Christian History, Literature

Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde as Christian Epic

Taught by Dr. Anthony Cirilla
Difficulty: Introductory
Crosslist: Christian History
Runs 7/1 – 8/24/24
$225.00 – $399.00

In this course, students will encounter Chaucer’s authentically religious side instead of the frequently sarcastic read he is typically given in his greatest literary achievement, Troilus and Criseyde. We will also read some of Chaucer’s shorter works in order to contextualize his thoughts, such as The House of Fame.

Deadline to register: Friday, June 22nd

 

 

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

Auditing ($225):

participate in readings and live class sessions, but no graded assignments and no course credit

Full course (Full-Time Discount) ($275):

for-credit courses (at least four per term) toward our Certificate or M.Litt in Classical Protestantism

Full course ($399):

individual classes on a for-credit basis; you can later apply them toward a Certificate or Degree

 

ENROLL NOW

Description

This Literature/Christian History course will be taught by Dr. Anthony Cirilla, and will run from July 1st through August 24th. The syllabus is available here.

Highly esteemed by Tolkien and Lewis, Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde has sometimes been argued to be a greater masterpiece than his unfinished though more ambitious Canterbury Tales. A tragic romance, Troilus and Criseyde tells the story of a prince doomed in love in a narrative steeped in medieval philosophy and chivalric poetry. CS Lewis argued that Chaucer wrote it to correct his source, Boccaccio, and Tolkien claimed it was the one example of courtly love excellent enough to stand up to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

The goal of this course will be to exhibit Chaucer’s authentically religious side instead of the frequently sarcastic read he often receives, highlighting the power of Troilus and Criseyde as a Christian epic to speak to the pain of loss and the meaning of prayer. We will also read some of Chaucer’s shorter works in order to contextualize his thoughts, such as The House of Fame.

Dr. Anthony G. Cirilla is an Associate Professor of English at College of the Ozarks. He is also associate editor of Carmina Philosophiae, the journal of the International Boethius Society. Originally from Western New York, he lives in Missouri with his wife, Camarie, who writes poetry and fairy tales. Anthony serves as an assistant priest in the United Episcopal Church of North America.

Details

Online only, runs 8 weeks, meeting 2.5hr/wk. via Zoom. Students will also have the option to participate in class discussion in the Davenant Common Room Discord server. Register now to reserve your spot. The course will proceed contingent on sufficient enrollment; on rare occasions, a class has to be cancelled due to insufficient interest. Once the registration period closes, the class meeting time will be set on the basis of a poll of availability from registrants. In case of cancellation or scheduling conflicts, students will be eligible for a refund or a transfer to another course.

This is a graduate-level course. Although a BA is not a necessary pre-requisite for this course, students should come prepared to do graduate-level work.