|
|
|
Henry VIII of England & François I of France
Professor Talarico: Office Hours for spring 2005: Mondays/Wednesdays
10:30-12 and by appointment. Office: 2S-109. Telephone: (718) 982-3701.
Email:
talarico@mail.csi.cuny.edu.
Home page for Professor Talarico:
http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/modlang/talarico/talarico.htm
Course Description:
The King of England, Henry VIII, and the King of France, François I. Two powerful men who lived, reigned, warred, and competed with each other during one of the most exciting and turbulent times in European history. They were born just a few years apart (Henry in 1491 and François in 1494) and they died in the same year: 1547. During their lifetime they witnessed, participated in, and caused some of the most dramatic changes in the world. Columbus sailed to America; Leonardo da Vinci was flourishing at the French courts; Copernicus was changing the traditional earth-centered view of the universe; Martin Luther was challenging hundreds of years of Church authority and ushering in the Protestant Reformation; new-fangled inventions like printing were changing the way information was being communicated. And in the middle of it all were the English and French kings: political and cultural rivals who represented the traditional rivalry and mutual dependence (that still exists today to a certain degree) between England and France. In 1989, for the ceremonies that marked the beginning of the work on the Tunnel under the English Channel to link England and France, large cardboard effigies of Henry and François stood, appropriately, among the 20th century dignitaries assembled.
With the biographies of these two great kings as our background, this seminar will examine the cultural explosion that was the early Renaissance in Europe--the "turning of the Middle Ages" into the Renaissance and the many areas that were affected during this period. We will examine the terms "Middle Ages" and "Renaissance," and look at the changes taking place in literature, science, art, religion, and daily life. Our readings of Thomas More, Erasmus, Machiavelli, Castiglione, Rabelais, and Marguerite de Navarre will enable students to branch out into different areas and explore research and discussion topics that interest them. We will also visit the Renaissance collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as the Cloisters.
Course
Requirements:
This course is a seminar. What that means for students is
that your active participation in discussion is required.
You are expectedto come to class having read the assigned texts and supplementary
materials ahead of time and you are to come to class with
your books. Literature cannot be discussed in a void, without
the presence of the text before us.
While the basic reading list is a short one, you will be expected to do readings of other materials and view videotapes and CD's outside of class to supplement your readings. Reports on the CD's and videos will be submitted. The dates for the four reports are indicated on the syllabus, below. You will also be required to sign up for Blackboard at http://classweb.csi.cuny.edu/index.html (specific address and information to be given on the first day of class). There will be a discussion board set up for questions, comments, remarks, etc., that cannot be covered in class. You will be expected to post regularly to the discussion board.
While the World Wide Web can be an excellent source for some types of information, it is not always reliable. One of the things you willbe working on as you do your readings and research is to find both good and bad internet sites that you will share with the class. You will see that on the syllabus of readings, there are some links that are already provided for you. They are part of the reading assignments and you need to look at them!
In addition to the readings, videos, CD's, and Blackboard, each student will do a research paper of at least 15 pages. Topics will be suggested at the beginning of the semester. Click on the Preliminary List to see some suggestions. Each student will become an "expert" in a certain area of early Renaissance culture and will present his/her findings to the rest of the group. All the College's rules and regulations governing cheating and plagiarism will be strictly enforced, so make sure that you are familiar with them. Your papers will be submitted to Turnitin.com before they are handed in for a final grade. You will receive more information about this at the beginning of the semester.
Many students have found the page Reading Tips to be helpful in dealing with large amounts of reading, numerous characters and plot developments, etc. It is strongly recommended that you look at this page and take the advice seriously! It may even help you improve your reading skills! One of the more important points to remember is that for each text you read, you are responsible for reading the Introduction and all notes as well.
Websites
for Help and Documentation About Writing, Spelling, and Research:
Your ability to express yourself clearly and precisely both in speaking and writing are not skills unique to this seminar. They are life skills and you should use every opportunity you have to practice and hone them. This means that all communication--both oral and written--should conform to the standard rules of usage. The General Announcement on our Discussion Board outlines some tips about spell checking and rereading your work. Below are listed some websites to help you over the course of the semester and should become an important section of your Bookmarks files!
For help with research, and for the term paper project,
there are several good sites that explain correct documentation rules
for history and humanities papers. You can (should!) also purchase the
very helpful Pocket Style Manual by Diana Hacker. The CSI Bookstore
has it in stock. Your papers should follow the MLA (Modern Language
Association) Style Sheet. The following websites discuss the rules
for citing both print and electronic sources that follow the MLA Style
Sheet:
Columbia
University Guide to Research Documentation
Diana Hacker's Research Documentation
For English Usage (and Common Spelling/Usage Errors):
Dictionary
References for Resources on Language and Writing
All these sites have links to other sites as well.
Grading:
Class discussion/discussion board/website research: 50%
Research Paper/video reports: 50%
A
Word About Attendance, Required Work and Other Grim Things:
Instructors are required by New York State law to keep an official record
of class attendance. Since much of your grade is based on your in-class
performance, any students absent in excess of 4 fifty-minute
sessions will be assigned a grade of either WU (if the student
disappears from the class) or an F (if there is work missing or performance
is poor), at the discretion of the instructor.
You are expected to be in class and prepared for the day's
work.
Absences can only lower your final grade. There are no extra rewards
for being present in class and there is no "extra credit" work
permitted.
Lateness will be calculated accordingly: two latenesses equal one
absence.
Failure to adhere to the above procedures will result in a grade of F.
Note on required work: Absence from class does NOT excuse you from any work that is due or exams given on the day of your return. This responsibility includes classes and work missed because of religious holidays, illness, late subway trains or buses, and Caribbean vacations. You should make sure that you have the phone number of at least one other student in the class so that you can find out what was missed. You will note as well that you have my office phone and e-mail addresses. There is no excuse for coming to class and saying that you didn't know what was due!
SYLLABUS & READING LIST:
Required Readings:
All books have been ordered from the CSI bookstore. The
translations and specific editions have been chosen carefully, so please
do not substitute other versions of the same title!
Scarisbrick, J.J. Henry VIII (University
of Calfornia Press) ISBN: 0-520-01130-9. This is the basic biography of
Henry VIII and one of the most "readable." It is currently out
of print, but may be available on the web. Xeroxes of crucial chapters
will be distributed. This text will serve as a background book to all
the other readings and is one which you should consult regularly.
Rabelais, François. Gargantua and Pantagruel. Trans. Burton Raffel ISBN: 0-393-30806-5
More, Thomas. Utopia. trans. Robert Adams (Norton Critical Edition) ISBN: 0393-96145-1
Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Bantam Classics ISBN: 0-553-21278-8
Erasmus, Desiderius. Praise of Folly. trans. Betty Radice. (Penguin Editions) ISBN: 0-14-044608-7
Marguerite de Navarre. The Heptameron. trans. P.A. Chilton. (Penguin Editions) ISBN: 0-14-044355-x
Castiglione, Baldesar. The Courtier. trans. George Bull
(Penguin) ISBN: 0-14-044192-1
Syllabus:
Note: The reading list below is an approximate one. I reserve the right to make changes as needed. Assignments-especially those for the Discussion Board, other than those already given, will be announced during the course of the semester.
The websites listed below were alive and well as of January 25, 2005. If you find dead links, missing sites, etc., please let me know. Sites are notorious for disappearing when you need them most!
| 1 | Jan. 31 |
Introduction to the course. Visit from John Iliff, BlackBoard coordinator, who will introduce you to the BlackBoard account for our class and to the procedures for using Turnitin.com. PDF Link to a Chronology
of the Lives of Henry VIII and François I Read the first two chapters and the last chapter of Scarisbrick's biography of Henry VIII. For some fun: Even modern advertisers use Henry VIII--this time, to sell jewelry: Windsor Jewels Consult this website for a discussion of The Idea of the Renaissance In addition to the video segment, Point of View, from the
series The Day the Universe Changed, consult the following
websites for a discussion of perspective in art and the importance
of the architect and writer Leon Battista Alberti: |
| 2 | Feb. 2 |
Thomas More: Utopia. Read as well the following letters:
Thomas More to Peter Giles (pp,. 109-112); and Erasmus to Ulrich
von Hutten (for a warm portrait of More by his friend Erasmus) pp.
125-135. Two very comprehensive sites for Renaissance/Early Modern history, literature, culture, art, etc. are: Tudor History and Luminarium. Go to both of these sites and explore them in detail. What sort of information did you find? Was it useful? What was of particular interest to you? Follow some of the links provided to other sites. What did you find on other sites? Were they helpful? Answer these questions on the Discussion Board and discuss your reactions with the other members of the class. React to what other members of the class are saying. If you say that something is "good," "interesting," "cool," "boring," etc., explain WHY. Don't just leave it at some vague description. See if you can find other interesting and useful sites for the Renaissance/Early Modern period on the net. Post the addresses and let's see if we can add to our collection of useful sites. The last day for posting your answers/reactions on the Discussion Board is February 14. |
| 3 | Feb. 7 |
Thomas More: Utopia Websites: Thomas More Society; |
| 4 | Feb. 9 | Thomas More: Utopia |
| 5 | Feb. 14 |
Thomas More: Utopia Last day for posting information on Tudor History and Luminarium websites. |
| 6 | Feb. 16 | Erasmus: In Praise of Folly |
| Feb. 21 | College Closed | |
| 7 | Feb. 23 |
Erasmus: In Praise of Folly Research topics with preliminary bibliography due. |
| 8 | Feb. 28 |
Erasmus: In Praise of Folly Video/CD written report #1 due |
| 9 | Mar. 2 | Erasmus: In Praise of Folly |
| 10 | Mar. 7 |
Machiavelli: The Prince Reading on the web: Machiavelli; Biography and "thoughts" |
| 11 | Mar. 9 | Machiavelli: The Prince |
| 12 | Mar. 14 | Machiavelli: The Prince |
| 13 | Mar. 16 |
Castiglione: The Courtier 10 minute oral report on the state of your research topic; printed bibliography to be distributed to other members of the seminar. |
| 14 | Mar. 21 |
Castiglione: The Courtier Reading on the web: Castiglione; The Courtier; the notion of sprezzatura |
| 15 | Mar. 23 |
Castiglione: The Courtier Video/CD report #2 due |
| Mar. 28 | College Closed: March 25 - March 29 | |
| 16 | Mar. 30 |
(Wednesday: Classes follow a Monday Schedule in CUNY-Land!) Rabelais: Gargantua, Pantagruel and the Tiers Livre |
| Apr. 1 | Last Day to Withdraw from Courses without special permission | |
| 17 | Apr. 4 |
Rabelais: Gargantua, Pantagruel and the Tiers Livre Video/CD report #3 due |
| 18 | Apr. 6 | Rabelais: Gargantua, Pantagruel and the Tiers Livre |
| 19 | Apr. 11 |
Rabelais: Gargantua, Pantagruel and the Tiers Livre
|
| 20 | Apr. 13 |
Rabelais: Gargantua, Pantagruel and the Tiers Livre Check out some of these sites. Some are reliable; others not. You
be the judge: Draft of research paper due. No outlines
accepted!
|
| 21 | Apr. 18 | Marguerite de Navarre: The Heptameron. You
should concentrate on the following stories and sections: Read the Prologues for each of the days. Day I: 2, 3, 5,9 Day 2: 11, 17 Day 3: 22, 29, 30 Day 4: 31, 33, 35 Day 5: 41, 43, 49 Day 6: 55, 56, 58 Day 7: 60, 65, 67 Day 8: 71, 72 University of Virginia information on Marguerite de Navarre on the web. |
| 22 | Apr. 20 | Marguerite de Navarre: The Heptameron |
| Spring Recess: April 23 - April 30 | ||
| 23 | May 2 |
Marguerite de Navarre: The Heptameron Video/CD Report #4 due |
| 24 | May 4 |
Marguerite de Navarre: The Heptameron Discussion of Marguerite will take place on the Discussion Board, with questions and reactions to post, since I won't be in class. |
| 25 | May 9 |
Marguerite de Navarre: The Heptameron Discussion of Marguerite will take place on the Discussion Board, with questions and reactions to post, since I won't be in class. |
| 26 | May 11 | Marguerite de Navarre: The Heptameron |
| 27 | May 16 | Marguerite de Navarre: The Heptameron |
| 28 | May 18 | Oral Reports: Presentation of your research papers |
| Extra | May 23 |
Oral Reports: Presentation of your papers.
Final versions of your term papers due (with original drafts) Your papers will need to be checked through Turnitin.com before handing them in. |
Websites related to other themes, writers, artists, etc. from the time of Henry and François:
--Try out your French at this site devoted to the Renaissance Française.