ENGLISH 746
Arthurian Literature
Please note: this is archived course information from 2023 for ENGLISH 746.
Description
Arthurian tales of chivalry and love have entertained readers for centuries. But, beyond diversion, the literary figures of the king, queen and the knight have provided focal points for cultures to work through their ambivalent feeling towards their society's power structures, institutions that on the one hand civilise, relieving individuals of constant fear of bodily harm, but on the other hand repress individual desire in favour of society.
In our examination of various literary manifestations of Arthur, Guenevere and the knights of the Round Table, we will consider how medieval society developed some of the givens of Arthurian legend to invent, as Frederic Jameson writes, “imaginary or formal ‘solutions’ to irresolvable social contradictions” created by competing claims of individual and social needs.
The course is taught in two halves, according to the language of the text—French or English—and the society from which it comes, but, throughout the semester, connections between texts—and sets of texts—are constantly acknowledged and explored.
The objectives of this course are threefold
- To introduce students to Arthurian legend and the cultures that produced it
- To enhance students’ understanding of literary analysis
- To help students practise and further develop writing skills
Availability 2023
Not taught in 2023
Lecturer(s)
TBA
Points
ENGLISH 746: 15 points
