01:00P-02:15P TR (7) 3 cr.
COAS INTENSIVE WRITING SECTION
JOINTLY OFFERED WITH MEDIEVAL STUDIES M200 (HONORS).
THIS COURSE HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR CULTURE STUDIES CREDIT.
TOPIC: THE MEDIEVAL COURT: ROMANCE AND REALITY.
This course asks students to imagine what it was like to live at the court of an English king or great nobleman in the late Middle Ages. We will learn about everyday life in a castle: how people at court spent their time, the sources of the lord's income and life style, and the important roles played by the women of the household. We'll also investigate the courtiers' encounters with other cultures, and, of course, how they entertained themselves with stories of chivalry and courtly love.
Each student will choose an actual noble person or retainer of the time through whose eyes to experience life at court. We'll sample the kind of reading courtiers liked to do--not just romances (including legends of King Arthur), but also biographies of medieval celebrities, saints' lives, and rule-books of good manners and chivalry. For writing, there will be short papers in which you recreate the daily occupations and reading experiences of a courtly household.