EN2MLR: Myth, Legend and Romance: Medieval Storytelling

Module code: EN2MLR

Module provider: English Literature; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Mary Morrissey, email: m.e.morrissey@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Aisling Byrne, email: a.byrne@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): Before taking this module, you must have at least 40 credits of EN-coded modules at Part 1 (except for visiting students). (Open)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

On this module, we will explore storytelling in medieval England. We will take in fantastical tales of ancient heroes, drama that blends comedy and religious devotion and works that use magic and supernatural beings to explore key themes. The priorities of medieval authors and readers and not always the same as ours. We will examine the (often-surprising) ways in which narrative structure, character development and language are used in stories written in a very different culture to our own. We will read some of the earliest tales in the English language. In mythological works, heroes fight dragons and swamp-dwelling monsters. Bards tells stories-within-stories to fill out a tapestry of tales from ancient northern Europe. Protagonists in medieval stories often come in unexpected forms. At one end of the spectrum, some works place female characters in a central role and present them as great leaders and courageous heroes. At the other end of the spectrum, medieval drama can take figures for the Bible and surround them with slapstick comedy and farce.  Finally, medieval storytelling is deeply interested in magic and the supernatural. Romances from this period use fantasy and fairy-tale elements to draw out important themes like gender, love and loyalty. All texts studied on this module will be made available in modern translation and no previous study of medieval culture or language is required.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate broad, deep, and coherent knowledge of English literature in its principal modes and genres: across poetry, prose, and drama; covering a range of historical periods; and comprehending the regional variety and global reach of the English language
2. Apply discipline-specific practices of close reading, interpretative analysis and critical argument
3. Distinguish and evaluate different research methods, themes, and theoretical debates in current literary studies              
4. Discuss and appraise published research, or equivalent advanced scholarship, within the field of English literature

Module content

Among the works we may explore are the Old English epic, Beowulf, which tells the story of a monster-slaying hero. Judith adapts a biblical story where a young woman goes undercover behind enemy lines and saves her people. The Second Shepherd’s Play is a nativity play like no other, offering a comic backstory for the shepherds who came to visit the infant Christ. Romances may include the Lays of Marie de France and Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Franklin’s Tale – these works use magic and fantasy to tell their stories.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The two hours of contact time each week will be split evenly between a lecture and a seminar. A large body of online learning materials will be made available for personal study, including videos, podcasts recordings, and other web resources. Lectures and online materials aim to build a picture of the medieval world and its cultural norms and values for students who have had little previous exposure to this period of literary history. No knowledge of medieval English is required, and texts will be made available in modern translation. 

Study hours

At least 22 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Essay (1,500 words)

Reassessment

Additional costs