade in this class depends on both your performance in written and in-class work,
including a midterm and a final exam, and on regular active, thoughtful, and informed participation in
class discussion (as distinct from mere attendance). The final examination date and time will be
announced during the first half of the semester by the Registrar. I will announce the final
examination date and time on ICON once we know. Do not make your end of semester travel
plans until the final exam schedule is made public.
While attendance alone will not count for full participation points, you cannot participate if
you are not present. However, I will excuse three absences per student over the course of the
semester, to be used for non-major illnesses and other everyday absences. Beyond this, I will lower
your final grade one increment (thus moving from A+ to A, or A to A-) for each absence.
Other absences that can be excused (with the proper documentation):
 Official university-sanctioned out-of-town events, such as football games or debate
tournaments;
 Major and/or life-threatening illness, medical procedures, or other emergencies;
 Major family events, such as a death or birth in the family;
 Religious holidays
All these must be arranged in advance with the exception of an unexpected emergency, such as a
death in the family or a sudden major illness or injury. As soon as you know you will have to miss
class for one of these reasons, let me know and I will be happy to work with you.
I will accept late written work, but unless this has been arranged in advance with me, your
grade will decrease one increment for each day it is late. Quizzes and exams cannot be made up
except in cases of emergency or with prior approval.
I grade on a 100-point scale, which corresponds to a percentage out of 100; i.e., if at the end
of the semester you have 87 points, then your final grade will be 87%. Corresponding letter grades,
displayed below, will be used on your transcript. Note that I truncate decimal points rather than
rounding when assigning final grades; so in the above example, if you had 87.5 points, or even
87.95 points, your final grade would still work out to 87% (B+).
A+: 100-97
A: 96-93
A-: 92-90
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B+: 89-87
B: 86-83
B-: 82-80
C+: 79-77
C: 76-73
C-: 72-70
D+: 69-67
D: 66-63
D-: 62-60
F: 59 or below
Assignments and Percentage of Final Grade
Three short exploratory responses (15 points) – Brief, 2-page response papers in which you
will examine one of our readings. All four responses must be on different texts. Focus on a
particular aspect of a text or a section of text that intrigues you. Perhaps this work is doing
something unusual for its genre, or something about the character interaction strikes you
more than you expected in this text. Maybe you find a particular moment in the story
especially emotionally affecting, and want to talk about what in this moment gives it that
resonance. Perhaps you notice the text doing something interesting with form. Think of this
as an exploratory paper, more laid-back than the formal essays, that gives you a chance to
work out some of your ideas and impressions of one of our class readings that interests you.
Partner presentation on scholarly reading (10 points) – You will sign up at the beginning
of the semester to respond, with one other student, to one of the scholarly readings we will
read in class. The two of you will briefly summarize the text’s claims and critically evaluate
the argument and the evidence offered—which can include anything from the author’s
rhetorical moves to the ideas or unwritten assumptions that lie behind the point the author is
trying to make—and then lead a short class discussion of the article’s usefulness and what
implications it holds for how we see the original medieval text(s) under discussion.
Context essay (10 points) – A 3 to 4-page research essay in which you explain a particular set
of historical, literary, or cultural contexts for one of our readings. I will be handing out a list
of possible topics to choose from for each text, or you may select your own topic (with my
prior approval). You must use at least four outside sources for this essay, complete with
works cited page, and you will also be expected to briefly talk about your topic on a day
when we discuss that reading.
Final essay (20 points) – An essay—which must be at least 6 pages but which has no upper
limit—for which you can choose your own topic. You may use one of your response papers
as a starting point for this longer paper if you wish, but you don’t have to. It must deal with
some aspect of monstrosity or Otherness, and in some way must address the medieval era,
but beyond that, the sky’s the limit! You can talk about the texts in our readings, or
something entirely new. If you’re more interested in a less literary aspect of the Middle
Ages—manuscript art, for example—you can definitely focus on that in this paper. You can
explore the nuances of the way these figures are treated, bring in scholarly discourse on
different types of monstrosity and their significance, or something entirely different. Topics
must be cleared with me beforehand, and might include medieval Jews and the blood libel
accusations, the shifting biblical and pagan affiliations of Grendel, or the allegorical
significance of bestiary monsters such as the hyena and the bonnacon. You must use at least
six outside sources—though in-class readings are fair game for this—and include a works
cited page.
Midterm exam (10 points) – A written examination during class time, covering material from
the beginning of the course to the exam date. There will be a series of identifications, a
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section of short answers, and several essay questions; you will choose a certain number of
each to answer.
Final exam (15 points) – A cumulative written examination, covering material from the
entire semester but focusing on the last half. The format will be the same as the midterm’s,
but you will be expected to answer more of the questions.
Class participation (20 points) – This includes regular attendance and constructive
contribution to class discussion and activities, as well as occasional quizzes and other short
in-class written assignments.
100 points total
Grading Rubric
A: Demonstrates overall excellence. Consistently high quality, with effort to improve skills and
participate clearly evident.
B: Demonstrates more strengths than weaknesses, and is more consistent in strong performance
than C-level work. Effort to improve and consistent participation are clearly evident. There
are weaknesses, although nothing major.
C: Demonstrates more than a minimal level of skill and quality in coursework, but is highly
inconsistent, with as many strengths as weaknesses. Exhibits minimal effort to improve
skills. Classroom participation is satisfactory, but perhaps inconsistent in quality.
D: Demonstrates minimal level of understanding and skill, and exhibits little or no effort to improve
standing. Participation inconsistent in quality, and coursework is partially incomplete.
F: Unacceptable quality or incomplete.
I don’t give you a grade; you earn it. I recognize and reward hard work and effort, and will
determine your final grade based on the quality of all of your assignments and on how hard you have
challenged yourself in this class. I value evidence of your engagement with the material and
assignments, as well as consistent effort leading to improvement in your abilities. Be aware that C
is the average grade for my classes. You will earn a C if you participate, complete all projects on
time, and produce satisfactory, college-level work. To raise your grade you will have to invest time,
talent, and energy to add insightful criticism, sound reasoning, and inventiveness.
Resources for Students
1. Writing Center – 110 English-Philosophy Building, 335-0188
(http://www.uiowa.edu/~writingc/)
2. Speaking Center – 412 English-Philosophy Building, 335-0205
(http://clas.uiowa.edu/rhetoric/for-students/speaking-center)
3. Purdue Online Writing Lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu)
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Schedule is tentative and subject to change
M (8/20)
W (8/22)
F (8/24)
Introduction to course, course requirements
Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, “Monster Culture (Seven Theses)” (from Monster Theory
Reading Culture, ed. Cohen)
John Block Friedman, “The Plinian Races,” “Exotic Peoples in Manuscript
Illustration,” and “The Human Status of the Monstrous Races” (from
Friedman, The Monstrous Races in Medieval Art and Thought)
M (8/27)
W (8/29)
F (8/31)
Asa Simon Mittman, “Mapping Identity,” “The Monsters on the Edge”
Beowulf (1-835)
Beowulf (836-2199); Gwendolyn A. Morgan, “Mothers, Monsters, Maturation:
Female Evil in Beowulf”
M (9/3)
W (9/5)
F (9/7)
LABOR DAY; NO CLASS
Beowulf (2200-3182); J.R.R. Tolkien, “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics”
Beowulf (movie clips)
M (9/10)
The Wonders of the East; The Letter of Alexander to Aristotle; Andy Orchard, “The
Alexander-Legend in Anglo-Saxon England” (from Orchard, Pride and
Prodigies: Studies in the Monsters of the Beowulf-Manuscript)
Judith
Selected Old English riddles and charms
W (9/12)
F (9/14)
M (9/17)
W (9/19)
F (9/21)
M (9/24)
W (9/26)
F (9/28)
M (10/1)
W (10/3)
F (10/5)
M (10/8)
Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain (selection); Alliterative Morte
Arthure (1-866)
Alliterative Morte Arthure (867-2233); Kateryna A. Rudnytzky Schray, “The Plot in
Miniature: Arthur’s Battle on Mont St. Michel in the Alliterative Morte Arthure”
Alliterative Morte Arthure (2234-3175)
Alliterative Morte Arthure (3176-4346)
The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle; Sue Niebrzydowski, “Monstrous
Appetite and Belly Laughs: A Reconsideration of the Humor in the Weddyng
of Syr Gawen and Dame Ragnell”
Bestiary (1-107)
Bestiary (108-205)
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale; Peter W. Travis, “Chaucer’s Trivial Fox
Chase and the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381”
The Wakefield Second Shepherd’s Play
Marie of France, Bisclavret; Caroline Walker Bynum, “Some Stories About
Werewolves: Marie de France’s Bisclavret”/“Werewolf Stories as Testing of
Boundaries”
W (10/10)
F (10/12)
John Lydgate, Bycorne and Chychevache; Travis W. Johnson, “Lydgate’s Affective Turn:
Masculinity and Melancholy in Bycorne and Chychevache”
Midterm exam review
M (10/15)
MIDTERM EXAM
W (10/17)
Sir Gowther (1-408)
F (10/19)
Sir Gowther (409-756); Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, “Gowther Among the Dogs: Becoming
Inhuman c. 1400”
M (10/22)
W (10/24)
F (10/26)
M (10/29)
W (10/31)
F (11/2)
M (11/5)
W (11/7)
F (11/9)
Richard Coer de Lion (1-1116)
Richard Coer de Lion (1573-3562); Alan S. Ambrisco, “Cannibalism and Cultural
Encounters in Richard Coeur de Lion”
Richard Coer de Lion (5467-7213); Lynn Shutters, “Lion Hearts, Saracen Heads, Dog
Tails: The Body of the Conqueror in Richard Coer de Lyon”
The King of Tars (1-399)
The King of Tars (400-801); Jane Gilbert, “Unnatural Mothers and Monstrous
Children in The King of Tars and Sir Gowther”
The King of Tars (802-1235); Lynn Ramey, “Medieval Miscegenation: Hybridity
and the Anxiety of Inheritance”
Thomas of Monmouth, The Life and Miracles of William of Norwich (selection)
The Croxton Play of the Sacrament; Lisa Lampert, “The once and future Jew: The
Croxton Play of the Sacrament, little Robert of Bury and historical memory”
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Prioress’ Tale; John Archer, “The Structure of Anti-Semitism in
the ‘Prioress’ Tale’”
M (11/12)
W (11/14)
F (11/16)
Siege of Jerusalem (1-444)
Siege of Jerusalem (445-896)
Siege of Jerusalem (897-1112); Merrall Llewelyn Price, “Imperial Violence and the
Monstrous Mother: Cannibalism at the Siege of Jerusalem”
M (11/19)
W (11/21)
F (11/23)
THANKSGIVING BREAK
THANKSGIVING BREAK
THANKSGIVING BREAK
M (11/26)
W (11/28)
F (11/30)
Siege of Jerusalem (1113-1341)
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (43-99)
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (99-149); Linda Lomperis, “Medieval Travel
Writing and the Question of Race”
M (12/3)
W (12/5)
F (12/7)
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (150-190)
John Lydgate, “The Triumphal Entry of Henry VI”
Final exam review
FINAL EXAM ON THURSDAY 12/13, 12:30-2:30 PM, IN BCSB 205
FINAL ESSAY DUE AT 5 P.M. ON FRIDAY OF FINALS WEEK
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Administrative Home
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the administrative home of this course and governs
matters such as the add/drop deadlines, the second-grade-only option, and other related issues.
Different colleges may have different policies. Questions may be addressed to 120 Schaeffer Hall, or
see the CLAS Academic Policies Handbook.
Electronic Communication
University policy specifies that students are responsible for all official correspondences sent to their
University of Iowa e-mail address (@uiowa.edu). Faculty and students should use this account for
correspondence (Operations Manual, III.15.2. Scroll down to k.11).
Accommodations for Disabilities
A student seeking academic accommodations should first register with Student Disability Services
and then meet privately with the course instructor to make particular arrangements. See
www.uiowa.edu/~sds/ for more information.
Academic Honesty
All CLAS students have, in essence, agreed to the College's Code of Academic Honesty: "I pledge to
do my own academic work and to excel to the best of my abilities, upholding the IOWA Challenge.
I promise not to lie about my academic work, to cheat, or to steal the words or ideas of others; nor
will I help fellow students to violate the Code of Academic Honesty." Any student committing
academic misconduct is reported to the College and placed on disciplinary probation or may be
suspended or expelled (CLAS Academic Policies Handbook).
CLAS Final Examination Policies
The date and time of every final examination is announced during the fifth week of the semester by
the Registrar. No exams of any kind are allowed during the last week of classes. All students should
plan on being at the UI through the final examination period.
Making a Suggestion or a Complaint
Students with a suggestion or complaint should first visit with the instructor (and the course
supervisor), and then with the departmental DUS, Professor Doris Witt (doris-witt@uiowa.edu).
Complaints must be made within six months of the incident (CLAS Academic Policies Handbook).
Understanding Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment subverts the mission of the University and threatens the well-being of students,
faculty, and staff. All members of the UI community have a responsibility to uphold this mission
and to contribute to a safe environment that enhances learning. Incidents of sexual harassment
should be reported immediately. See the UI Comprehensive Guide on Sexual Harassment for
assistance, definitions, and the full University policy.
Reacting Safely to Severe Weather
In severe weather, class members should seek appropriate shelter immediately, leaving the classroom
if necessary. The class will continue if possible when the event is over. For more information on
Hawk Alert and the siren warning system, visit the Public Safety website.