Syllabus Fall 2004

Aug 24 When Heroes Ruled: Chivalry from Palisades to Pageantry

Aug 31 History and Archaeology: Arthur’s Shadowed Past

READING: * Gildas, *Bede, *Nennius, *”Annales Cambriae," *William of Malmesbury, *Gerald of Wales [in OLR]

MOVIES: A&E Camelot; In Search of History (47 Minutes)

[Sep 6] 3 P.M. in Theatre A, Hughes-Trigg

MOVIE: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Sep 7 Rituals of Knightly Life: Falconry, Jousting, Hunting

Falconry Exhibition, front of Dallas Hall

MOVIES: Ladyhawke IVS 00353 (121 min.)

Sep 14 Choosing Chivalric Pasts: (W)holistic Chivalry

READING: T.H. White, The Once and Future King

MOVIES: Disney’s Sword in the Stone

Sep 21 Lancelot’s Desires

READING: Chrétien de Troyes, Lancelot, or The Knight of the Cart

MOVIES: Bresson’s Lancelot du Lac IVS 05318 (80 min)

Sep 28 Joys of the Court: Knights and Romance in the Middle Ages

READING: Chrétien de Troyes, Erec and Enide

MOVIES: First Knight IVS 05400 (134 min)

Oct 5 Chivalric Games

READING: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

MOVIES: Gawain and the Green Knight IVS 04054 (73 min)

Oct 19 Merlin and Magic

MOVIES: Excalibur IDD 00113 (140 min)

Oct 26 EXAM

Nov 2 The Story of the Grail

READING: *Bernard of Clairvaux, On Spiritual Chivalry [in OLR]

Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, Quest of the Sankgreal (pp. 496–587)

MOVIES: Fisher King IVS 04204 (137 min)

Nov 9 The Fall and Death of Arthur

READING: Malory’s Le Morte Darthur, The Dethe of Arthur (pp. 646-698)

MOVIES: Knightriders (147 min)

Nov 16 Crazy for Chivalry

READING: Cervantes, Don Quixote (1–470)

MOVIES: Man of La Mancha IVS 08001 (132 min)

PROJECT OR PAPER DUE BY 5 P.M.

Nov 23 Tennyson and the Wrenching Past

READING: Idylls of the King

*Rosenthal, Michael, "Recruiting for the Empire: Baden-Powell's Scout Law" [in OLR]

Nov 30 The Wretched Past

READING: Twain, Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

FINAL EXAMINATION Tuesday, Dec 7 from 6 P.M.–9 P.M. in McCord (306 Dallas Hall)

COURSE EXPECTATIONS

Attendance is required and readings must be finished by the time designated on the syllabus.

The components of the final grade are: term exam (25%); quizzes and useful class participation (10%); WWW Project, paper, or in-class debate (25%); final examination (40%). Quizzes will be given only if circumstances (you know what they are) require; there are no make-ups for missed quizzes. The option of WWW Project, paper, or in-class debate must be chosen by class #2; no changes may be made once the option is chosen.

Conduct: You already know these ordinary standards for classroom behavior. In this class, we apply them.

a. Absences: Attendance is required in this course. Any student who misses more than two classes for any reason will be automatically administratively dropped from the course. “Attendance” requires presence for the entirety of the class session from beginning to end; attendance will be monitored.

b. We share a learning environment. Behavior disruptive to learning—whispering conversations, reading e-mail, passing notes, reading newspapers, sleeping, snoring, or checking cell phones, etc.—will lead to a request that you leave the class. Offenders may be dropped from the course.

c. Arrive in class punctually, and remain in class until it is dismissed. And a word to the wise: zipping backpacks and preparing to leave before the lecture is completed really irritates the faculty, so don’t do it!

d. There will be a break during class. Please take advantage of restroom facilities then, or prior to or after class.

e. No food. No drink. These are forbidden in McCord Auditorium.

f. No listening or recording devices are allowed in this class.

g. As a courtesy to all, hats are not allowed to be worn in this class. If this makes you uncomfortable, drop the course now.

SMU Policy on Disability Accommodations: If you need academic accommodations, you must first contact Ms. Rebecca Marin, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities (214-768-4557) to verify the disability and establish eligibility for accommodations. Then you should schedule an appointment with the professor to make appropriate arrangements.

HolyDays: Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on days that require missing class should notify the instructor in writing at the beginning of the semester and should discuss in advance with the professor acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence.

Academic Dishonesty: It is the philosophy of SMU that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.