COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this term-length class on sixteenth-century English literature the majority of our time will be given to studying two of the major works in the English literary canon: Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur and Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene. Along the way, we'll brush up against Thomas More's Utopia and Philip Sidney's Apologie for Poetry. Malory's work actually dates from the latter half of the fifteenth century, but familiarity with Le Morte Darthur will make Spenser's intentionally anachronistic--and in so many ways fabulous--Faerie Queene just a little less formidable.

 

REQUIREMENTS

The first and most important requirement is to have a copy of each of the two course texts. If for any reason you won't be able to bring a copy of the text to class with you every day: get out. To paraphrase John Kennedy: 'ask not what this class can do for you, ask what you can do for this class.' If you are not willing to contribute to our collective understanding of what we read, then you're a parasite and your course grade will reflect it; if you are not able to contribute to our collective understanding of what we read, then you'll be better off studying something else with a different professor.
NB. Rather than posting the pages you are expected to read for class each day, the professor will announce the page numbers in class for the next day.

The second most important requirement is to attend class at least twenty seven times this term. There are thirty classes scheduled. If you miss three classes, you will miss ten percent of the term. If you miss more than three classes, you'll miss more than ten percent of the term, and that's too much.

You will be required to write two papers for this course. The first one will be a paper related to Malory's Le Morte Darthur. This first paper is due October 14. The second paper will be on some aspect of Spenser's Faerie Queene. This second paper will be due near the end of the term.

The final requirement will be a final exam.

 

TEXTS

Malory, Thomas. Le Morte Darthur. Ed. Stephen H. A. Shepherd. New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company, 2004.

Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene. Ed. Thomas P. Roche. Toronto: Penguin Books, 1978. Rep’d. 1987.

 

GRADES

Attendance and Participation - - - 40%
First Paper - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10% - - - due: Friday, Oct. 14
Second Paper - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 25% - - - due: Nov. 21 - 28, as discussed in class.
Final Exam - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 25%

 

DISABILITY STATEMENT:

If you are a student with a documented disability who anticipates needing supports or accommodations, please contact Dr. Abu Kamara, Coordinator, Accessible Learning Services at 902-585-1291, abu.kamara@acadiau.ca or Kathy O’Rourke, Disability Resource Facilitator at 902-585-1823, disability.access@acadiau.ca. Accessible Learning Services is located in Rhodes Hall.

 

PLAGIARISM STATEMENT:

The professor will explain what plagiarism is on the first day of class. Whether a student commits plagiarism accidentally or intentionally, s/he runs a very real risk of being graded F, 0% for the course, and being reported to the Acadia Registrar. Any potential gain a student might perceive in plagiarism is wholly counter balanced by the price to be paid. DO NOT PLAGIARISE.

 

Print copy of the Syllabus