LTWL 172: Crusade, Conquest, and Conversion in Medieval Literature 682828

Professor Lisa Lampert-Weissig

MWF 11:00-11:50 Sequo 148

Final exam: Friday, June 11, 11:30-2:30

Office: LIT 3347; (858) 822-0204

This course will explore visions of the “Other” in Western European medieval literature.  We will examine a variety of genres, including epic, romance, travel literature, poetry, and drama and look at a wide range of representations of Jews, Christians, Muslims, and pagans. 

We will play special attention to the role of monsters in depictions of intercultural exchange, in the depiction of the so-called  “monstrous races” in The Travels of Sir John Mandeville and also in what might be very first extended werewolf tale, the 12^th century romance, Guillaume de Palerne.

Throughout the course we will pay special attention to the Crusades, reading some primary and secondary historical texts written from Christian, Muslim, and Jewish perspectives.  We will consider both the impact of the Crusades on medieval literary representation and also their importance today, considering the possibility of a “postcolonial Middle Ages.” 

Required Texts:

Riley-Smith, Jonathan.  What Were the Crusades? Ignatius Press, 2002.  ISBN: 0898709547 (Orig. published 1977).

Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival, trans. Helen M. Mustard and Charles E. Passage. Random House, 1961. ISBN: 0394701887

Sir John Mandeville, The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, trans. and intro. by C.W.R.D. Moseley.  Penguin: 1984.  ISBN: 0140444351

On reserve:

Crusades / [videorecording] / BBC/TV production in association with A & E Network ; producers/directors, Alan Ereira and David Wallace       FVL; FVL ConCirc ; FVLDV 0465-1 ;

Additional readings on reserve at either Geisel library or www.medievallit.org .  Electronic reserves are used for this class to cut costs for students.  We will talk about how to use e-reserves for the course  at the beginning of term and as needed throughout. 

Course Requirements:

Essays: 60 %

Final exam:  30 %

Class Participation: 10%

Tentative Schedule of Readings and Assignments:

Week One: Study Questions for March 31 and April 2

Mon., Mar. 29:  Introduction

Wed., Mar. 31: Reading from Professor Lampert-Weissig’s forthcoming book,“Postcolonial Studies and Medieval Literature” [PSML—posted on www.medievallit.org] and Lyric poems from Al-Andalus.

Fri., Apr. 2: Reading from PSML and Lyric poems from Al-Andalus

Week Two: Study Questions for April 5-12

Mon., April 5: What Were the Crusades? Crusades documents from Documents of Medieval History, ed. Smith, The Crusades, ed. Brundage.  Read selections by Guibert de Nogent and James de Vitry. 

Wed., April 7: Sefir Zekhirah, ed. Eidelberg.  Geisel reserve. Section from PSML.  

Fri., April 9: Crusades documents from Documents of Medieval History, ed. Smith, The Crusades, ed. Brundage,  Arab Historians of the Crusades, eds. Gabrieli and Costello (Geisel reserve)

Week Three:  Study questions for Parzival:  April 14-23

Mon., April 12: Crusades wrap up   

Wed., April 14: Parzival Book I       

Fri., April 16:  Parzival Book II

Week Four:

Mon., April 19:  Parzival Book XV

Wed., April 21: Parzival Book XVI and section from PSML

Fri., April 23:  Parzival wrap-up—intro to Guillaume de Palerne

Week Five: Study questions and details of readings for Guillaume April 26-30Mon., April 26: Guillaume de Palerne and section from PSML

Wed., April 28: Guillaume and section from PSML

Fri., April 30: Guillaume wrap-up and intro to Chaucer and Canterbury Tales

Week Six: Study questions for Man of Law’s and Prioress’s Tales Mon., May 3: “Man of Law’s Tale” (Geisel reserve)

Wed., May 5:  “Man of Law’s Tale” (Geisel reserve)

Fri., May 7: “Prioress’s Tale” (Geisel reserve) and Medieval Antisemitism

Week Seven:  Croxton questions and Croxton translation

Mon., May 10: Prioress’s Tale” (Geisel reserve) and Medieval Antisemitism

Wed., May 12: Croxton Play of the Sacrament (Geisel reserve original; translation at www.medievallit.org)

Fri., May 14: Croxton Play of the Sacrament (Geisel reserve original; translation at www.medievallit.org)

Week Eight: 

Mon. May 17: Croxton Play of the Sacrament (Geisel reserve original; translation at www.medievallit.org)

Wed. May 19: Mandeville’s Travels

Fri:  May 21:  Mandeville’s Travels

Week Nine:

Mon., May 24: Mandeville’s Travels

Wed., May 26: Mandeville’s Travels

Fri., May 28: Mandeville’s Travels and PSML

Week Ten:

Mon., May 31: Memorial Day Holiday.

Wed., June 2: Review.

Fri. June 4:  Review. 

Final exam: Take home exam due at 2:30 p.m. June 11^th.   Questions will be distributed well in advance and exams may be turned in early. 

Attendance: Attendance is expected.  Poor attendance can lower your grade.  Moreover, if you miss class repeatedly your grade will be lowered automatically.  If you miss 3 or more classes then you cannot earn an A for the course; if you miss 5 or more classes then you cannot earn a B; if you miss 7 or more classes then you cannot earn a C; if you miss 9 or more classes you cannot earn a D.  The “three class” policy is not a “get-out-of-class-free-card.” You are expected to attend class, and to be present for in-class essays (see below). It is neither expected nor advised to miss 3 classes or more.  Coming in late, which is disruptive, may count as an absence at my discretion and can lower your course participation grade. Attendance will be taken with an attendance sheet; it is your responsibility to make sure you sign it.

Deadlines: I consider being able to meet a deadline to be an important part of written assignments. Only documented legitimate medical or personal emergencies will excuse late work. If an emergency arises, you must let me know as soon as possible and I will do my best to accommodate your needs.  It is your responsibility to keep me informed, and, indeed, I can’t help you if I don’t know that there is a problem. 

Course format: 

This course will be a little different from the average literature course.  We will have assigned readings to discuss at every class meeting, and will focus our discussion around a set of questions I have distributed at the previous meeting.  You should come to class having read the assignment and having prepared some thoughts in response to the questions.  Most of our class sessions, then, will consist entirely of discussion. 

On four to six unannounced occasions during the quarter, I will, at the beginning of class, ask you to write a 30-35 minute essay in response to one of the questions provided for the day. This essay should be well-organized, thoughtful, persuasive, and use specific examples from the reading.  You may prepare as much or as little of the essay in advance of class as you like; you may even write the entire essay before class, if you wish.  You may use any of the course texts, as well as your notes, when writing the essay. I will drop the essay with the lowest score from your overall essay grade. 

Please bring 8 x 11 lined paper and use ink for these essays if at all possible. 

If you are not present in class on a day on which I ask for an essay, there are no make-ups, although that day’s essay may be counted as your ‘lowest score’ essay.  If you turn in an essay and decide you are not happy with it, you may bring in a new version, or an essay in response to any of the other questions from the same set, to me at the beginning of next class and substitute that essay for the one you have already turned in; you may do this only once with each essay, but you may do it for as many different essays as you like over the course of the quarter.  Make-up essays should be typed.

Vacation plans and extracurricular activities are never an excuse for missed or late work.  Sometimes, unfortunately, legitimate medical or personal emergencies keep us from performing at work or school as we would like.  If something like this comes up for you during the course of our class, please let me know as soon as you can.  It’s your responsibility to keep your instructors informed and, indeed, we can’t help you if we don’t know there is a problem.