| ENGL 459: Medieval Arthurian Literature, Winter, 2002 | Dr. Debora B. Schwartz |
| Class meetings: TR 2-4, Rm. 34-228 | http://www.calpoly.edu/~dschwart |
| Office: 47-35G, tel. 756-2636 | Main English Office: 756-2597 |
| Office Hours: T 4-5, W 2-3, F 12-1, and by appt. | e-mail: dschwart@calpoly.edu |
Please note that the on-line syllabus (not any printout you might make) is authoritative. Assignments may be changed or modified in the course of the quarter. Check the on-line syllabus regularly (before each class) to ensure that you are completing correct assignment. To find the on-line syllabus, click on the link above or point your Web browser to http://cla.calpoly.edu/~dschwart/engl459/459syllw02.html |
| Study Guides: | Web Links: | Other: |
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Class email alias: Important announcements concerning this class will be sent over the class email alias: engl-0459-01-021@calpoly.edu. The class email alias is automatically generated using the email address of each enrolled student found in the Cal Poly Directory server. If you have not yet activated your Cal Poly email account, go to http://newemail.calpoly.edu and follow the instructions to activate your account. If your Cal Poly email account is not your preferred email address, go to http://www.email.calpoly.edu/webfrwrd.html for instructions on forwarding mail to another email account.
You are expected to have an email account and to check it regularly; you will be held responsible for any information (including changes in assignments) sent over the alias. You can use the class email alias to send a RELEVANT query or comment to the whole class (including your instructor). Please do not use the email alias for matters unrelated to the class.
Hypermail Archive:
to submit research reports and records of works ordered via LINK+
or EIL.
To post to the archive, send email to
engl459-01@hypermail.calpoly.edu
To visit the archive, point your web-browser to
http://hypermail.calpoly.edu/engl/459-01/
Follow the links for information about
Hypermail and about submitting reports (the example
of the MLA Bibliography).
General Information/Course Objectives:
This READING INTENSIVE course will examine literary manifestations of Arthurian legend during the medieval period. The roots of what is now conceived of as a single, homogeneous story (largely due to the influence of Malory) are in fact found in a variety of dissimilar, even contradictary, texts. In tracing the evolution of the Matter of Britain, we will consider differences between folkloric or literary traditions and individual texts, discussing how each author rewrites the story, adding to or deleting from his sources, which he may "correct" or even flatly contradict. The tension between text and received tradition will be used to evaluate the way in which a particular artist (or audience) understood the legend's "meaning."
We will concentrate upon the 12th- and 13th-century works in which the story of King Arthur was invented, elaborated and refined. Special attention will be paid to historical context (for what audience was the work composed? how did that audience understand individual figures or the legend as a whole? was any political or social agenda behind a particular adaptation?) as well as to literary concerns (e.g. genre--chronicle, verse romance, prose cycle, etc.). The final readings trace the beginnings of Arthurian literature in English through Malory, the source from which most modern Arthurian works in English derive. As appropriate, we will also discuss art (manuscript illumination, sculpture, paintings, decorative arts).
The primary objectives of the course are 1) to familiarize students with the most significant medieval Arthurian works and 2) to enable them better to understand the roots of Arthurian literature in English. A research paper will explore the chronological evolution of a character, episode or motif in 2-3 works. Students are encouraged (but not required) to choose Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur as the final work for analysis.
NOTE: After the initial weeks (once oral presentations have begun), THIS IS NOT PRIMARILY A LECTURE COURSE! YOUR COMMITMENT -- WHICH MEANS THOROUGH PREPARATION AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION -- IS ESSENTIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE CLASS!!!
Preparation:Attendance Requirement:Readings are to be completed BEFORE coming to class on the date assigned. You are expected as a matter of course to read the assigned pages in the HB, introductions in other texts, and any handouts distributed in class. Be sure to read the background material FIRST--it provides a context within which the primary readings will be more meaningful.
Be prepared to DISCUSS readings in class. Note that the length and difficulty of assignments vary, so look ahead in the reading list when you are planning your time. You will be responsible for ALL the assigned readings, whether fully discussed in class or not, as well as for the additional background material presented in lectures, handouts and class discussion.
Regular and punctual attendance is required. EACH ABSENCE WILL AFFECT PARTICIPATION PORTION OF FINAL GRADE: it will drop one increment for each unexcused absence (from A [4.0] to A- [3.7] to B+ [3.3], etc.). Additionally, it will drop .1 for the first excused absence (4.0 to 3.9) and .2 for the second excused absence (3.9 to 3.7). Excused absences in excess of two (one full week of class) will be counted the same as unexcused absences. Valid reasons for missing class include your own or a dependent's illness, family crisis, or another unavoidable conflict; work conflicts and job interviews are NOT valid reasons for missing class. In order for an absence to be excused, you must turn in a signed written explanation of your absence (including class and date missed) the next time you attend class. (A telephone or e-mail message is appreciated as a courtesy, but it is NOT sufficient to excuse an absence.) Any absence for which I do not have a signed, written explanation will be recorded as unexcused. Please note: work conflicts and job interviews are NOT valid reasons for missing class; you are responsible for keeping work commitments from conflicting with academic ones. Exception: if you are a graduating senior and must travel out of town for a final interview, ONE such absence will count as excused. Do not schedule local interviews or other appointments during class hours.
Graded Work:
ORAL PRESENTATION: starting in week 3, each class will begin with a brief oral presentation by one or more students introducing the day's reading. The presentation should illuminate some aspect of the reading, suggesting a thematic, stylistic or structural approach to the work (or to one or more of its episodes, motifs or characters). If you choose, you may summarize a secondary source which you have found particularly interesting or useful, provided that you keep the focus on the way in which this secondary reading helps us better to understand the primary text. This brief ORAL PRESENTATION (15-20 min. maximum) will be the starting point for class discussion, led jointly by student and professor. You are encouraged (but not required) to develop presentation topic more fully in your research paper. Please note: you are NOT expected to become a world expert on your assigned text; you are merely responsible for helping to introduce it to your classmates!
Each presenter will prepare and distribute an ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY of at least five secondary sources dealing with the primary reading, including any essay or article presented in class. Entries should be alphabetized as on a List of Works Cited and should begin with full bibliographic references (consult MLA Handbook for correct format!) followed by a brief summary of the primary thrust of the article or essay (not a critique). At least one essay should be obtained through Interlibrary Loan and submitted (clean copy) with the bibliography. Among the five items which you annotate on the Bibliography, you should include at least one each of the following types of resources: journal articles, essays in collections, single-author books; also, at least one of the following modes of access: found at Cal Poly (state "Cal Poly" and give call number in parentheses at end of annotation); ordered through LINK+ or EIL (state which in parentheses at end of annotation); and accessed electronically (give name of database in parentheses at end of annotation). The Annotated Bibliography will be graded for complete and correct bibliographic references (formatted according to MLA guidelines for a List of Works Cited entry); for the distribution of items over the required types of resources and modes of access; and for the quality of the annotations.
MIDTERM EXAM: Two-hours, on Thursday, 2/14. The objective exam will cover 1) background information (facts, names, titles, approximate dates) from the HB, introductions to readings, lectures, and handouts, and 2) identification of key characters, motifs or episodes from primary readings. The essay will require you to write on a different work or works than the subject of your class presentation and on a topic other than that chosen for final research paper.
PAPER PROSPECTUS: Prospectus (due Tuesday, 2/19) must include a working title which clearly identifies work(s) to be discussed as well as topic of your paper; a fully articulated thesis (not just a statement of general topic); a tentative outline of your paper; and a working bibliography of at least eight sources, alphabetized and listed using correct MLA bibliographic format (consult MLA Handbook!). In choosing the sources to include in the Working Bibliography, be sure to include at least one of each of the following: a book by a single author (of which you may use a single chapter, if desired); an essay from an edited collection; and a journal article. Additionally, your sources must include at least one item found in the Cal Poly library (put call number in parentheses after entry); at least one item obtained through EIL (indicate EIL in parentheses after entry); at least one item obtained through LINK+ (indicate LINK+ in parentheses after entry); and at least one item accessed electronically (put name of database in parentheses after entry). NB:: be sure to cite electronically accessed items correctly, using MLA bibliographic format for electronic sources (as described in 5th ed. of the MLA Handbook). The Prospectus will be graded pass/fail. It is intended to give you feedback for your research paper, and as such will not normally be graded. However, it is a required component of the class, and failure to complete one will result in an "F" being averaged into the 25% of the course grade based on the oral presentation and annotated bibliography.
RESEARCH PAPER: 15-20 pp. long, must cite at least 6 secondary sources (senior project students: 20-25 pp., must cite at least 10 secondary sources), tracing chronological evolution of a character, episode or motif in two (or AT MOST three) authors or works. (Any exceptions must be pre-approved after discussion with instructor.) One work may be chosen from off syllabus (i.e. Malory; parts of the Lancelot-Graal cycle not read in class, The Romance of Tristan and Isolde). Paper may (but need not) develop topic of oral presentation. A detailed prospectus is due 2/19; final paper is due at time of Final Oral Exercise (Tuesday of exam week)..
FINAL ORAL EXERCISE: On Tuesday 3/19 at 6 PM, there will be a REQUIRED final oral exercise: a brief presentation to classmates and instructor of premise and conclusions of final research paper (due at that time). Ideally, this presentation will occur in conjunction with a festive meal (semi-potluck? medieval fare?) at my home. While the presentation will be ungraded, failure to complete the Final Oral Exercise will result in a grade of "F" being averaged with the Midterm Exam score.
| 10 % | Participation (based on attendance). NOTE: I reserve the option to use pop quizzes should I perceive that students are coming to class ill prepared. Any such quizzes will be averaged into participation grade. |
| 25 % | Annotated Bibliography and Oral Presentation (weighted equally). Note: the Paper prospectus is intended to be for feedback only (and thus ungraded); however, an F will be averaged into this 25% of the course grade if no prospectus is submitted! |
| 25 % | Midterm Exam (NOTE: failure to complete Final Oral Exercise will result in an F being averaged into Midterm Exam score!) |
| 40 % | Research paper |
| Contents of this and all linked pages Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 2002 |  |