Date

1-24

1-29

• Geoffrey of Monmouth: Parts 4-6 (149-211)
• Response to Blackboard Discussion:  "Geoffrey of Monmouth presents his story as history.  How would you characterize the world he presents?  What is it like?  What do they value?  How do you know?"       "What do you think about Merlin?  How would you characterize him and his abilities?"     "What is Arthur like?  How does he conform to or deviate from your expectations?" 

1-31

• Geoffrey of Monmouth: Part 7 (212-262) 

2-5

• The Mabinogion: Owein, or The Countess of the Fountain
• Response to Blackboard Discussion:  "What strikes you as the biggest difference between the way the story of Owein is told as compared to Geoffrey of Monmouth?" 

2-7

• The Mabinogion: Culhwch and Olwen 

2-12

• The Mabinogion: Gereint and Enid
• Response to Blackboard Discussion:  "How does Gereint differ as a hero from Culhwch?  What       should a hero be like in this tale, and how do we know?"

2-14

• Chretien de Troyes: Erec and Enide (37-79)
• Response to Blackboard Discussion:  "In what ways does this story differ from the Welsh version?" 

2-19

• Chretien de Troyes: Erec and Enide (80-122)

2-21

• Chretien de Troyes: Cliges (123-154)
• Response to Blackboard Discussion:  "How is love portrayed in the first part of Cliges?" 

2-26

• Chretien de Troyes: Cliges (155-205)

2-28

• Marie de France: "Guigemar" and "Equitan"
• Response to Blackboard Discussion:  "Discuss love and suffering in one or both of the tales." 

3-5

• Marie de France: "Bisclavret" and "Lanval"

3-7

3-12

3-14

3-19

• Malory (82-168) Malory: Uther to Arthur (3-81)

3-21

• Book Group Discussions 

3-26

• Malory: The Grail Quest (310-356)
• Response to Blackboard Discussion:  "We've been discussing the question of audience with both Chretien and Marie.  What sort of audience do you think Malory is writing for?  Why?  How does the story, or the method of story-telling change in his hands?"

3-28

• Malory: The Grail Quest (357-402) Response to Blackboard Discussion:  "Choose one or at most two knights and explain how their    adventures illustrate their moral status."

4-2

• Monty Python and The Holy Grail

4-4

• Monty Python and The Holy Grail
• Response to Blackboard Discussion:   "How does Monty Python play with our expectations both of Arthur and of the Grail Legend and of story-telling more generally?  Think about what Arthur, Lancelot, and Galahad should be like. What's with Sir Robyn? You might consider Arthur's world view as opposed to the world views of those he encounters in his quest. What does this say about Arthurian values? About the nature of quest?

4-9

• Malory: Lancelot and Guinevere (403-468)
• Malory: The Death of Arthur (468-527)
• Response to Blackboard Discussion:  

4-11

• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 

4-19

• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 
• Draft of Paper due on Blackboard

4-16

• Response to Blackboard Discussion:   "What is Arthur's court like in the beginning of the poem? What are they celebrating? What sort of games do they play? How do you think the Green Knight and his game fits in this world? How does he seem to see the court?"

4-18

• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

4-23

• Tristan: Thomas of Britain(on Blackboard)
• Marie de France: "Chevrefoil"
• Critical Responses to Sir Gawain and The Green Knight  

4-25

• Dame Ragnell and The Saga of the Mantel
• Book Group Wiki Due

4-30

•  Shrek
• Response to Blackboard Discussion:  "Which of the Arthurian stories that we've read do you see being retold in Shrek? How are they changed? Why do you think the filmmakers made these changes? How have the stories been updated for a modern audience?"

5-2

• Shrek
• Final Draft of Paper Due
• Final Blackboard Discussion:  "Tell me briefly which text(s) you liked best and why. What do you think you'll take away from the class? How has your perception of medieval literature changed? Did anything about medieval literature surprise you?"

5-7