Theorizing the Monstrous in Early English Literature

Monsters abound in early English literature. Dragons, mermaids, ogres, demons, and other fusions of the natural and the supernatural haunt narrative poetry and drama, in particular, revealing the fears and anxieties of those who imagined them. From Grendel to Caliban, characters deemed to be monstrous have much to teach us about the boundaries that separate the human from the non-human. In this course we will read and discuss a variety of literary works originally written in Old English, Middle English, and early modern English (some in translation), along with readings in recent literary and cultural theory, to decipher and interpret the many meanings of the monstrous. (ENGL 0103 and ENGL 0205)