English 3121 provides an introduction to Middle English language
and literature through reading Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
The required text is The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, ed. John H.
Fisher.
Some classroom time at the beginning of the quarter will be devoted to reading aloud and translating passages from the day's assignments: attendance and participation are, therefore, mandatory. There will be weekly quizzes to test students' reading and translation of the text, a midterm, and a final examination. In addition, there will be a paper on a scholarly or critical topic due Wednesday, November 13. (Undergraduate papers should be 8-10 pages long and graduate papers should be 12-15 pages long.) Any student wishing to write on a topic of his or her own choice is encouraged to do so; she or he must, however, submit the topic in writing for approval prior to Wednesday, October 30. Use of any secondary sources must be documented, and any detected plagiarism will receive an automatic F. Each graduate student will be required to present a brief review of a scholarly or critical work on Chaucer which s/he will choose; the oral report will occupy a maximum of five minutes and the written version must be two-three pages long. The final must be taken at the scheduled time.
Attendance is mandatory, and more than two unexcused absences will reduce the final grade by one letter grade.
Schedule of Assignments
(Except for September 9, complete readings before class.)
Monday, September 9 INTRODUCTION; begin reading "General Prologue"
At home: read "Chaucer's Language and Versification," pp. 961-65
Wednesday, September 11 "General Prologue," 1-858
Monday, September 16 "Knight's Tale," Parts I and II (858-1888)
QUIZ #1
Wednesday, September 18 "Knight's Tale," Parts III and IV (1881-3106)
Monday, September 23 "Miller's Prologue and Tale," "Reeve's Prologue
and Tale," and "Cook's Prologue and Tale" (3109-4422)
QUIZ #2
Wednesday, September 25 CONVOCATION
Monday, September 30 "The Wordes of the Hoost"; "Man of Law's Prologue,
Tale, and Epilogue" (1-1190)
QUIZ #3
Wednesday, October 2 "Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale," (1-1264)
Monday, October 7 "Friar's Prologue and Tale" and "Summoner's Prologue
and Tale" (1265-2294)
QUIZ #4
Wednesday, October 9 "Clerk's Prologue and Tale" and "Merchant's Prologue, Tale, and Epilogue" (1-2440)
Monday, October 14 MIDTERM
Wednesday, October 16 "Squire's Prologue and Tale," "The Wordes of the Franklin to the Squire," and "Franklin's Prologue and Tale" (1-1624)
Monday, October 21 "Physician's Tale," "The Words of the Host to the
Physician and the Pardoner," and "Pardoner's Prologue" (1-462)
QUIZ #5
Wednesday, October 23 "Pardoner's Tale" and "Shipman's Tale" (463-968; 1-434)
Monday, October 28 The Merry Words of the Host," "Prioress' Prologue
and Tale," "The Merry Words of the Host," and "Prologue and Tale of Sir
Thopas" (691-918)
QUIZ #6
Wednesday, October 30 "Prologue of the Tale of Melibee," selections from "The Tale of Melibee," and "Monk's Prologue" (919-1115; 1832-1990)
Monday, November 4 Selections from "The Monk's Tale" and "Nun's Priest's
Prologue and Tale" (1991-2094; 2247-2374; 2391-2398; 2407-2462; 2727-3446)
QUIZ #7
Wednesday, November 6 "Nun's Priest's Epilogue" and "Second Nun's Prologue and Tale" (3447-3462; 1-553)
Monday, November 11 "Canon Yeoman's Prologue and Tale" and "Manciple's
Prologue," (554-1481 and 1-362)
QUIZ #8
Wednesday, November 13 "Parson's Prologue," selections from "The Parson's
Tale," and "The Retraction" (1-349, 371-483, and 958-1092)
PAPER DUE
Last revised August 10, 1998
