Humour in Medieval English Literature - AAA132021
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OBJECTIVES
In the course, we will read and discuss our perceptions of humour in a wide selection of medieval English texts, ranging from widely acclaimed representatives of recognized comic genres, such as the Old English riddles or Chaucer’s fabliaux, to passages from ostensibly serious genres such as the epic or the saint’s life, whose comic potential will undoubtedly be subject to debate. The analysis will draw on the major theories of humour, allowing us to consider the various functions of humour in medieval discourse, from pure entertainment through expression of moral stance to various social and/or cultural power-plays, thus offering students a deeper insight into medieval culture in general. MATERIAL A selection of texts in original and translation for each seminar session will be made available in the Moodle. Basic secondary reading: Carroll, Noel. Humour: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014. Further reading: Bakhtin, Mikhail. Rabelais and His World. Translated by Hélene Iswolsky. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1984. Classen, Albrecht. “Laughter as an Expression of Human Nature in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period: Literary, Historical, Theological, Philosophical, and Psychological Reflections. Also an Introduction” in Classen, Albrecht, ed. Laughter in the Middle Ages and early modern times : epistemology of a fundamental human behavior, its meaning, and consequences. New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2010. Kendrick, Laura. Chaucerian Play: Comedy and Control in the Canterbury Tales. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988. Raskin, Victor, ed. The Primer of Humor Research. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 2008. Wilcox, Jonathan. Humour in Old English Literature. Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press, 2023 PROCEDURE The seminar will combine Moodle forum with class sessions. The forum is designed to serve as a springboard for class discussion. Students should post their immediate reactions to the session reading, suggesting questions for debate and points of interest, in the scope of 100 words. The class session will develop these suggestions, allowing all participants to interrogate, compare and combine their individual insights and conclusions. Further details will be discussed during the first introductory session. ASSESSMENT Active participation is of the essence (Moodle forum discussion – contributions in at least 6 sessions required; class meetings – the general allowance of 3 absences applies). In addition, students submit two brief papers of 500 words each, representing a sustained analysis of a text/passage of their choice. Poslední úprava: Znojemská Helena, Mgr., Ph.D. (05.02.2026)
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