Romance is one of the most important genres of Middle English poetry. Usually set against a historical or legendary background, it contains several typical elements, ranging from fairytale-like to courtly. In this Hauptseminar we will read selections from a number of texts from various sub-genres, for example, Sir Orfeo, a reworking of a story from ancient Greece, and The Weddyinge of Sir Gawen and Dame Ragnell, a story taking place at the court of the legendary King Arthur. These in addition to other texts will be discussed in relation to their linguistic and cultural background as well as other European romances in order to ascertain their position within Middle English literature.
The texts for this course are found under Dateien in Stud IP.
Most texts are also edited in S. H. A. Shepherd, ed., Middle English Romances (New York, 1995).
Please visit the following links to get a further impression of the course:
