ENGL 40236 - Beowulf and Heroic Legend

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

English

Description:

Beowulf is one of the oldest poems in English, the closest thing we have to a medieval English epic, a literary monument of extraordinary complexity, and a study in heroic behavior that evaluates and problematizes every aspect of the folklore, myth, and legend that it weaves into its narrative. The relationship between Beowulf and early medieval heroic legend will be front and center in this course, which will undertake a close reading of the poem set against several comparable exemplars of heroic behavior in neighboring medieval traditions, including the Old English Battle of Maldon, the Old High German Hildebrandslied, the Old Welsh Gododdin, the Latin Waltharius, the Old Irish Táin Bó Cúailnge, the Old French Chanson de Roland, and the Old Icelandic Hrólfs saga kraka (all in modern English translation). We'll look carefully at how heroic characters are represented and defined in these texts, and we'll consider the part played by feud, revenge, honor, loyalty, and social bonds and allegiances in constructing a heroic ethos. Weekly response papers, two essays, and a final exam.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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