Chaucer

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

In this course, we will engage with the works of one of the most brilliant, frustrating, perceptive, funny, and creative writers in the English literary tradition. We will read selections from the celebrated Canterbury Tales, but we will also take up Chaucer’s lesser-known masterpiece, Troilus and Criseyde, as well as some of the lyrics and shorter poems, all in the original Middle English. Contextual and critical essays (including approaches from postmodern, postcolonial, and feminist perspectives) will guide our discussions. No prior knowledge of Middle English or medieval literature is required.