- to introduce students to major works of medieval European
literature, with an emphasis on national epics and chivalric 
romance and the relevance of the texts under discussion to the 
contemporary world; 
- to situate those works within the social, cultural, 
historical, political, and intellectual contexts that inform 
them; 
- to delineate the primary characteristics of medieval 
European civilization; 
- to enhance students' critical skills through the exegesis of
individual literary works; 
- to improve students' communication skills through oral
presentations and expository writing assignments. 

Students' performances will be assessed through presentations,
tests, papers, and a final examination.

The course is organized around readings of major works of
medieval European literature, with the specific works studied 
varying with the individual instructor. Special emphasis will 
be placed on the relevance of these texts to the contemporary 
world. The topics examined are specific to the works under
analysis, with recurrent themes including: allegory and 
textual exegesis; romance and the chivalric code; Latin 
and the development of national languages as vehicles for
literary expression; the church and education; feudalism and 
social hierarchy; gender, literacy, and literature. The 
following is a sample syllabus of readings for a single 
semester:

Beowulf
The Song of Roland
Marie de France.  Lais
Thomas of Britain. Tristan
de Lorris and de Meung.  The Romance of the Rose
Chretien de Troyes.  Lancelot
Chaucer.  The Canterbury Tales 
Dante.  The Divine Comedy

Students are required to abide by the University of Georgia academic honesty policy.