English 3303: Medieval Literature in England: Medieval Texts and Film

Instructor: Zachary Ostraff

Course Description

Acting as a survey of English literature between 1066-1400 AD, we will be reading and analyzing Medieval texts in the English language. We will read, study, and analyze King Arthur stories, The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, and dip into the long history of Robin Hood tales. In order to open up these medieval texts to a modern audience we’ll also be looking at film adaptations dealing with these same stories.

For English majors/minors, this course fulfills the Early British literature requirement, 3000-level elective, and/or prerequisite for 4000-level courses. Prerequisite: 6 hours of 2000-level English.

ADA Statement

If there is an accommodation that you need/or would like in order to be successful in class, please let me know as soon as possible. My goal is to make my course accessible to all students regardless of the personal circumstances. If you have particular needs in terms of online coursework that is different from your needs for in-person coursework, please let me know about those as well.

Any student who, because of a disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make any necessary arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from Student Disability Services during the instructor’s office hours. Please note: instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification from Student Disability Services has been provided. For additional information, please contact Student Disability Services in West Hall or call 806-742-2405.

Learning Objectives

·       Identify and describe three major genres (history, romance, hagiography)

·       Identify significant narrative patterns, themes, material aspects, and cultural/social contexts of medieval English literature

·       Gain a deeper knowledge of specific Medieval texts

·       Exhibit aural comprehension of Middle English, pronounce with adequate skill

·       Navigate academic databases, including: MLA International Bibliography, Oxford English Dictionary, and the Middle English Dictionary;

·       Describe the etymology and usage of a word and be able to relate it critically to a text;

·       Demonstrate competence in the close reading of medieval English texts;

·       Mount an interpretive argument and support it effectively and accurately with textual evidence, both orally and in writing;

·       Articulate information from critical sources that shows comprehension, organization, and ability to integrate secondary sources with the student’s own insights into literary texts;

·       Describe the cultural legacy of medieval forms and attitudes that our society has inherited;

·       Explain the relevance of studying the past to the ability to think critically about present issues in literature and society.

Required Texts

·      Cinematic Illuminations: The Middle Ages on Film, Laurie A. Finke and Martin B. Shichtman  (ISBN 9780801893452)

·       Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Ed. V. A. Kolve and Glending Olson. 2nd ed. Norton, 2005. ISBN: 9780393925876

·      Essential Cinema: An Introduction to Film Analyis, Jon Lewis (ISBN 978-1-4390-8368-0)

·      King Arthur: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, ???

·       Winny, James, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Reprint ed. Broadview Literary Texts, 2001. ISBN: 9780921149927

·       Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances. Translated by William Kibler. Penguin, 1991. ISBN: 9780140445213

·      Films: A Knights Tale, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Green knight

Required Materials for In-Class Attendance

·      A laptop and headphones (everyone will be required to access Zoom on both class days, regardless of whether you are in the classroom or participating through video conference)

·      A face mask that meets university requirements (in-class requirement)

·      Access to all assigned readings for the day (digital readings can be access through a device)

Required Materials for Virtual Attendance

·      A stable internet connection/computer (virtual class requirement)

·      A microphone (in your computer) or headphones with a microphone (if needed, to filter out background noise)

·      A quiet, meeting-appropriate space for our class meeting (an office or a desk, NOT your bed, or your car)

·      Access to all assigned readings for the day (digital readings can be access through a device)

Attendance

In general, if you are ill, do not attend class. Instead, email me, your instructor, and you will be excused. If you are excused because of illness, you will still be responsible for the work. However, if your illness interferes with your ability to complete the work on time, please let me know and we can work out an alternative timeline for submission.

University policy allows two kinds of absences:

Observances of official religious events (OP 34.19). “A student who intends to observe a religious holy day should make that intention known to me prior to the absence. A student who is absent for the observance of a religious holy day shall be allowed to complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence.” 

University business or university-sponsored trips (OP 34.04). “Department chairpersons, directors, or others responsible for a student representing the university on officially approved trips must notify the student’s instructors of the departure and return schedules. The instructor so notified must not penalize the student, although the student is responsible for material missed. Any student absent because of university business must be allowed to make up missed work within a reasonable span of time or have alternate grades substituted for work due to an excused absence.”

Typically, absences that are not “University Approved” will be considered on a case-by-case basis. It is your responsibility to make-up any missed work.

FACE-TO-FACE WITH ROTATING ATTENDANCE

All face-to-face classes will follow a hybrid model using rotating attendance, detailed below. The general principle is that, in order to allow students to spread out in the physical classroom, only half the students will be physically present on any given day, while the others will attend synchronously online. These groups will alternate so that all students will experience both modalities.

·      The course will be divided in half by last name.

·      One group will attend in person on Mondays and online on Wednesdays.

·      The other group will attend online on Mondays and in person on Wednesdays.

·      Both groups will attend synchronously online on Fridays.

CONTINGENCY STATEMENT

If you get sick:

·      Stay home.

·      Follow the following steps:

·      Call Student Health Services at 806.743.2848 or your health care provider. After hours and on weekends contact TTU COVID-19 Helpline at [TBA].

·      Self-report as soon as possible using the Dean of Students COVID-19 webpage. This website has specific directions about how to upload documentation from a medical provider and what will happen if your illness renders you unable to participate in classes for more than one week.

·      If your illness is determined to be COVID-19-related, all remaining documentation and communication will be handled through the Office of the Dean of Students, including notification of your instructors of the period of time you may be absent from and may return to classes.

·      Keep me informed so we can make the appropriate arrangements for your coursework. Although you will still be expected to complete the assigned work, after you recover, we can arrange new due dates for that work.  

If I get sick:

·      I will email you before class to let you know.

·      Class will become asynchronous until I am recovered.

·      Assignments will be turned in online.

·      Reading and due dates will still apply unless otherwise notified.

If the university moves to online only classes:

Because this is already a hybrid course, if the university decides to move courses entirely online, there will be very little change. The only real change will be that the class will no longer be divided into groups and everyone will meet online every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday via the Zoom link already provided. Things that will stay the same:

·      Class meetings will run just like before, with lecture/discussion/group activities—just via Zoom.

·      Because we already submit all the assignments via Blackboard, all assignments, due dates, and readings remain the same as before.

·      Course policies, including the attendance policy and academic integrity policy, will remain in effect as listed.

·      Students must be in the Zoom meeting, awake, and engaged in order to count as present

Etiquette for Zoom meetings

·      You will need to have a microphone connected to your computer; it is my strong preference that you also have a webcam.

·      You will not engage in any other activities (cooking, cleaning, driving, etc.) during class meetings.

·      You will participate in class discussions as if you were sitting in a face-to-face class. I strongly prefer that students keep their webcams on if they are able to do so, as this helps class discussion and class community.

·      Keep your microphone muted until you want to speak.

·      Please use Zoom’s “raise hand” function and I will call on you. You may also use the text chat to get my attention.

·      Try to be in a quiet area with no distractions

·      If you would like to use a Zoom background, please choose an image that is not distracting

Protective Face Coverings 

The Texas Tech University System has implemented a mandatory Facial Covering Policy to ensure a safe and healthy classroom experience. Current research on the COVID-19 virus suggests that there is a significant reduction in the potential for transmission of the virus from person to person by wearing a mask/facial covering that covers the nose and mouth areas. Because of the potential for transmission of the virus, and to be consistent with the University’s requirement, students in this class are to wear a mask/facial covering before, during, and after class. Observing safe distancing practices within the classroom by spacing out and wearing a mask/facial covering will greatly improve our odds of having a safe and healthy in-person class experience. Any student choosing not to wear a mask/facial covering during class will be directed to leave the class and will be responsible to make up any missed class content or work.

For more information about protective face coverings, see the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Protective face coverings help to protect others in case you’re infected but do not exhibit symptoms and help to protect you if others are infected. The CDC recommends the following practices for wearing your face covering correctly:

·      Wash your hands before putting on your face covering

·      Put it over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin

·      Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face

·      Make sure you can breathe easily

·      Keep the covering on your face the entire time you’re in public

·      Don’t put the covering around your neck or up on your forehead

·      Don’t touch the face covering, and, if you do, wash your hands

·      Take off your cloth face covering carefully, when you’re home

·      Students seeking a medical exception for this policy should contact Student Disability Services.

Late Work Policies 

Since participation hinges upon being in class, no makeup work is accepted for missed participation. The majority of the assignments for this class need to be turned in in a timely manner, you will lose points when/if they are turned in late. Reading responses are expected to be turned in each Wednesday. Five percent will be deducted each calendar day it is late.

Class Decorum

TTU is a community of faculty, students, and staff that enjoys an expectation of cooperation, professionalism, and civility during the conduct of all forms of university business, including the conduct of student–student and student–faculty interactions in and out of the classroom. Further, the classroom is a setting in which an exchange of ideas and creative thinking should be encouraged and where intellectual growth and development are fostered.

You are a professional student and are expected to act accordingly. You are expected to be respectful towards your instructor and your classmates at all times. I expect you to be tolerant and open minded of all opinions, although my classroom is no place for misogynistic, homophobic, racist, or in any other way disrespectful or hurtful comments. This classroom should be viewed as a safe place for learning and personal growth. I will not tolerate any disrespect, mean spirited sarcasm and/or comments, or bullying (whether in class or online) toward your peers, nor toward myself. Any hostile or close-minded behavior will result in your dismissal from class, and you will be expected to meet with me to discuss your classroom conduct.  

Please note that we will be working with non-fiction and poetry. Our work will often draw from our own lives and our own personal, sometimes difficult, experiences. We must tread carefully through these waters, always keeping our peers and an inclusive classroom in mind. If ever there is any problem, please contact me ASAP. No student should ever feel unsafe, attacked, or alienated in our shared space.

Academic Integrity Statement

Academic integrity is taking responsibility for one’s own class and/or course work, being individually accountable, and demonstrating intellectual honesty and ethical behavior. Academic integrity is a personal choice to abide by the standards of intellectual honesty and responsibility. Because education is a shared effort to achieve learning through the exchange of ideas, students, faculty, and staff have the collective responsibility to build mutual trust and respect. Ethical behavior and independent thought are essential for the highest level of academic achievement, which then must be measured. Academic achievement includes scholarship, teaching, and learning, all of which are shared endeavors. Grades are a device used to quantify the successful accumulation of knowledge through learning. Adhering to the standards of academic integrity ensures grades are earned honestly. Academic integrity is the foundation upon which students, faculty, and staff build their educational and professional careers. [Texas Tech University (“University”) Quality Enhancement Plan, Academic Integrity Task Force, 2010]

TTU RESOURCES FOR DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT, AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Texas Tech University is committed to providing and strengthening an educational, working, and living environment where students, faculty, staff, and visitors are free from gender and/or sex discrimination of any kind. Sexual assault, discrimination, harassment, and other Title IX violations are not tolerated by the University. Report any incidents to the Office for Student Rights & Resolution, (806)-742-SAFE (7233) or file a report online at titleix.ttu.edu/students. Faculty and staff members at TTU are committed to connecting you to resources on campus. Some of these available resources are: TTU Student Counseling Center, 806-742-3674,

https://www.depts.ttu.edu/scc/ (Provides confidential support on campus.) TTU 24-hour Crisis Helpline, 806-742-5555, (Assists students who are experiencing a mental health or interpersonal violence crisis. If you call the helpline, you will speak with a mental health counselor.) Voice of Hope Lubbock Rape Crisis Center, 806-763-7273, voiceofhopelubbock.org (24-hour hotline that provides support for survivors of sexual violence.) The Risk, Intervention, Safety and Education (RISE) Office, 806-742-2110, https://www.depts.ttu.edu/rise/ (Provides a range of resources and support options focused on prevention education and student wellness.) Texas Tech Police Department, 806-742- 3931, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/ttpd/ (To report criminal activity that occurs on or near Texas Tech campus.)

Coursework Breakdown 

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES: (100PTS)

You are expected to come to class prepared to discuss readings and peer writing. Any in-class writing activity or group activity will be considered as participation. Participation will be graded on a “completion” basis, meaning, if you participate in the above activities, you will receive full credit for that activity and if you don’t, no credit will be given. Your daily score will show up in the grade column for attendance. If you are tardy and miss participation activities, you will be given a zero for those activities that you miss.

WEEKLY RESPONSES: (100PTS) 

Each week you will be expected to write a guided response to the reading and/or film we watched. Generally, these responses will a short (300-400 words). You will find the directions for each individual response on Blackboard under the Discussion Boards.  

CRITICAL ESSAY (FILM): (50PTS)

Each student will be responsible to write a short critical essay that evaluates a scene, via a close reading, from one of the films we watched in the course.  

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: (25PTS)

Each student will write a short-annotated bibliography that corresponds with research they do for their final critical essay.

PROPOSAL: (25PTS)

A short project proposal that identifies which text you will be examining for the final project. 

FINAL CRITICAL ESSAY (LITERATURE): (200PTS)

Each student will be responsible to write a critical essay that examines an element of a medieval text we studied in class. It is expected that this essay will also include elements from the correlating film. 

Grade Breakdown

A = 94 – 100%                        A- = 90 – 93%

B+ = 87 – 89%                       B = 83 – 86%              B- = 80 – 82%            

C+ = 77 – 79%                       C = 73 – 76%              C- = 70 – 72%

D+ = 67 – 69%                       D = 63 – 66%             D- = 60 – 62%

F = below 60%