The career of William Marshal, later in life earl of Pembroke (d. 1219), opens a remarkable window onto the world of the 12th- and 13th-century knightly class and the chivalric culture to which they subscribed. William Marshal was quite simply the most famous and successful knight of his day. Born in the middle of Stephen’s reign the younger son of a middling Thames valley baron, he won fame and fortune on the tournament circuit, and rose to be one of England’s richest magnates and Regent of his country in the troubled minority of Henry III’s reign.
Through the medium of the unique verse biography of him, the Histoire, written shortly after his death, we are able to reconstruct his career in arms more intimately than for any other English knight of the Middle Ages. There are vivid accounts in the Histoire of his early career in arms, his many successes on the tournament circuit, his years in the service of Henry the Young King, and the ups and downs of his life at the court of King John. The Histoire, which is now easily accessible in a good English translation, will be the main source for the course, and passages from it will be read in most classes. However, other sources will be considered alongside it, among them the Marshal’s surviving charters.
The main topics to be considered will be the sources for the Marshal’s life, the trajectory of his career, the nature of his chivalry, the membership of his knightly household, and his expressions of piety, notably the account in the Histoire of his death. Teaching will be by means of informal lectures at which questions and discussion will be encouraged.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes for this course are:
- The ability to evaluate and interpret the sources for the career of William Marshal
- The ability to reflect critically on different interpretations of the chivalric experience in the 12th and 13th centuries
- The ability to evaluate the role of the individual in the context of the broader process of change over time
Classes
1. Getting to know the Marshal
2. From the cradle to the grave
3. Chivalry and the Marshal
4. The Marshal and his household
5. At the deathbed of the Marshal
Required reading
The History of William Marshal, edited and translated Nigel Bryant (Woodbridge: the Boydell Press, 2016)
Typical week: Monday to Friday
For each week of study you select a morning (Am) and an afternoon (Pm) course, each course has five sessions, one each day Monday to Friday. The maximum class size is 25 students. Your weekly courses are complemented by a series of two daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.
| c.8.00am-9.00am |
Breakfast in College (for residents) |
| 9.00am-10.30am |
Am Course |
| 11.15am-12.30pm |
Plenary Lecture |
| 12.30pm-1.45pm |
Lunch |
| 1.45pm-3.15pm |
Pm Course |
| 4.00pm-5.15pm |
Plenary Lecture |
| c.6.00/6.15pm-7.15/7.30pm |
Dinner in College (for residents) |
| c.7.30pm onwards |
Evening talk/event |
Evaluation and Academic Credit
If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.
Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £65 per essay.
For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.
Certificate of attendance
A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically within a week of your courses finishing.
