106-229 Medieval Women's Narrative

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Available as 106-329 at 3rd-year level.

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Subject Description

This subject investigates a range of medieval texts written by, for, or about women, with special attention to works written for the instruction or regulation of the minds and bodies of medieval women. No prior knowledge of Middle English will be assumed. Students who complete this subject successfully will have: an elementary familiarity with Middle English language; an appreciation of some medieval genres directed towards women; an understanding of some contemporary issues in medieval literary criticism; a familiarity with the cultural politics of the body in the late medieval period.

Assessment

Written work of not more than 5000 words.

Prescribed Texts

• Barrett A ed, Medieval Women's Writing. Longman.
• Chaucer G (ed) Wynne-Davies M, The Tales of the Clerk and The Wife of Bath. Routledge.
• Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love. Penguin.
• Windeatt (trans), The Book of Margery Kempe. Penguin.
• Wogan-Browne J ed, Medieval English Prose for Women. Clarendon.