English 204:
Syllabus & Texts, Fall 1999

Text:  The Longman Anthology of British Literature, Volume I.

    Note:  Always read the introductions to each piece/author and section.

Sept. 27    Course introduction; Anglo-Saxon introduction
Sept. 29    "Dream of the Rood" (120), "The Wanderer" (143), "The Wife's Lament" (148); Bede, Asser, Alfred (124-35)
Oct. 1        Beowulf, to p. 51

Oct. 4         Beowulf to p. 75
6                 Beowulf, finish
8                 Geoffrey & Gerald (152-67); Marie de France (170)

11                Sir Gawain & the GK, Parts 1 & 2 (185)
13                Sir Gawain & the GK, Parts 3 & 4
15                Malory (242)

18                Chaucer, General Prologue (293)
20                Chaucer, Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale (329)
22                Chaucer, Pardoner's Prologue and Tale (357)

25                 Chaucer, Parson's Tale & Retraction (387)
27                 Mandeville (492) and Kempe (500)
29                 Middle English lyric (selections TBA)  **PAPER DUE  

Nov. 1        MIDTERM
3                 Spenser, Fairie Queen I, Cantos 1-4 (740)
5                 Spenser, FQ I, Cantos 5-8

8                 Spenser, FQ I, Cantos 9-12
10                More, Utopia Book I (636)
12                Shakespeare, Othello, Act I (1179) and contexts (1261-74)

15                 Othello, Acts 2 & 3
17                 Othello, Acts 4 & 5
19                 NO CLASS (work on paper)

22                 Renaissance lyric (selections TBA)    **PAPER DUE
24                 Renaissance lyric (selections TBA)

29                 Dekker & Middleton, The Roaring Girl (1355)
Dec. 1           17th-century lyric (selections TBA) & Perspectives (1596-1608)
3                    17th-century lyric (selections TBA)

Finals Week:  Friday, December 10th at 12:00 noon.  PLAN NOW TO STAY!!!!