British Literature and Culture: The Poetics of Entertainment (I) (Pre-1800)

"Entertain" now means "amuse" or "divert," but long ago it could mean, more seriously, "hold together" in community. We will explore poetic "entertainment" as it evolved in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Recurring themes will include hospitality, gift-exchange, love, marriage, festival, politics, and friendship, all involving gender, class, and nationality. Our topic will also entail exploring what has made works canonical and the contribution of the canon to our own sense of community. Texts may include Beowulf, Gawain and the Green Knight, mystery and morality plays, and works by Marie de France, Chretien, Chaucer, Wyatt, Spenser, Shakespeare, and Milton. 3 hrs. lect.