Each week, at the end of class, I will introduce the reading for the following week, usually consisting of a journal article or a chapter in a book. In addition, there may also be a cultural text such as a film, novel or poetry. Students will be asked to read these texts closely, in preparation for an in-class test.

For example, at the end of Week 1, I will talk about the themes and reading for the following week. Students will then go away and study those texts. At the beginning of class in Week 2, I will hold a paper-based multiple-choice test on the readings. These questions will not be designed to test your interpretation or critical understanding of those texts. Rather, I will be testing for basic comprehension and evidence that the reading has been done. 

The final mark for these tests will be averaged over the semester. I understand that due to illness, students may need to miss class on occasions. With that in mind, I will exclude the two tests from the final average that receive the lowest marks. This means that should you miss class, and not be able to do the test, the 0% result would not factor in the final calculation. Should students need to miss more than two classes due to ill-health, I would ask that they speak to me about the situation.

Each student should write a biography of a medieval figure whose fame extends into the Middle Ages. This biography should not just cover their actual life, but their afterlives in culture. Some possible figures might be, Robin Hood, Joan of Arc, Eleanor of Aquitaine, King John, Richard the Lionheart, Saladin, Charlemagne, Abelard, Heloise, Thomas Aquinas, William the Conqueror, William Wallace Hildegard of Bingen, Simon de Montfort, Marco Polo, El Cid, King Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, Morgan Le Fay, Merlin, St. Patrick, Francis of Assisi..

In this essay, you are asked to provide both an account of the actual life of your figure (as far as we know). The first part of your task is to explain their life in the context of major historical events at that time, to explain both how they emerged from medieval culture, and contributed to it. 

The second part of the essay is to discuss the cultural work performed by that figure within modernity. You might like to pick a particular case study to do this (such as a poem, film or painting). Your job is to describe and interpret the role that your figure plays as myth. For example, you might like to consider the use of Joan of Arc within right-wing French political campaigns, or compare the representations of Robin Hood in the various film renditions of his life.

In contrasting the 'real' biography of your figure with their status as a mythical figure from the past, I want to encourage you to think about the way that images of the Middle Ages are used ideologically to present a particular point of view about the present.

This essay should be footnoted.

In addition, you will be expected to present your findings to the class in Week 11 or 12, in a three-minute thesis format. 

For information on the 3 minute thesis format, see this http://students.mq.edu.au/opportunities/3_minute_thesis/

At the end of the unit you will be assessed with a test designed to assess your understanding of the unit as a whole. There will be one question, and you will be expected to write approximately 1500 words in response. 

You can choose whether you take the test in-class during Week 13. This test will be under exam conditions, closed book, and will take approximately 90 minutes.

Or, you can take the test as a take-home, emailing it to me 24 hours after your class-time in Week 13. You can do the test under open book conditions. The answer should be footnoted. 

There will be different assessment rubrics for the in-class and the take-home test, which will be distributed and discussed during the semester.