Literatura en Lengua Inglesa III

1 MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
This lesson will introduce you to the different possible foundations of English literature. You will be
introduced to the work of Geoffrey Chaucer and read sections of The Canterbury Tales. You will also
start to trace the development of the English language.

Reading material

Compulsory:

Carter, R. and J. McRae (2002) The Routledge History of Literature in England, Ireland and Wales.
Londres, Routledge.

Optional:

“Medieval Literature”, in http://www.medievalchronicles.com/. Optional

Felluga, Dino (2018) "Terms Used by Narratology and Film Theory." Introductory Guide to Critical Theory.
Purdue U. <http://www.purdue.edu/guidetotheory/narratology/terms/>. Optional.
The Free Social Science Dictionary. 2008. http://www.socialsciencedictionary.com. Optional.
Online Dictionary of the Social Sciences. 2018. http://bitbucket.icaap.org/ Optional.

Activities:

In class we will be working on the beginnings of English. The “General Prologue” and “The Pardoner’s
Tale” (The Canterbury Tales) will be the compulsory texts. Meanwhile, you will do research on the
following questions, noting down your sources:

a. Look up the meaning of the following terms: frame narrative, narratology, narrator, author, writer,
narrative voice, irony, tradition, adaptation, appropriation, intertextuality. Consult academic
materials for this, not only general dictionaries. You may work with a specialized dictionary, such as
those suggested in your reading list.
b. Find out about Terence Ranger and Eric Hobsbawm’s views of tradition.
c. Who inhabited the British Isles until the 14th century? What languages were spoken on the islands?
When did English start to be spoken? When is English literature supposed to have started?
d. How would you characterize the literature produced in Britain in the middle ages?
e. What genres were popular and why do you think they were? Compare Beowulf as an epic poem to
the ballads of Robin Hood, and the romance of King Arthur to The Canterbury Tales.

Literary reading:

Compulsory:

ISP N° 8 “Almte. G. Brown” Prof. Bonano Carla Literatura III - 2022

Chaucer, G. “General Prologue” and “The Pardoner’s Tale” (The Canterbury Tales) You may access these
texts in book form, or in an online source where you will find useful annotations and a translation into
Modern English prose. Remember you will probably find two texts: the original text by Chaucer and a
translation into contemporary English.

Optional:

Boewulf - Mort d’Artur - Robin Hood ballads (you will find these online)

Now answer:

a. Who was Geoffrey Chaucer and why has he been called the Father of English literature?
b. What other authors before Chaucer or after him contributed to the building of a great literary
tradition during the Middle Ages?
c. Describe how The Canterbury Tales is organized and what other books may be called frame
narratives.
d. Describe “The General Prologue” as a record of a particular view of the society of the times. What
point of view is that?
e. Explain how “The Pardoner’s Prologue” and “The Pardoner’s Tale” are organized and how irony
works here.
f. Explain the relationship between Geoffrey Chaucer the writer, Geoffrey Chaucer the (textual) author
and Geoffrey Chaucer the narrator/the pilgrim.
g. The figures of Robin Hood and of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are still appealing to
us. Can you figure out why?

Task
Option 1:
Write a short essay where you explain how Medieval literature has been reread by contemporary
culture and made into movies, plays or new texts. Please respect academic conventions regarding
citation.

Option 2:
Imagine you are Chaucer living in 2022. You’d like to describe our society the way he did. Write a poem
following the format and tone Chaucer used for his works.

Academic journal
Have you learned anything in the past lessons which is especially meaningful to you? Have you found
any activity particularly challenging/interesting/innovative/boring? Which and why? What do you intend
to do next in this course? What would you do differently next time? Add any comments you think

ISP N° 8 “Almte. G. Brown” Prof. Bonano Carla Literatura III - 2022

relevant.

With a view to Promoción Directa, make sure you keep your Journal and your task well filed. You will be
asked to submit both in the Instancia Final Integradora.

Dates: Activities: ……………… Literary reading: …………………. Task: ……………………….

ISP N° 8 “Almte. G. Brown” Prof. Bonano Carla Literatura III - 2022