Chaucer’s work provides a fascinating insight into the medieval world, allowing students to explore the theological, political and cultural tensions within England (and Europe) at the time. Indeed, Chaucer’s extremely varied career as a poet, diplomat and civil servant provided him with access to medieval society in all of its diversity, whilst at the same time bringing him into contact with groundbreaking European literary works such as Dante’s Divine Comedy.
Students will enjoy exploring the complex and in many respects surprisingly contemporary, questions posed by Chaucer’s great work and throughout this course the experimental and avant-garde nature of The Canterbury Tales will be emphasized. Throughout the various Prologues and Tales, the multifaceted and nuanced voices of Chaucer’s characters combine to interrogate, challenge and explore a range of key issues. As part of this course, students will reflect upon the independence of women, the nature of chivalry, and social class (and nobility) in medieval England, as well as sex, greed and the extent to which Chaucer might be considered to be a moral (or amoral) writer.
Throughout this course, students will have an opportunity to explore the performative nature of Chaucer’s writing whilst at the same time developing their confidence in working with his original Middle English. Students are encouraged to read the texts in translation initially but discussion will refer primarily to the Middle English text and both editions should be brought to class.
Learning outcomes
- Develop knowledge and an understanding of medieval literature within its cultural and historical context;
- Show awareness of critical and theoretical approaches to literature from the period;
- Develop keener close reading skills, particularly when engaging with texts in medieval English;
- Articulate and discuss the broader concepts of the course and the relationships between the texts.
