Essays by Text

This list of student essays is organized by the text it discusses. The list of texts may evolve slightly as the syllabus introduces new texts over different semesters. To read an essay, select it by clicking on the link. Each essay is the intellectual property of the student author and should be cited as such.

To browse essays by theme, please click here.

JUDITH

• Claire Davies, “The Power of Breaking Gender Rules and Old English Literature Traditions in Judith“ (Fall 2022)
• Scott Williams, “Judith’s Importance” (Fall 2022)

THE FOUR BRANCHES OF THE MABINOGI

• Ella Incantalupo, “The Lack of Wholeness: Broken Bodies and Nationality in The Four Branches of the Mabinogi“ (Fall 2022)

HELDRIS OF CORNWALL – SILENCE, A ROMANCE

• April Chronowski, “The Intersectionality of Gender in Silence“ (Fall 2022)

GEOFFREY CHAUCER – THE CANTERBURY TALES, GENERAL PROLOGUE

• Jeremy Whitman-Kinghorn, “A Modern Interpretation of Class in the Introduction to Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales“ (Fall 2022)
• Sarah Nim, “Historical Context through the Stereotypical Class Clowns in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales“ (Fall 2022)

MARIE DE FRANCE – BISCLARVET

• Fengying Guo, “Love in Marie de France’s ‘The Lay of the Werewolf’” (Fall 2022)
• Julia Dantzler, “Bisclavret as a Queer-Coded Monster in Marie De France’s ‘Bisclavret’” (Fall 2022)

THE KING OF TARS

• Ian Quinn, “Religious Racism and Enduring Legacy in The King of Tars“ (Fall 2022)
• Melissa DeFabritiis, “Racism and Microaggressions in The King of Tars“ (Fall 2022)

SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT

• Nick Dlugos, “The Genuine Emotionality of Sir Gawain” (Fall 2022)

ISABELLA WHITNEY – A SWEET NOSEGAY

PHILIP SIDNEY – ASTROPHIL AND STELLA

• Vivian Deng, “Astrophil and Stella: The Perceived Power of Female Rejection” (Fall 2022)

MARY WROTH – PAMPHILIA TO AMPHILANTHUS

• Camilo Quinteros-Parrilla, “Love Through a Woman’s Perspective in Pamphilia to Amphilanthus“ (Fall 2022)

RACHEL SPEGHT – A MUZZLE FOR MELASTOMUS

• Emily Steiger, “Rachel Speght’s A Muzzle for Melastomus: The Muzzle For Men” (Fall 2022)
• Genevieve Duska, “Gender and Feminism in Speght’s A Muzzle for Melatomus“ (Fall 2022)

JOSEPH SWETNAM – THE ARRAIGNMENT OF WOMEN

• Paulina Allen, “The Justification of Gender Inequality in The Arraignment of Lewd, Idle, Froward, and Unconstant Women“ (Fall 2022)

AMELIA LANYER – SALVE DEUS REX JUDAEORUM

• Heiner Badilla Sanchez, “Gender and Religion in Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum“ (Fall 2022)

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE – KING HENRY V

• Lily Daher, “The Power of Politics in Henry V“ (Fall 2022)
• Sophia Lindstrom, “The Power of Narrative: Romanticized Historiography and Nationalism in Henry V“ (Fall 2022)

JOHN MILTON – THE TENURE OF KINGS AND MAGISTRATES

• Samara Addo, “Politics in Milton’s The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates“ (Fall 2022)
• Jamie Burke, “Milton’s The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates’ Place in 17th Century British Morality”  (Fall 2022)

JOHN MILTON – SAMSON AGONISTES

• Mia Tewes, “Presence of Religion in Samson Agonistes“ (Fall 2022)
• Faith Field, “Samson Agonistes“ (Fall 2022)

JOHN MILTON – SONNETS

• Eddy Jose Ramon, “Milton’s Sonnets and Religious Beliefs: Connections and Influence” (Fall 2022)

MARGARET LUCAS CAVENDISH – THE BLAZING WORLD

• Juliana Hall, “Exploring Gender in Cavendish’s The Blazing World“ (Fall 2022)

APHRA BEHN – OROONOKO

• Emily Levesque, “Aphra Behn, Oroonoko, and Racism” (Fall 2022)
• Grace Cairns, “Race in Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko“ (Fall 2022)

Image Credit: (Wikimedia Commons)

This work is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International