Feminising the Word: Woman and Medieval Literature C.1180 - C.1500 (U01489)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-3-U01489

This course examines the idea of the female subject, and the literary, cultural, and intellectual roles of women in the period from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries in medieval Britain and Europe. The course is divided into two parts: the first explores how 'Woman' and the idea of the feminine is represented in a variety of medieval modes and genres; the second considers the actual writing of significant women writers. Through a series of detailed readings, students consider how different religious, cultural, and social conditions shaped the diversity of female creativity, and to reflect on whether it is possible to conceptualise a distinctive tradition of women's writing in medieval Europe.

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 and students taking degrees not involving English or Scottish literature need the written approval of the head of English Literature

? Costs : Essential course texts

Variants

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

Feminising the Word: Woman and Medieval Literature C.1180 - C.1500 (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	11:10	13:00	Room 6.11, David Hume Tower	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	11:10	13:00	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

To introduce students to the diversity of medieval literature through exemplary focus on the women and the idea of the feminine
To introduce students to literature composed in late medieval Scots and English, and to a range of Euroepan texts taught in translation
To develop understanding of the debates known as the querelle des femmes and the querelle de la rose, and some knowledge of the philosophical and intellectual background of 'antifeminism'; and of the ways in which antifeminist ideology is challenged both by imaginative literature and by the voice of a public female 'intellectual' such as Christine de Pisan
To analyse the representation of the female subject in erotic and religious literature
To explore the work of British and European women writers in the genres of romance and fable; prose polemic; mystical writing; and erotic lyric.