Description:
A detailed examination of the composition, manuscript presentation,
genres, narrative techniques, and cultural contexts of many of
the tales in The Canterbury Tales, one of the most important
and brilliant collections of short narratives produced in the
English language. We will read a sample of Chaucer's courtly genres,
fabliaux, and religious tales. Our major concentration will be
on the comparative study of these narratives in two contexts:
first, that of the parallel transmission of closely related stories
in various versions throughout medieval Europe, and second, that
of the interrelation of tales (and their tellers) within the fragments
of Chaucer's fiction of a Canterbury pilgrimage.
Reading List:
Benson, Larry D., ed. The Riverside Chaucer. 3rd ed. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin Co., 1987. [ISBN: 978-0395290316]
Brown, Peter, ed. A Companion to Chaucer. Oxford: Blackwell,
2000; reprint, 2002. [Pap. ISBN: 978-0631235903]
Requirements:
Students will be responsible for the content not only of the reading
assignments, but also of our discussions in class. Regular attendance
and participation in the discussions of all texts (not just the
text[s] that you are researching for the semester) are prerequisites
for passing the course. The door to the classroom will remain
open for five minutes after the scheduled time for the class to
begin; after that point the door will be closed. If you are late
and see that the door has been closed, you have already been marked
absent for that day - do not come into the classroom. Two unexcused
absences are permissible without any effect on your grade, but
three unexcused absences or more will adversely affect the final
grade for the course. Absences due to a medical condition must
be excused by a statement signed by the physician in charge of
the treatment. You may also expect brief quizzes on all reading
assignments. Do not use any electronic equipment in the classroom
to record the discussion or take notes. The final grade for the
course will be composed of individual performance in six
areas:
1) A Topic Description. All Topic Descriptions (1 page; typewritten;
double-spaced; with 1-inch margins, and your name the top of the
page; and carefully proofread) are due on September 10.
The grade on the Topic Description will account for about 10 percent
of your final grade. Two or three students may wish to work together
on a series of oral presentations of related topics or literary
texts and/or intellectual documents to be held at successive class
meetings.
2) An oral presentation. The presentation (ca. 15 minutes)
represents the fruits of your initial research on a topic which
will either be assigned to you or which you will choose yourself
after consultation with me. You must meet with me
during my office hours (or make an appointment) to discuss your
topic. The presentation should be open-ended and should encourage
questions from the rest of the class. The grade on the presentation
will account for about 15 percent of the final grade.
3) A brief critical book report. The book report (2-3 pages; typed
or printed in no larger than size 12 font; double-spaced; with
1-inch margins, page numbers, and your name on every page; and
carefully proofread) will deal with one or two major studies (secondary
literature) of the topic or text on which your report is based,
due on the date of the oral report. The grade on the critical
book report will account for about 10 percent of the final grade.
4) Quizzes. The quizzes will cover each work, including secondary
texts, to be read for the semester. The average of all the quizzes
will account for about 15 percent of the final grade.
5) A short paper. The short paper (5-10 pages; typed or printed
in no larger than size 12 font; double-spaced; with 1-inch margins,
page numbers, and your name on every page; and carefully proofread)
is to be handed in one week before the oral presentation.
The paper will include an annotated bibliography of 3-5 items
which you will have read in preparation for giving the report
and writing the paper (for all questions of documentation and
references, follow the guidelines available at: http://www.public.asu.edu/~dedalus/guidetostyle/index.html).
The short paper for all reports to be held on or after
November 3 will be due on October 27. The short
paper will serve as the basis for your term paper. The grade on
the short paper will account for about 15 percent of the final
grade.
6) A term paper. The term paper (15-20 pages; typed or printed
in no larger than size 12 font; double-spaced; with 1-inch margins,
page numbers, and your name on every page; and carefully proofread)
is one in which all of your research on the topic, and all of
your own brilliance, are formulated carefully and in the scope
which the subject demands. Term papers must be turned in to me
- together with the copy of the short paper you handed in to
me and which I returned to you with my comments - at the latest
on the last day of class. I will not be able to complete your
grade for the course (you will receive an Incomplete) unless I
receive both papers at the end of the semester. The grade on the
term paper will account for about 35 percent of the final grade.
1. T 8/25: Introduction to Chaucer's biography and language, Chaucerian bibliography
2. Th 8/27: Introduction to Chaucer's biography and language, Transmission of the tales; Companion, pp. 235-50, 428-42
3. T 9/1: Fragment I: The General Prologue; Companion, pp. 397-413
4. Th 9/3: No class
5. T 9/8: Fragment I: The General Prologue
6. Th 9/10: Fragment I: The Knight's Tale, _________________;
Companion, pp. 349-59; all topic descriptions
due today
7. T 9/15: Fragment I: The Knight's Tale, _________________; Companion, pp. 23-39
8. Th 9/17: Fragment I: The Miller's Tale, _________________;
Companion, pp. 90-113
9. T 9/22: Fragment I: The Reeve's Tale, _________________; Companion, pp. 251-65
10. Th 9/24: Fragment II: The Man of Law's Tale, _________________;
Companion, pp. 180-94
11. T 9/29: Fragment II: The Man of Law's Tale, _________________;
12. Th 10/1: No class
13. T 10/6: Fragment III: The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale, _________________; Companion, pp. 480-94
14. Th 10/8: Fragment III: The Wife of Bath's Prologue and
Tale, _________________; Companion, pp. 133-48
15. T 10/13: Fragment III: The Friar's Tale, _________________
16. Th 10/15: Fragment III: The Summoner's Tale, _________________
17. T 10/20: Fragment V: The Squire's Tale, _________________; Companion, pp. 58-74
18. Th 10/22: Fragment V: The Franklin's Tale, _________________;
Companion, pp. 281-95
19. T 10/27: Fragment IV: The Clerk's Tale, _________________; Companion, pp. 75-89; short paper for all reports to be held on or after November 3 due today
20. Th 10/29: No class
21. T 11/3: Fragment IV: The Merchant's Tale, _________________; Companion, pp. 443-58
22. Th 11/5: Fragment VI: The Physician's Tale, _________________;
Companion, pp. 378-96
23. T 11/10: Fragment VI: The Pardoner's Tale, _________________; Companion, pp. 414-27
24. Th 11/12: Fragment VIII: The Second Nun's Tale,
_________________; The Canon's Yeoman's Tale, _________________;
Companion, pp. 266-80
25. T 11/17: Fragment VII: The Shipman's Tale, _________________
26. Th 11/19: No class
27. T 11/24: Fragment VII: The Prioress' Tale, _________________;
Companion, pp. 352-54
Th 11/26: (Thanksgiving)
28. T 12/1: Fragment VII: The Monk's Tale, _________________; Companion, pp. 218-34
29. Th 12/3: Fragment VII: The Nun's Priest's Tale,
_________________; Companion, pp. 360-77
30. T 12/8: Fragment X: The Parson's Tale; Retraction; Final Paper due today (with the copy of the short paper you handed in to me earlier in the semester)
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY!
In the "Student Academic Integrity Policy" manual,
ASU defines "Plagiarism [as] using another's words, ideas,
materials or work without properly acknowledging and documenting
the source. Students are responsible for knowing the rules governing
the use of another's work or materials and for acknowledging and
documenting the source appropriately." You can find this
definition at:
http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/studentlife/judicial/academic_integrity.htm#definitions
Academic dishonesty, including inappropriate collaboration, will not be tolerated. There are severe sanctions for cheating, plagiarizing, and any other form of dishonesty.