ENG 321: Backgrounds of Western Literature
Spring 2025
TR 1:30–2:45
Kuykendall 213
Instructor: John David Zuern
Objectives
In this course we will read a range of ancient and medieval texts to get acquainted with some of the genres, myths, themes, and characters that influenced Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton and a host of other authors from the Middle Ages to the present day. The course will address the social, historical, religious, and technological issues that are crucial for understanding the various roles writing, reading, and (mis)interpretation have played in the development of literature and the scholarly discipline of literary studies. The reading assignments will include The Epic of Gilgamesh (one of the earliest works of imaginative literature on record), selections from the Hebrew Bible; Homer’s The Odyssey; Sophocles’ Oedipus the King; Aristophanes’s Lysistrata; selections from Virgil’s Aeneid; poetry by Archilochus, Sappho, Catullus, and Ovid; selections from the Christian Bible; and Beowulf. We will wrap up with an exploration of the sources of the Medieval romance and the King Arthur legend, reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The course will give you a basic introduction to some central problems in literary research: establishing the text, relating the text to its historical context, dealing with translations, and discerning the strengths and limitations of our interpretive methodologies.
This class carries the Oral Communication (O) Focus Designation. Fifty percent (50%) of your grade will be based on your performance as a speaker and respondent in oral presentations in various formats. Prior to all of your oral communication assignments, I will provide training in effective public speaking in academic contexts, which will include advice on preparing and rehearsing for these assignments as well as pointers for creating successful visual supplements to your presentation
Required Texts
Aristophanes. Lysistrata. Translated by Douglass Parker. Signet Classics, 2009.
ISBN: 978-0451531247
Beowulf. Translated by Seamus Heaney. Norton, 2001.
ISBN: 978-0393320978
Gilgamesh: A New English Version. Translated by Stephen Mitchell. Atria Books, 2006.
ISBN: 978-0743261692
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Emily Wilson. Norton, 2018.
ISBN: 978-0393356250
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Translated by James Winny. Broadview, 1992.
ISBN: 978-0921149927
Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Translated by Robert Bagg. Harper Perennial, 2012.
ISBN: 978-0062132086
All other readings will be provided for you as downloadable files in the Resources section of our Laulima site.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course you should be able to
- identify major authors and literary works from the ancient world and medieval Europe
- situate ancient texts in their historical and social contexts, accounting for formal, stylistic, thematic, and other relevant features in relation to these contexts
- identify key events in ancient history and the history of medieval Europe
- recognize key genres, myths, motifs, and characters Western literature has inherited from the ancient world and medieval Europe
- identify and accurately employ basic concepts in literary theory
- write clear, coherent interpretive responses to literary texts
- conduct oral presentations that effectively convey information and arguments to your audience
- carry on respectful discussions with peers in formal academic contexts
Assignments
Your grade will be based on your performance in the following assignments:
One 5-Minute Roundtable Presentation
One Instructional PechaKucha Presentation (10 slides, 30 seconds each)
One 7-Minute Conference Presentation
I will provide detailed guidelines and evaluation rubrics for each of these assignments.
One Midterm and One Final Examination