This course will examine major literary works of Western medieval romance, will consider the medieval concept of romance as it is embedded in notions of chivalry, adventure, philosophy, class, as well as a feudal economic and political system, and will discuss how these works are direct sources of modern-day romance in the United States. Works will be compared with each other and will be read in the contexts of both their own times and the present.

Capellanus, Andreas. The Art of Courtly Love. New York: Columbia University Press, 1990.

Chaucer, Geoffrey. Troilus and Criseyde. Tr. Barry Windeatt. New York: Oxford UP, 1998.

Chrétien de Troyes. Ywain: The Knight of the Lion (Yvain, Le Chevalier au Lion). Waveland Press, 1992.

De Lorris, Guillaume, and Jean De Meun. The Romance of the Rose. Trans. Frances Horgan. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Kimmelman, Burt. Compiler. Lyrics of the troubadours, trouvères, dolce stil novisti, and minnesänger (bound photocopies to be purchased at Affordable Copies, 49 Halsey Street, Newark).

Marie de France. The Lais of Marie De France. Trans. Glyn S. Burgess, and Keith Busby. New York: Penguin, 1999.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Tr. Marie Borroff. New York: W. W. Norton, 1967.

Online Literary Resources
 
 

* Midterm and Final examinations, comprehensive, essay in format.
* Four papers, the first of one thousand words, which discusses the nature of medieval courtly love in relation to free will and/or fate as understood in the Middle Ages; the second of about three hundred words, which will take the form of a term paper announcement (see below^) consisting of a Working Title, Thesis Statement, one-paragraph Description of your future paper’s Writing Strategy, and a Bibliography of at least three secondary sources one of which must be a hard-copy source; the third of fifteen hundred words, which will take the form of a prospectus (see below^^) for a larger writing project, consisting of an Introduction including a thesis statement, a Summary of Argument in the form of an essay, Section Descriptions of writing strategy, a Conclusion, and a Bibliography; and the fourth of at least three thousand words, which will be a researched, fully-documented, original and critical, discursive and otherwise argumentative essay that must include at least some detailed literary analysis (see below^^^).  The topic for the second, third and fourth papers is open (although the topic must have something to do with medieval romance) but must be approved ahead of time by the instructor.
* Oral reports, two of them, one to be an analysis of an assigned reading, a second to be a discussion of the end of term paper (see below).
* All papers  must be word processed, double-spaced with one inch margins, spell-checked, and to the best of one's ability grammar-checked.  If on occasion use is made of the ideas or words of someone else in one's writing, then the source(s) of those ideas and/or words must be cited; that is, when appropriate, papers must be fully documented (you must cite sources--using footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical documentation, which include specific page numbers keyed to particular passages in your text, and complete bibliographical information).  PAPERS NOT MEETING ALL OF THESE REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT BE READ AND WILL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT.
 
N.B. Failure to pass both exams will result in failure for the course. Failure to sit for both exams will result in all other course submissions being disqualified.

^Term Paper Announcement:
Consists of 1) a descriptive paper title, 2) a one-sentence thesis statement that includes the point of your argument, the breadth of that argument, and the argument’s significant concepts and details, 3) a one-paragraph description of the writing strategy to be employed in your paper, 4) a bibliography in MLA format and alphabetized. For the purposes of this assignment, use must be made of at least three secondary research sources excluding textbooks, encyclopedias and dictionaries.
^^Term Paper Prospectus:
Consists of 1) a descriptive paper title, 2) a one-sentence thesis statement that includes the point of your argument, the breadth of that argument, and the argument’s significant concepts and details, 3) an abstract—that is, a one-paragraph summary of your term paper as you think it will turn out to be, 4) a précis—that is, a small version of the essay you are projecting for your term paper, about one fourth of the final length, 5) paragraph-length descriptions of the writing strategy involved in each section of the essay you are projecting for your term paper, 6) a bibliography in MLA format and alphabetized. For the purposes of this assignment, use must be made of at least three secondary research sources excluding textbooks, encyclopedias and dictionaries.
^^^Term Paper:
Consists of: 1) a descriptive paper title, 2) a full-length essay, 3) a bibliography in MLA format and alphabetized. For the purposes of this assignment, use must be made of at least three secondary research sources excluding textbooks, encyclopedias and dictionaries.

1: Introduction to the course.
2: Background readings on the Middle Ages (Online Literary Resources); The Art of Courtly Love  Introduction and
     pp. 27-36, 68-83, 107-41, 151-212.
3: Lyrics of the Trouvères, Minnesänger, and Dolce Stil Novisti, all pp.
4: Ywain, all pp.First Paper due.
5: The Lais of Marie De France, pp. 44-85. Term Paper Announcment due.
6:   The Lais of Marie De France, pp. 86-126.
7: MIDTERM EXAMINATION.
8: The Romance of the Rose, pp. 3-58 (ll. 1-3815), pp. 134-38 (ll. 8697-8963).
9:   The Romance of the Rose, pp. 259-335 (ll. 16707-21780). Prospectus due.
10. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (all pages).
11: Troilus and Criseyde, Books 1-2.
12: Troilus and Criseyde, Books 3-5.
13: Course review.
14:   Oral progress report on end-of-term research project due. Oral Reports on term papers.
15:   FINAL EXAMINATION.  Term research paper due.

Oral Reports, 10%
Term Paper Announcement, 5%
First Paper, 10%
Prospectus, 15%
End of Term Paper, 20%
Midterm Examination, 10%
Final Examination, 30%

It is STRONGLY recommended that research begin with the MLA Bibliography (locally to be found at the Rutgers-Newark library).

Term Paper Announcement:
Consists of 1) a descriptive paper title, 2) a one-sentence thesis statement that includes the point of your argument, the breadth of that argument, and the argument’s significant concepts and details, 3) a one-paragraph description of the writing strategy to be employed in your paper, 4) a bibliography in MLA format and alphabetized. For the purposes of this assignment, use must be made of at least three secondary research sources (including at least one non-Internet source) excluding textbooks, encyclopedias and dictionaries.

Term Paper Prospectus:
Consists of 1) a descriptive paper title, 2) a one-sentence thesis statement that includes the point of your argument, the breadth of that argument, and the argument’s significant concepts and details, 3) an abstract—that is, a one-paragraph summary of your term paper as you think it will turn out to be, 4) a a précis—that is, a small version of the essay you are projecting for your term paper, about one fourth of the final length, and fully documented, 5) paragraph-length descriptions of the writing strategy involved in each section of the essay you are projecting for your term paper, 6) a bibliography in MLA format and alphabetized. For the purposes of this assignment, use must be made of at least three secondary research sources (including at least one non-Internet source) excluding textbooks, encyclopedias and dictionaries.

Term Paper:
Consists of: 1) a descriptive paper title, 2) a full-length, fully documented essay, 3) a bibliography in MLA format and alphabetized. For the purposes of this assignment, use must be made of at least three secondary research sources (including at least one non-Internet source) excluding textbooks, encyclopedias and dictionaries.