C321: Medieval Literature: Medieval Epic and Heroic Poetry
J. Johnson ~ MW 1:00-2:15
~satisfies COAS Cultural Studies and A&H requirements~

The face of a god; men eaten alive in their sleep; a woman at the
head of an army of corpses: if you haven’t seen any of these lately,
it’s time for medieval epic.  The Middle Ages brought fundamental
and lasting changes to epic poetry and to the heroic characters that
populated its verses.  Medieval poets infused new life into legends
from ancient Rome and Greece and transformed their own cultures,
histories, and religions into epic material, leaving a rich legacy
for the poets of the Renaissance and later ages.  These poems
included the most popular figures of the day and the most
sophisticated contemplations of the human mind.  Our texts encompass
a broad spectrum of narrative styles, subject matter, and verse
forms.  Ranging from roughly 1000 to 1321, we will be reading
Beowulf, Walter of Châtillon’s Alexandreis, The Song of Roland,
Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Willehalm, and Dante’s Paradiso.  These
poems offer us differing definitions of heroism, sharply contrasting
views of the European Crusades, and diverse visions of the human
condition.  We will be especially concerned with how each poet
depicts the growth and decay of human civilization.  The course will
include an introduction to ancient, late antique, and early
Christian epics and their impact on medieval literature.  While our
texts represent literary developments in England, France, Germany,
and Italy, students will have the opportunity to sample epic poetry
from medieval Africa, Russia, Persia, and India.  The scope of the
course welcomes students interested in literature and theory,
history, religious studies, political science, philosophy, and
cultural studies.  Assignments will consist of two essays, a final
exam, two in-class presentations, and brief writing assignments.
There are no prerequisites for this course.