Where do monsters come from? How is the monstrous integrated into our visual and verbal culture? Why is medieval Europe a source of so many of our monsters? What do monsters tell us about our fears and desires, our cultures and institutions, and how are we to respond to them? Take two or all three of these courses to earn a badge in the political, cultural, and personal lessons of the human monstrosity.
ENGL510: The hero, the king, and the outlaw: from Beowulf to King Arthur to Robin Hood, medieval stories of archetypal figures have been the source for imaginative writing and film-making, leading to works such as The Hunger Games, The Vikings, Merlin, Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, The Green Knight, and numerous video games. This course examines the origins of these legends and how they have been renewed in modern cinema and long-form television series. Humanities & Arts course. Counts in the Medieval Studies Minor.
PLSC351: Survey of the history of Western political thought from the Ancient Greeks through the Middle Ages
ARTH382: This course investigates the visual culture of medieval monsters and the monstrous. Dragons, unicorns, sea monsters, cynocephali, sciapods, demons, aliens, terrors, and other wonders will be considered in their social, political, and religious contexts. We will examine how monsters participated in constructs of cultural identity, gender, race, class, and ethnicity in medieval Europe and explore what images of monsters can reveal about fears of the “other,” shifting social hierarchies, warfare, disease, death, and other anxieties. In lieu of exams, students will imagine and create their own medieval monsters related to course topics.
Choose two courses from the list below to earn the microcredential.
| Course | Credits | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| ARTH 382 - Medieval Monsters | 3 | Summer Session C: June 9 - July 9, 2025 |
| ENGL 510 - Medieval Literature and Film:The Hero, the King, and the Outlaw | 3 | Summer Session C: June 9 - July 9, 2025 |
| PLSC 351 - Ancient and Medieval Political Thought | 3 | Summer Session A: May 19 - June 6, 2025 |
