Medieval Literature: Dante, Boccaccio, Chaucer
This MIT OpenCourseWare course examines the major works of Dante, Boccaccio, and Chaucer within their literary and historical contexts. Readings cover the entire Divine Comedy, extensive selections from the Decameron, and all of Troilus and Criseyde in the original Middle English, alongside samples from the Troubadour tradition and the dolce stil nuovo. Discussion topics include the rise of vernacular writing, love as a form of self-discipline, the individual's political and social aspirations, ideal models of social organization, and the place of religion in the work of lay authors. The course traces how these three writers shaped the direction of Western literature for centuries afterward. Materials include the syllabus, reading assignments, and lecture notes as published by MIT OpenCourseWare, free to access with no certificate offered.