Will Hasty (hasty@germslav.ufl.edu)

Office Hours: W 5^th-6^th in Dauer 254

I. BRIEF DESCRIPTION:

The tales of King Arthur, from the early middle ages to the present, in folktale, literature, and film, have provided a fairly stable model for the articulation of the interests and values of different social groups through history. This general education course taught in English translation studies a corpus of literature that is international in its makeup and significance, with consideration of works originally composed in Welsh, Latin, French, German, and English. The development of the Arthurian tales is traced from its obscure origins in Celtic

Britain during the migrations of peoples, to the romances of the High Middle Ages, to significant works of the later middle ages (Malory), and finally to exemplary modern versions of the

Arthurian tales in highbrow and popular literature. We will be interested especially in viewing the Arthurian tales as cultural documents that reveal the values and interests of the different communities that produced them.

II. TEXTS:

1. Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival (Penguin Classics, 1980)

2. The Quest of the Holy Grail (Penguin Classics, 1969)

3. Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur (Random House, 1993)

4. T.H. White, The Once and Future King (Ace Books, 1987)

5. Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon (Del Rey, 1982)

5. Reader, consisting of Internet-Based texts:

a. Arthurian references in the Annales of Wales:

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/cambrian.htm

b. "Spoils of Annwn"

http://members.tripod.com/~igerne/annwn/htm

c. From Gildas's De Excidio Britanniae:

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/gildas.htm

d. From Nennius's Historia Britonum:

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/nennius.htm

e. From Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae:

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/geofhkb.htm

f. "Kilhwch and Olwen" or "Twrch Trwyth":

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/kilhwch.htm

g. Marie de France, Lanval:

http://web.english.ufl.edu/exemplaria/intro.html

h. Chrétien de Troyes, Yvain or The Knight with the Lion:

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Yvain/

i. Alfred Lord Tennyson,

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/idyl-ca.htm

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/idyl-gui.htm

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/idyl-pas.htm

j. Richard Wagner, Parsifal–download synopsis of all three Acts from:

http://home.c2i.net/monsalvat/prosedra.htm

III. Grade:

6 Quizzes (3 points per quiz): 18%

3 Tests (12 points per test): 36%

Final: 16%

Essay(s): 15%

Adventure: 5%

Homework/Participation 10%

* Note: All written work must be typescript. No hand-written papers will be accepted. It goes without saying that all of your written work will be appraised on the basis of presentation

( i.e., accuracy, grammar, and style).

Your course grade will be based on your final point total:

A+= 99-100 / A= 91-98 / B+= 89-91 / B= 81-89 / C+= 79-81 / C= 71-79 /etc.

IV. Course Requirements:

1. Tests and Final:

The three tests and the final will probably include multiple choice type questions that test knowledge of assigned readings and other discussed materials, and identifications of varying length that will test understanding of significant names, places, figures, texts, etc. (testable material includes reading assignments and the material of lectures). Although the final will focus on Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists, it will also test materials from throughout the semester and therefore should be considered comprehensive.

Note: In class I may draw your attention to episodes in given works that are not in the reading assignments; you will be responsible for remembering what is said about these episodes as well.

2. Essay(s):

You may write one essay of at least ten pages, or two shorter essays of at least five pages. Essays should be double-spaced with one inch margins. Your goal here is not just to produce a summary of the plot, but rather to relate a given work, episode, and/or figure to broader political, social, and/or cultural developments. I will frequently talk about secondary sources in class, I will put important books on reserve for this course, and you should use them in your paper! Please talk to me about your paper if you have questions!

3. Quizzes:

Quizzes will take about 10 minutes and will probably have a multiple choice format. They will include reading assignments and discussed materials since the last test or quiz (including the reading for the day on which the quizzes are given).

4. An Adventure (i.e., "project"):

The form of the adventure I leave up to you, but it should in some way involve the texts read/seen in class (or other Arthurian narratives you know), or an adaptation thereof, and it should somehow demonstrate the effort spent in accomplishing it.

Some ideas: 1) a story (from your own life; about contemporary events/politics) using the characters and/or style of one or another of the Arthurian narratives;2) A dramatic reenactment of a scene from one of the narratives (which would need to be

arranged with me well in advance);3) A poetic treatment of some aspect of the Arthurian tales; 4) A pictorial, photographic, or film representation of the Arthurian tales;5) A brief (2-3 pages typescript) analytical synopsis of another Arthurian narrative that was not assigned reading for this course; 6) A report on a book or article from the secondary literature about the Arthurian

narratives that you find particularly interesting; 7) An analytical review of one or more Arthurian films. These are only a few ideas: You decide what kind of adventure it will be. You will receive block credit (i.e., 5 points) for your adventure (i.e., you will not get a letter-grade);however, especially noteworthy adventures will be proclaimed publically before the class and possibly placed under the Student Adventures rubric of the Tales of King Arthur site on the Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures Homepage, and those students accomplishing such adventures will thus receive praise and worship. Your adventure can be performed/handed in any time during the course of the semester, but you should not leave it until the last minute (i.e., when an essay is due!).

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

Your participation in this course indicates agreement to be present in class, with appropriate assignments or exam preparation completed, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 8^th period when classes are in session according to the official university calendar. Unexcused absences beyond 3 will result in a lowering of the final grade by one position per absence.

IV. Schedule.

January

Wed 6: Introduction.

Fri 8: Annales of Wales (Reader); Spoils of Annwn (Reader): From: Gildas, De excidio Britanniae (Reader); From: Nennius, Historia Brittonum (Reader).

Mon 11: From: Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britanniae (Reader).

Wed 13: "Kilhwch and Olwen" (Reader).

Fri 15: Marie de France, Lanval (Reader); Quiz.

Mon 18: Holiday.

Wed 20: Chrétien de Troyes, Yvain (Reader), verses 1-3562.

Fri 22: Yvain (Reader), verses 3563-6818.

Mon 25: Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival (chapters 1 & 2, pp.15-70).

Wed 27: Parzival (chapters 3-5, pp.70-146); Quiz.

Fri 29: Parzival (chapters 6-8, pp.147-221).

February

Mon 1: Parzival (chapters 9-11, pp.222-293).

Wed 3: Parzival (chapters 12-14, pp.294-365).

Fri 5: Parzival (chapters 15 & 16, pp.366-411).

Mon 8: TEST #1

Wed 10: The Quest of the Holy Grail (chapters 1-5, pp.31-94).

Fri 12: The Quest of the Holy Grail (chapters 6-7, pp.94-161).

Mon 15: The Quest of the Holy Grail (chapters 8-10, pp.162-221).

Wed 17: The Quest of the Holy Grail (chapters 11-15, pp.222-284); Quiz.

Fri 19: Malory, Le morte d’arthur, Book I, chapters I-VIII, pp. 3-14 and chapters XIX-XXVII, pp.32-43.

Mon 22: Malory, Book II, all chapters, pp.44-67; Book III, chapters I-II, pp. 69-71; Book IV, chapters I-XVI, pp.88-110).

 Wed 24: Malory, Book XI, chapters I-IX, pp. 517-530; Book XI, chapters X-XIV, pp. 530-538; Book XIII, all chapters, pp.556-585).

 Fri 26: Malory, Book XIV, all chapters, pp. 585-597; Book XVII, all chapters, pp. 629-662); Quiz.

March

Mon 1: Malory, Book XIX, chapters I-IX, pp. 708-724; Book XX, chapters I-XIV, 732-757).

Wed 3: Malory, Book XX, chapters XV-XXII, pp. 757-772; Book XXI, all chapters, pp.772-795).

Fri 5: TEST #2

Mon 8: Spring Break

Wed 10: Spring Break

Fri 12: Spring Break

Mon 15: Alfred Lord Tennyson, "The Coming of Arthur" (Reader); "Guinevere" (Reader).

Wed 17: Alfred Lord Tennyson, "Guinevere" (cont.); "The Passing of Arthur" (Reader). FIRST SHORT ESSAY IS DUE.

Fri 19: Richard Wagner, Parsifal: Assignments based on the Internet Parsifal Homepage will be announced.

Mon 22: Richard Wagner, Parsifal: Assignments based on the Internet Parsifal Homepage will be announced; Quiz.

Wed 24: T.H. White, The Sword in the Stone, chapters 1-9, pp. 9-92.

Fri 26: T.H. White, The Sword in the Stone, chapters 10-20, pp.93-182.

Mon 29: T.H. White, The Sword in the Stone, chapters 21-24, pp. 182-209; Excerpts from The Ill-Made Knight.

Wed 31: T.H. White, The Candle in the Wind, chapters 1-8, pp.517-587.

April

Fri 2: T.H. White, The Candle in the Wind, chapters 9-14, pp.587-639.

Mon 5: TEST #3

Wed 7: Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon (Morgaine speaks: prologue, ix-xi; Igraine and her family ties: chapter 1, pp.3-15; the match with Uther, chapter 2, pp.15-23; Uther and Igraine are joined: chapter 8, pp.97-112).

Fri 9: Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon (Morgaine, Galahad [Lancelet], and Gwenhwyfar meet: chapter 12, pp.138-159; the death of Uther and initiation of Arthur: chapters 13-15, pp.160-181; the making of Excalibur: chapter 18, pp.196-207; Morgaine leaves Avalon: chapter 20, pp. 222-231; Part II: motivating the "dolorous stroke": chapter 9, pp. 337-353.

Mon 12: Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon (Arthur, Lancelet and Gwenhwyfar as you've never seen them: chapter 17, pp.438-449; Part III: the killing of the Lady of the Lake: chapter 3, pp.485-506; Meleagrant abducts Gwenhwyfar, pp.506-519; Quiz.

Wed 14: Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon (Lancelet and Elaine: chapters 5-6, pp.520-543; Morgaine and Arthur's dark secret: chapter 7, pp.544-555; Morgaine accuses Arthur: chapter 6, pp.712- 721; the dispute continues: chapter 7, pp.721-728; Accolon versus Arthur: chapter 8, pp.728-759; the Grail: chapter 9, pp.759-774).

Fri 16: Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon (the end of Merlin: chapter 11, pp.784-802; the quest for the Grail: 802-815.) Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon (The death of Arthur: chapter 15/Epilogue: pp.842-876).

Mon 19: Review; student adventures.

Wed 21: Review; student adventures.

FINAL EXAM: April 27, 10:00-12:00 AM. LONG ESSAY OR SECOND SHORT ESSAY IS DUE.

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THIS SYLLABUS IS PROVISORY AND MAY BE CHANGED IF DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE INSTRUCTOR!!