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World Literature
Camden County College
Fall 2015
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: (Please make an appointment)
Tuesday 1:00-3:30pm; 4:40-5:30pm
Phone: 856-227-7200 x4370
Mailbox: Madison 314
(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.
Students are expected to come prepared for each class, having read and attempted an understanding of the works. The beauty of
studying literature is that there is never only one correct interpretation of the material, as long as the interpretation can be backed
with a sound explanation and examples from the text.
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 will be taken each class meeting; students who are not in class will be marked absent, regardless of the
reason for the absence—illness, religious observance, etc. Two late arrivals or two early leaves (or a combination
thereof) will count as one full absence. You are allowed FIVE full absences (or a combination of lateness/ early leaves/
absences). Your final grade will be dropped two points for any lateness and/or absence after FIVE absences. Missing
more than five classes in a row will lead to an automatic NA, which will not be changed. I do not accept doctor’s notes.
Absence from class does not change due dates. Attendance is also factored into your participation grades (midterm and
final).
Group work and in-class assignments cannot be made up due to an absence. Quizzes can only be made up BEFORE
the class meets again, and never during a class or after it has been reviewed with the class
In short: READ, be PRESENT, PARTICIPATE, and make NO EXCUSES!
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Final Paper
Talk to me or contact me prior to writing your final paper; I must approve your topic and thesis.
Decide on a work or works that you would like to write a research paper on. 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. You must include
incidents and direct support from specific literature to prove your thesis, and quote at least two secondary sources as
well, using library-based source material.
Title your essay and type it double-spaced, 4 to 5 pages in length, using no larger than a 12-point font. Upon
completion, submit your essay to turnitin.com (create an account with the following): ID: 10546988 password: fall15
See “Essay Scoring Rubric” and other documents posted on my website, www.professorbeamen.weebly.com
Miscellaneous
HELP IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE…just contact me if you have questions about the material or an assignment.
If circumstances beyond your control occur during this semester, talk to me before--not after--your coursework is
affected.
I will use anonymous samples of writing from students in class. Please let me know if you do not wish to have your work
used as an example.
I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE WORK FOR ANY REASON, and I do not offer extra credit.
No cell phones, ipods, laptops, tablets, or other electronic devices will be permitted in my class. Please purchase a hard
copy of the text.
If you are sleeping or texting during my class, I will mark you absent for the entire class. Please note that you will earn
two participation quiz grades this semester.
Class Assignments (This list is subject to change):
Please note: You are expected to carefully read the work that is assigned. For example, on 9/9, come prepared to
discuss Tablet 1 of Gilgamesh.
Expect a quiz at any time!!!
Week 1
Wed 9/2:
Course overview, review syllabus, literary terms
Fri 9/4:
Gilgamesh Background in class
Week 2
Wed 9/9:
Use Volume A of your three-book Norton Anthology.
Get your book by today and Read Gilgamesh: background and Tablet 1, pages 95-106.
Fri 9/11:
Gilgamesh: Read Tablets 2 to 4, pages 106-120
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Week 3
Mon 9/14:
Gilgamesh: Read Tablets 5-8, pages 120-134
Wed 9/16:
Gilgamesh: Tablets 9-11 (finish), pages 134-151
Fri 9/18:
Odyssey: Read background on Homer, pages 222-229
In class: Odyssey background/ begin Book I
Week 4
Mon 9/21:
Odyssey: Finish reading Book I and read Book II, pages 332-352
In class: summary and selected excerpts from books III-IV
Wed 9/23:
Odyssey: Read Book V, p. 385-396, read summaries of VI-VIII, then read Books IX and X,
pages 426-451
Fri 9/25:
Odyssey: Read books XI and XII (pgs. 451-477), summaries of Books XIII-XV, and read book
XVI , pgs. 514-526
Week 5
Mon 9/28:
Odyssey: Read summaries for books XVI-XIX, Read Books XX-XXIV (pgs. 567-622)
In class: Test One review.
Wed 9/30:
TEST ONE on Gilgamesh and the Odyssey
Fri 10/2:
Read Background on Sophocles pgs 701-707
In class: background on Greek Drama and Antigone; Start reading Antigone aloud
Week 6
Mon 10/5:
Read Antigone pgs. 747-767 (stop near bottom with entrance of ELDERS)
Wed 10/7:
Finish reading Antigone, pgs 767-783
Fri 10/9:
Use/ Bring Volume B of your three-book Norton Anthology.
Read pages 387-391 on Dante Alighieri
In class: Dante and Inferno background
Week 7
Mon 10/12:
Dante’s Inferno: Read Cantos I through IV of Dante’s Inferno pgs. 392-406
Wed 10/14:
Dante’s Inferno: Read Cantos V through VII, pgs.406-415 and read summaries of cantos VIII
though XIII, and read Canto XIV pgs. 436-440
Fri 10/16:
Dante’s Inferno: Read summaries of XV though XVII, Read Canto XVIII pgs. 450-453. Read
summary of Canto XIX, then read Canto XX pgs. 457-460
Week 8
Mon 10/19:
Dante’s Inferno: Read summaries of XXI though XXIV, read Cantos XXV though XXVII, pgs.
475-485, read summaries of XXVIII though XXXI
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Wed 10/21:
Dante’s Inferno: Read Cantos XXXII, XXXIII, and XXXIV, pgs. 500-511
Fri 10/23:
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)
Week 9
Mon 10/26:
Read pgs.584-591 of The Thousand and One Nights (stop before the Eighteenth Night)
In Class: Review for test on Antigone / Inferno / 1001 Nights
Wed 10/28:
TEST TWO on Antigone/ Inferno / 1001 Nights; midterm participation grade
Fri 10/30:
Canterbury Tales: Read background on Chaucer, pages 657-661
In Class: Chaucer and Canterbury Tales background
Week 10
Mon 11/2:
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.
Wed 11/4:
Canterbury Tales: Presentations of characters.
Fri 11/6:
Canterbury Tales: Presentations of characters.
AND Read the “Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale,” pgs. 709-724
Week 11
Mon 11/9:
Use/ Bring Volume C of your three-book Norton Anthology.
Read background to Cervantes p. 381-386
In Class: Background to Don Quixote
Wed 11/11:
Read Chapters 1-3 of Don Quixote p. 391-403
Fri 11/13:
Read Don Quixote chapter 8 p. 413-418 and chapter 18 pg. 447-451
Week 12
Mon 11/16:
Read Don Quixote Part II, chapter 12 p. 473-478 and chapters 73, 74 p 509-515
In class: review Don Quixote
Wed 11/18:
Read background to Shakespeare/ Hamlet, pgs. 652-656
In class: notes on Shakespeare/ Hamlet.
Fri 11/20:
Hamlet: Read Act 1, scenes 1 and 2, pgs. 656-667
Week 13
Mon 11/23:
Hamlet: Finish reading Act I--up to pg. 678 and Act II scene 1, pgs. 679-682
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Wed 11/25:
Hamlet: Read the rest of Act II, pgs 682-696 and Act 3 scene 1, pgs 696-700
Fri 11/27:
No Class; Thanksgiving Break
Week 14
Mon 11/30:
Hamlet: Complete Act 3, pages 700-717
Wed 12/2:
NO Class: Holistic Reading for Comp I
Fri 12/4:
Hamlet: Read Act 4 scenes 1-3 pages 718-721
Week 15
Mon 12/7:
Hamlet: Read Act 4 scenes 4 through 7, pages 721-735
Wed 12/9:
Hamlet: Read Act V scene 1, pages 735-741
Fri 12/11:
Hamlet: finish the play, pages. 741-751
Week 16
Mon 12/14:
Final Papers due (hard copy or email to me by 12 noon today; late papers will lose 5
points per hour)
In Class: Review for test on Don Quixote/ Hamlet
Wed 12/16:
TEST THREE on Don Quixote and Hamlet
Fri 12/18:
Review TEST THREE…final participation grade…final grades