Reading Material

In advance of the course, please get hold of one of the following editions:

1. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Riverside Chaucer. 3rd ed. Gen. ed. Larry D. Benson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. ISBN: 0199552096 (recommended for those interested in taking additional courses on Chaucer in future years);
2. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Ed. Jill Mann. London: Penguin, 2005. ISBN: 014042234X.

Additional texts will be made available on the course website or read from online repositories.

Requirements and Evaluation

1. Active participation in class discussion and reading aloud passages from the Canterbury Tales and other texts;
2. Four short assignments (40%), to be submitted via Moodle before the first class devoted to the work they analyze. Each must address in about 400–500 words one of the study questions for a particular tale posted on the course website (note that you must wait until you receive your previous essay before starting to write a new one);
3. A short research proposal for the term paper (10%), due no later than December 22, based on a list of guidelines that will be circulated in the last week of November;
4. One term paper of about 1,200–1500 words on the topic stated in your research proposal (50%), due on January 26;
5. Short quizzes may be given from time to time in accordance with the needs of the course. The grade for these will be factored into the assignments component detailed above.

Course Rules

1. Carefully go over the assigned primary and secondary texts in advance of the class on which they will be taught.
2. Read all Middle English texts in the original, using the glosses, footnotes, and explanatory notes in your editions—as well as the Chaucer glossary posted on Moodle—to clarify difficult words and grammatical structures. Modern English translations are permitted only as a last resort when you are unable to make sense of a particular sentence.
3. Full attendance is mandatory, in compliance with University regulations. All absences must be coordinated in advance with the lecturer. Unjustified absences may result in a lower grade or a fail. Only health problems, childbirth, veteran service, and religious holidays count as valid grounds for absence.
4. Please maintain a productive learning atmosphere: come and leave on time; do not wander in and out of the classroom; use electronic devices for class purposes only; avoid side conversations; do not consume food or carbonated drinks; show respect to other students.
5. To pass the course, you must submit all papers on time and get a passing grade for each. Students who fail a short assignment may write another one during the semester.
6. No extensions will be given to any deadline except under extraordinary circumstances (e.g., childbirth, prolonged hospitalization, or veteran service). Instead, you have the freedom to choose which of Chaucer’s tales you would like to analyze in your short assignments, as well as nearly two months to work on your term paper. In order to make sure you have enough time for everything, it is recommended that you hand in your last short assignment no later than the end of December.

Tentative Schedule

Note that (1) all tales must be read together with their prologues and epilogues, where applicable, and (2) for each class, you must prepare both the Chaucerian tale listed in the syllabus and the respective critical essay posted on Moodle.

• October 31: Introduction; Rudiments of Middle English
• November 3: Rudiments of Middle English
• November 7: The General Prologue
• November 10: The Knight’s Tale
• November 14: The Miller’s Tale
• November 17: The Reeve’s Tale; The Cook’s Tale
• November 21: The Man of Law’s Tale
• November 24: The Wife of Bath’s Prologue
• November 28: The Wife of Bath’s Tale
• December 1: The Friar’s Tale; The Summoner’s Tale
• December 5: The Clerk’s Tale
• December 8: The Merchant’s Tale
• December 12: The Squire’s Tale
• December 15: The Franklin’s Tale
• December 19: The Physician’s Tale
• December 22: The Pardoner’s Tale (research proposal due)
• December 26: The Shipman’s Tale
• December 29: The Prioress’s Tale
• January 2: The Tale of Sir Thopas; The Tale of Melibee
• January 5: The Monk’s Tale
• January 9: The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
• January 12: The Second Nun’s Tale
• January 16: The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale
• January 19: The Manciple’s Tale
• January 23: The Parson’s Tale; Chaucer’s Retraction
• January 26: Conclusion (term paper due)