Proseminar: Middle English Romances
Fr. 14.00-16.00
Geb. 23.21 Raum U1.83 Beginn: 20.102006
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The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English describes ‘verse romance’ as “a poetic form originating in 12th-century France [...] and flourishing in England in the 13th and 14th centuries. Characteristically, a romance tells the story of a single knight [...]. He is separated from the court and exposed to various adventures, which often involve the supernatural, before making the triumphant return to court and prosperity [...].The romance is courtly, concerned with the chivalric codes governing behaviour and manners in all aspects of social life, love, and battle.” (Cambridge 1988:1029).
In our seminar we will read and discuss Havelok the Dane, Sir Orfeo, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Apart from a careful interpretation of the texts we will try to obtain a systematic understanding of the genre and its tradition and development.
As to the objectives of the course, three main issues will be predominant. After having attended this course you shall be able
- to discuss and explain the topic in adequate terms (language)
- to know the most important representatives of the text form (knowledge)
- to explain and critically reflect upon the central issue, romance, in theoretically and methodologically well-founded statements (theory and method)
The texts and additional materials are available on the university's BSCW-Server (bscw.uni-duesseldorf.de) to which you will be invited, if you send your name and a valid email-address to holteir@phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de.
Preparatory reading:
A Manual of Writings in Middle English, 1050-1500, ed. by J. Burke Severs et al. New Haven 1967ff; Vol. 1: Romances, ed. by Mortimer J. Donovan. [ULB and FB].
Printed editions of the texts are:
Stephen H. A. Shepherd (Ed.). Middle English Romances: Authoritative Texts, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. New York: Norton 1995. [ULB, FB, and Lehrbuchsammlung];
J.R.R. Tolkien and E.V. Gordon (Eds.). Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. 2nd ed. rev. by Norman Davis. Oxford: Clarendon 1967. [ULB and FB];
Markus Manfred (Hg. und Übs.). Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Sir Gawain und der
Grüne Ritter. Stuttgart: Reclam 1974. [not available in libraries, only book-trade, € 6,10].
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Voraussetzungen: Introduction to English Medieval Studies
Leistungsnachweis: wahlweise: mündliche Prüfung, Präsentation oder Hausarbeit
Veranstaltungstyp: Wahlpflicht M.A./Prom.; Vertiefungsmodul B.A.
Der Inhalt der Lehrveranstaltung ist geeignet für die Zwischenprüfung
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© Rainer Holtei
last updated
20.09.2009
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