ENG 311C Spring
Works:
“Cædmon’s Hymn”
Beowulf
“The Dream of the Rood”
“The
The Niebelungenlied
Sir Orfeo
From The
The Miller’s Tale
The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
Persons:
Gregory the Great
St. Augustine (the missionary)
King Ethelbert of Kent
The Venerable (St.) Bede
Cædmon
King Alfred the Great
Chaucer
Characters:
Scyld
Hrothgar
Grendel
Beowulf
Hygelac
Unferth
Wealhtheow
The Dragon
Wiglaf
Bryhnoth (Byrhnoth)
Byrhtwold
Sifrid
Kriemhild
Gunther, Gernot and Giselher
Brünhild
Volker
Etzel
Rüdegar
Dietrich
Hildebrand
Sir Orfeo
Lady Heurodis
The
King of Faerie
The
Steward
Nicholas
Alison (the young wife)
John the Carpenter
Absolon
Chauntecleer
Pertelote
Russel
Study Questions:
These questions
will help you study topics and themes for the Midterm Exam. You should also use one of them as a prompt
for the Midterm Essay. Choose
one prompt and answer it in essay form as fully as possible, using adequate evidence
from the text(s) involved (700 words minimum).
Your answer must directly address the themes and content of one or more
of the works we have studied in the first half of the term.
Using several of our texts, show the blending of Pagan and Christian beliefs and values in Medieval literature and culture.
Describe the characteristics of a traditional Germanic warrior. What should he be/do/say? What not? Use specific people (or characters) as examples.
In what ways do Germanic warrior traditions continue in The
Niebelungenlied?
How are these warriors different from earlier ones? What makes Sifrid a
great warrior? Contrast Sifrid with Beowulf.
Where does
Analyze the role of deception, intrigue and betrayal in The
Niebelungenlied. Are any of the major
characters ultimately good? What social
critiques are inherent in these portraits of disloyalty?
How does The Niebelungenlied show the changing roles of women in Germanic societies?
Use “The Nun's Priest's Tale” to explain the popular debate in the 14th century concerning theories of free will.
Use “The Miller’s Tale” to discuss the qualities of Nominalist philosophy? What does Chaucer embed philosophical debate in a dirty story?
Compare
and contrast Sir Orfeo
with the Greek myth of Orpheus and other mythic sources. Why did later authors continue to turn to
pagan mythology as a source for new literary productions? How does Sir
Orfeo reflect a different view of life than its
Classical and Celtic sources?
Use
some the literature you have read for this exam to describe medieval English
humor. What’s so funny? Why?
What does this tell us about medieval English attitudes toward life and
how to live it? Note: to do this one,
you probably should use “The