The Canterbury Tales (U01377)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-3-U01377

The course introduces students to Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, a key text of the English middle ages and one of the most accessible yet challenging works of medieval literature in English. It explores the range of individual tales, and the social and pilgrimage frameworks, that unite the whole. Topics considered include the different narrative kinds and modes employed in the tales, the focus on issues of gender, desire and marriage, and the playful yet sophisticated reflection upon the act of storytelling itself.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Passes in English or Scottish Literature 1 and English, or Scottish, or American Literature 2, with a mark of 50 or above at the first attempt in the second year course.

? Special Arrangements for Entry : Numbers are limited to 15, with priority given to students taking degrees involving English or Scottish Literature and Visiting Students placed by the Admissions Office. Students not in these categories need the written approval of the Head of English Literature before enrolling. In the case of excess applications places will be decided by ballot.

? Costs : Essential course texts

Variants

? This course has variants for part year visiting students, as follows

The Canterbury Tales (VS1) (Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2))

Subject Areas

Home subject area

English Literature, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

? Other Required Attendance : 1 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
18/09/2007	16:10	18:00	Room 9.14, David Hume Tower	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	14:00	15:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the course successfully will read widely within the Canterbury Tales, acquiring familiarity with the reading and interpretation of Middle English, and knowledge of a broad range of medieval narrative genres. They will gain an understanding of the historical, cultural and intellectual contexts that shape the writing of literature of the middle ages, and learn to interpret medieval literary texts in the light of these contexts. This should lead to a recognition of the alterity of the concerns and ideologies of the medieval period, and an enhanced understanding of how literature of the period can both reflect and reflect upon them.