Whether they're werewolves, giants, trolls, ghosts, shapeshifters, dragons, fairies, djinn, or hybrids, monsters raise questions about self, other, and identity. Now, and in the past, monsters have forced people to confront social taboos, provided a way to explore anxieties and fears, and tested the limits of individuals and communities empathy. Medieval monsters in particular raise questions about what it means to be a human, to be inhuman, or to be beyond humanity; and also what it means to be an individual, to be Othered, and to be part of a community. These are questions cultures still strive to answer today, and still use the idea of monsters to wrestle with. In this class, we'll think through issues present and past using an array of monstrous texts, including Arthurian romances, playful poems, bestiaries, epics like Beowulf, and medieval texts from Ireland, Iceland, and the Arab World. Fulfills pre-1700.
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