Feminist Criticism in “The Lays of Marie de France”

Length/Format Requirements: Your final project must be at least three pages of essay plus a works cited page; the essay and works cited page must be in MLA8. The essay must include direct quotations from the literature as support for the argument. The works cited page should only list the literature you are working with. Your final project will be submitted as rich text or Word files; no other file type will be accepted. Assignment Instructions: Write an analysis based on Marxist or feminist/gender studies criticism. You may only work with literature listed on the course calendar for the Medieval Unit. You may only work with one of the listed works of literature; if you are working with Canterbury Tales you will have to work with either “The Miller’s Prologue and Tale” or “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale.” Your response must create an argument about the literature through one of these two theory lens. Do not summarize the literature. This is not a research assignment. You may only use the literature and your ideas. You will be writing for your classmates. You can assume that your classmates have read your chosen literature, but you cannot assume they have thought about the literature in the same way you have. Make sure you are focusing on an analysis of the literature and you are tailoring your argument for your intended audience. Make sure you push your analysis beyond our class’s lectures and discussions. I am interested in your analysis –  not interested in a rehashing of lecture. You can use the lectures and the discussions on the literature as a starting point for your paper – but make sure you move beyond what the class has already covered. Story: “The lays of Marie de France” the I. “Prologue, by Way of Dedication” and VIII. “Bisclavaret” (also published as “The Lay of the Werewolf”) Lens: Feminist Criticism