EN 821 Violence in Medieval Literature (Spring: 3)

Does violence destroy human relationships, or does it help to create them? In this course, we'll investigate both socially constructive and destructive aspects of violence in the Middle Ages, as represented in imaginative writings ranging from cannibalistic Crusader epics to comic tales of domestic mayhem, from Arthurian romance to meditations on Christ's Passion. In exploring the social value of violence as well as its harm, we'll better understand why violence was central to medieval society and what viable alternatives literature proposed — issues still relevant to the critique of violence today. Medieval readings accompanied by modern theorizations of violence.
Julie Orlemanski

Last Updated: 29-JAN-13