"I hear it said that you are a very wicked woman": Reading The Book of Margery Kempe
Mittwoch, 03.12.2025
This course will explore one of the most intriguing and memorable works of medieval literature: The Book of Margery Kempe. A record of a middle-class woman’s life – sometimes thought of as the first autobiography in English – The Book of Margery Kempe offers a strong sense of its author-protagonist’s personality. We will read the entire book together over the semester, from Margery being accused of heresy to her fits of weeping; her travels from England to Jerusalem and more widely in Europe; and her adventures in brewing, her sexual temptations, and her intimate relationship with Jesus. We will also explore critical perspectives and the literary afterlives of the Book in medievalist fiction, alongside focusing on seminar paper skills. Required Reading: Please purchase a copy of Anthony Bale’s translation of The Book of Margery Kempe into modern English (Oxford World Classics series, 2015). We will read the book in modern English to ensure understanding, but will also work with the online Middle English Texts Series edition, which you will be expected to use for your final assignments. A tip: buying the Bale edition from Blackwell’s, an English bookshop with free international delivery, may be a cheaper option. If you already have a different edition or if buying the edition poses a problem, please email me to discuss. The other set texts (criticism and medievalist works) will be uploaded to ILIAS. The specific reading and questions to think about before the first seminar will be uploaded to ILIAS over the summer: please make sure you have completed this reading before the first session. Content warning: The Book of Margery Kempe contains very brief references to suicidal thoughts, self-harm, marital rape and fear of sexual assault, as well as portraying mental illness and distress.
| Veranstaltungsart: | Vorlesung/Seminar |
|---|---|
| Dozierende(r): | Dr. Hannah Elizabeth Piercy |
| 03.12.2025: | 10:15 - 12:00 |
| Ort: |
Unitobler Lerchenweg 36 3012 Bern 1. UG, F-123 |
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