Canterbury Tales Study Day - Thursday 21 November 2024
At a Glance
- Classroom course (South Kensington)
- Thursday 21 November 2024
- Day School 10:30 - 15:30
- Fee: £69 (single rate)
- Tutor: Dr Sarah James
Enrol-by Date
- 12 November 2024
Geoffrey Chaucer is often described as the father of English literature, and his Canterbury Tales is probably his best-known work. On this study day we join Dr Sarah James to explore the contexts within which Chaucer lived and worked, and learn more about his fascinating life story.
Taking an interdisciplinary approach, looking at images of historic manuscripts, early printings of his work and some of the images that have been produced of Chaucer's pilgrims over the centuries, we will learn about what pilgrimage actually meant in the late fourteenth century and think about how this affected his writing, much of which is anything but religious!
As well as looking at some of the characters he created, and thinking about their virtues and vices, we will also consider how a text like Canterbury Tales was intended to be read - was it courtly literature for an aristocratic elite, or was it intended to be read by pilgrims walking to Canterbury to help pass their time, or was it even an early example of popular literature? In thinking about this, the fact it is one of the earliest surviving literary works to be written in English after the Norman Conquest might tell us something about who was Chaucer's intended audience.
We will read and decode sections from some of the lovely and lively stories included in The Canterbury Tales, and we will practise reading - and pronouncing! - the stories in their original Middle English (not as difficult as you might imagine), to think about how the meaning might change depending on whether we read it in the original form of English or a modern 'translation'.
Fun, frolicking and sometimes downright rude, The Canterbury Tales is a foundational text for English culture that has influenced later writers and other artists for over 600 years.
No previous experience of literary study or medieval history is needed. All welcome.
Class Recordings
These classes are not recorded
Attendance Certificate
Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College attendance certificate
Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment
Course Information
Course Programme
This class takes place in person at Imperial College London, in the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication.
- Start 10:30
- End: 15:30
Lunch and rest breaks are built into the programme.
Your Tutor
Dr Sarah James’s work is focused on medieval hagiography from c.1100-1500. Far from being timeless and aloof, saints in this period are continually being reimagined by writers in ways that perform important social, religious and political work of immediate contemporary relevance.
To understand that work Sarah explores a range of evidence, including the written lives, documentary records, and representations of the saints in material culture. Her geographical focus is wide-ranging, including both the Latin west and more recently Byzantium; the island of Cyprus in this period is of particular significance to her work at present and is likely to remain so.
Course Fees and Rate Categories
| Session | Standard Rate - Single Rate | Internal Rate - Single Rate | Associate Rate - Single Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £69 |
£69 | £69 | ||
| No early bird rate available for this 1-session Day School. Part-payments are not possible | |||||
Rate Categories and Discounts
As this course operates a single rate, below details are for general information only
Standard Rate
- Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.
Internal Rate
- Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
- People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
- Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
- Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
Associate Rate
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- Co-operative College members
- Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
- Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
- Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
- Friends of the Royal College of Music
- Harrods staff
- Historic Royal Palaces staff
- Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
- Members of the Friends of Imperial College
- Members of the Kennel Club
- Members of the London Zoological Society
- Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
- Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- National Health Service (NHS) employees
- Natural History Museum staff
- Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-Imperial College)
- Teachers and other staff of UK schools
- The American Institute for Foreign Study
- Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
- Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum staff
Late enrolment
It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.
Friends and Family Scheme
This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.
Term Dates 2024-25
| Session | Date and Time of the Canterbury Tales Day School | Spring term | Summer term | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thursday 21 November 2024 from 10:30 - 15:30* | n/a | n/a | ||
| *This is a 1-session Day School | |||||
Enrolment Process
Enrolment via the blue booking link is open
Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:
- Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
- If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.
When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:
| What is sent | When is it sent | What does it contain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Payment confirmation | Is sent straight away following submission of your online application |
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| 2. Enrolment confirmation | Is usually sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
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| 3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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Any Questions?
If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Sarah James, sarahjames@cantab.net
If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk