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Medieval English Literature Exam

The document provides instructions for a Medieval English Literature exam, asking students to choose three of seven essay prompts to answer comprehensively. The prompts cover a range of topics related to Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, including analysis of class issues, gender portrayal, and specific motifs or themes in individual tales. Other prompts address whether the Tales constitute "estates satire," the spiritual beliefs of Julian of Norwich, comparing Beowulf and Sir Gawain as cultural ideals, and discussing different scholarly approaches to researching Chaucer.

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Jason DiGiulio
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180 views

Medieval English Literature Exam

The document provides instructions for a Medieval English Literature exam, asking students to choose three of seven essay prompts to answer comprehensively. The prompts cover a range of topics related to Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, including analysis of class issues, gender portrayal, and specific motifs or themes in individual tales. Other prompts address whether the Tales constitute "estates satire," the spiritual beliefs of Julian of Norwich, comparing Beowulf and Sir Gawain as cultural ideals, and discussing different scholarly approaches to researching Chaucer.

Uploaded by

Jason DiGiulio
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Medieval English Literature Exam

Develop and deliver a comprehensive answer to three of the following:

1. Through a comparison of two or more examples in the Canterbury Tales, discuss


Chaucer's presentation of issues pertaining to class, status, and wealth.

2. Through a comparison of three or more examples in the Canterbury Tales, discuss


Chaucer's interest in and portrayal of female characters or of gender issues more
generally.

3. Examine in detail a motif, theme, image pattern, etc. that plays a dominant role in one of
the tales and explain how it functions within that tale (for example, astrological ideas in
the Knight's Tale, courtly love in the Knight's Tale, antifeminism in the Nun's Priest's
Tale, the use of learning in The Miller's Tale or The Wife of Bath's Prologue)

4. Some critics have termed the Canterbury Tales as “estates satire.” Defend that position.

5. Examine and discuss the fundamental spiritual beliefs of the mystic Julian of Norwich.

6. Given their nearly 400 year difference in historical context, compare the qualities of
Beowulf and those of Sir Gawain as representative ideals in their cultures.

7. Discuss the theoretical foundation and approach to Chaucer research performed by


Loomis and Christopher Cannon’s issues with her approach, as evidenced by Chaucer
and the Auchinleck Manuscript Revisited.

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