Courses

The Medieval and Renaissance Studies program offers over a hundred courses covering topics ranging across the formative historical period 500 to 1700. Most of these courses are cross-listed with other departments and may be taken toward degrees in both Medieval and Renaissance Studies and in the other departments. Subjects of special topics courses vary from semester to semester.

Majors and minors in the program take two courses to satisfy the Medieval and Renaissance Cultures requirement. Majors distribute eight electives in four course study areas: Fine Arts, History, Language and Literature, Philosophy and Religion. Minors may take any three additional courses as electives.

Number Title Crosslistings
MEDREN 89S First-Year Seminar
MEDREN 89S.01 First-Year Seminar: The World of Cervantes Literature 89S.02, Romance Studies 89S.02, Ethics 89S.05
MEDREN 89S.01 First-Year Seminar: Censored, Forbidden, Banned Italian 89S.02, Literature 89S.05
MEDREN 89S.02 First-Year Seminar: The Legend of King Arthur German 89S.01
MEDREN 89S.03 First-Year Seminar: The Visual Culture of Venice Art History 89S.02, Visual and Media Studies 89S.01
MEDREN 105 Old Worlds/New Histories, 500-1500 CE History 106, African & African American Studies 134
MEDREN 125 Early Modern Europe History 117
MEDREN 128 War and Society in the Middle Ages and Renaissance History 128
MEDREN 135 Silk Roads and China, Ancient and Medieval Transformations History 135, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 207, Religion 181
MEDREN 190A Duke-Administered Study Abroad: Special Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
MEDREN 190FS Special Topics in Focus
MEDREN 190FS.01 Special Topics in Focus: Thinkers, Discoverers, and Problem Solvers English 190FS-2.01
MEDREN 190FS.02 Special Topics in Focus: Engineers, Doctors, and Scientists in the Renaissance History 190FS.01
MEDREN 190FS.03 Special Topics in Focus: Music, Medicine, and Natural Science Music 190FS.01, History 190FS.02
MEDREN 190S Special Topics in Medieval Renaissance Studies
MEDREN 201S Music History I: Antiquity through Renaissance Music 255S
MEDREN 215 Gothic Cathedrals Art History 225
MEDREN 217 The Body in Art in Early Modern Europe: Power and Limits of Corporeal Representations Art History 317, Romance Studies 317, Dance 317, Theater Studies 245
MEDREN 225 Art in Renaissance Italy Art History 255, Italian 386
MEDREN 225FS Art in Renaissance Italy Art History 255FS, Italian 386FS
MEDREN 226 Medieval Castles of Europe Art History 227
MEDREN 227 Renaissance Architecture in Italy: Brunelleschi to Michelangelo Art History 258, Italian 258
MEDREN 229A Renaissance and Baroque Art History Art History 255A
MEDREN 233 Michelangelo in Context Art History 259, Italian 261
MEDREN 240 Drawing Foundations in Early Modern Europe Art History 265, Visual and Media Studies 246
MEDREN 242A History of Netherlandish Art in a European Context Visual and Media Studies 262A, International Comparative Studies
MEDREN 243A History of Netherlandish Art in a European Context Visual and Media Studies 263A, International Comparative Studies
MEDREN 244 Renaissance Architecture: A European Perspective Art History 254
MEDREN 245 Art and Architecture in Early Modern France Art History 268, French 268
MEDREN 246 Italian Baroque Art Art History 256, Italian 256, Romance Studies 256
MEDREN 248S Women and Power in the Renaissance History 258S, Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies 258S, Romance Studies 258S
MEDREN 254 The Expansion of Medieval Europe History 254
MEDREN 255 The Caribbean, 1492-1700 History 318, African & African American Studies 218
MEDREN 259 Europe Before The Crusades History 245
MEDREN 268 Islamic Civilization I Religion 375, Cultural Anthropology 256, History 210, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 122, Ethics Elective, Information Science + Studies, Islamic Studies
MEDREN 269 Islamic Civilization II Religion 376, Cultural Anthropology 257, History 211, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 185, International Comparative Studies, Ethics Elective, Islamic Studies
MEDREN 272 British Isles in the Middle Ages History 247
MEDREN 275 Tudor/Stuart Britain History 269
MEDREN 281 Religion, Reform, and Violence in Early Modern Europe History 257, International Comparative Studies
MEDREN 287 Magic, Religion, and Science since 1400 History 260, Science & Society 260
MEDREN 287D Magic, Religion, and Science since 1400 History 260D
MEDREN 289 Rise of Modern Science: Early Science through Newton History 302
MEDREN 290-1 Topics in Medieval Art and Architecture Art History 290-1
MEDREN 290AS-1 Topics in Renaissance British Literature English 290AS-1
MEDREN 290S-1 Special Topics in Medieval and Early Modern Literature English 290S-1
MEDREN 291 Independent Study
MEDREN 293 Research Independent Study
MEDREN 303 Ancient and Medieval Epic Classical Studies 204
MEDREN 304 The Problem of Love in Western Literature Italian 225, Literature 205
MEDREN 305S The Viking Age German 261S, History 256S
MEDREN 312 Introduction to Italian Literature I Italian 332
MEDREN 314 Introduction to Spanish Literature I Spanish 332
MEDREN 320S Chaucer I English 332S
MEDREN 321 Chaucer II English 333
MEDREN 330 Shakespeare English 235, Theater Studies 222
MEDREN 330.01 Shakespeare on Love English 235, Theater Studies 222
MEDREN 330.01 Shakespeare on Feminism English 235, Theater Studies 222
MEDREN 331 Shakespeare through 1600 English 336, Theater Studies 336
MEDREN 332 Shakespeare After 1600 English 337, Theater Studies 337
MEDREN 334S Late Medieval Literature and Culture English 331S
MEDREN 337S Milton English 338S
MEDREN 343 Cities and City Life in Italy Italian 383, History 237, Cultural Anthropology 383
MEDREN 343A Cities and City Life in Italy Italian 383A, History 237A, Cultural Anthropology 383A
MEDREN 345 The Devil’s Pact: Faust and the Faust Tradition German 370, Literature 240
MEDREN 346 The History of the Book Classical Studies 360, Information Science + Studies 360, History 367
MEDREN 347 Idealistic Nature: The Literature, Philosophy, and Cognition of Ecology Information Science + Studies 307, English 355, Visual and Media Studies 347
MEDREN 348S Medieval Latin Latin 376S
MEDREN 352S Andalusia: Muslim, Jewish, Christian Spain Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 319S, Religion 214S, Jewish Studies 319S, Romance Studies 319S
MEDREN 354 Medieval Christianity in Film and Fiction Religion 261, History 244, English 254
MEDREN 357 Jews and Muslims, Judaism and Islam Jewish Studies 256, Religion 212, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 216, History 294, Islamic Studies
MEDREN 390 Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
MEDREN 390-1 Topics in Renaissance Art Art History 390-1
MEDREN 390A Duke-Administered Study Abroad: Advanced Special Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
MEDREN 390S Seminar in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
MEDREN 390S.01 Seminar in Medieval and Renaissance Studies: “Shakespeare Now and Then” English 390S-7.02, Theater Studies 290S-1.02
MEDREN 390S.01 Seminar in Medieval and Renaissance Studies: "French Fables and Fairy Tales" French 390S
MEDREN 429S The Black Death and Medieval Society History 460S, Global Health 460S
MEDREN 430S Heresy and Inquisition in the Middle Ages History 462S
MEDREN 432S Medieval Communities History 463S
MEDREN 450 Dante’s Divine Comedy: Hell, Purgatory and Paradise Italian 481, Religion 262, Literature 245, History 253
MEDREN 454SA Sex, Death, and a Little Love: Boccaccio’s Decameron Italian 482SA, Literature 482SA
MEDREN 458 Spanish Literature of the Renaissance and the Baroque Spanish 410
MEDREN 459 Golden Age Literature: Cervantes Spanish 411
MEDREN 473 What Machiavelli Really Says Italian 483, History 405, Literature 483, Political Science 483
MEDREN 491 Independent Study: Thesis
MEDREN 493 Research Independent Study: Thesis
MEDREN 504A History of Netherlandish Art and Visual Culture in a European Context Visual and Media Studies 506A, International Comparative Studies
MEDREN 505A History of Netherlandish Art and Visual Culture in a European Context Visual and Media Studies 507A, International Comparative Studies
MEDREN 507S Live Images: Ancient and Medieval Representations of the Divine Visual and Media Studies 533S, Religion 522S, Classical Studies 558S
MEDREN 510 Paris of Waters Art History 510, French 511
MEDREN 522 Music in the Middle Ages Music 551
MEDREN 523 Topics in Renaissance Music Music 552
MEDREN 524 Music in the Baroque Era Music 553
MEDREN 550 Early and Medieval Christianity Taught in Divinity School
MEDREN 551 Modern European Christianity Taught in Divinity School
MEDREN 552S Jerusalem after Rome History 522S
MEDREN 556S Religion, Conflict and Holy War in the Pre-Modern West: Sects and Violence History 506S
MEDREN 561S The Margins of Justice: Law and Minorities in the Middle Ages History 511S
MEDREN 570S The Society and Economy of Europe, 1400 - 1700 History 519S
MEDREN 575S Religion and Society in the Age of the Reformation History 523S
MEDREN 576S Microhistory History 520S
MEDREN 590 Advanced Topics in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
MEDREN 590S Advanced Seminar in Medieval and Renaissance Studies
MEDREN 590S-1 Topics in Romanesque and Gothic Art and Architecture Art History 590S-3
MEDREN 590S-2 Topics in Italian Renaissance Art Art History 590S-4
MEDREN 601S Moliere: The Phenomenon of Laughter French 525S, Theater Studies 521S
MEDREN 603 Dante’s Divine Comedy: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise Italian 582, Literature 582
MEDREN 605 Introduction to Old English English 505
MEDREN 607 History of the German Language German 560, Linguistics 560
MEDREN 608S Medieval and Renaissance Latin Latin 508S
MEDREN 609S Old Norse: Introduction to the Language of Viking Scandinavia German 510S, Linguistics 562S
MEDREN 615S Dante Studies Italian 583S, Literature 583S
MEDREN 618S Boccaccio Studies Italian 584S, Literature 584S
MEDREN 625S Chaucer and His Contexts English 532S
MEDREN 630S Shakespeare: Special Topics English 536S
MEDREN 632S Special Topics in Renaissance Prose and Poetry: 1500 to 1660 English 538S
MEDREN 637S Shakespeare & Co.: English Renaissance Drama English 537S
MEDREN 642 Medieval Fictions French 530, Literature 541
MEDREN 647S Latin Palaeography Latin 584S
MEDREN 648 The Legacy of Greece and Rome Classical Studies 568
MEDREN 655 Early Christian Asceticism Religion 634, Study of Sexualities, Gender, Sexuality, & Feminist Studies
MEDREN 659 Justice, Law, and Commerce in Islam Religion 660, African & African American Studies 575, International Comparative Studies, Islamic Studies
MEDREN 662 Origen Religion 632
MEDREN 664 Augustine Religion 633
MEDREN 669S Medieval Philosophy Philosophy 618S
MEDREN 690S-1 Special Topics in Middle English Literature: 1100 to 1500 English 530S
MEDREN 690S-2 Topics in Renaissance Studies Italian 590S-1
Number Title Crosslistings
MEDREN 305S The Viking Age German 261S, History 256S
MEDREN 450 Dante’s Divine Comedy: Hell, Purgatory and Paradise Italian 481, Religion 262, Literature 245, History 253
MEDREN 552S Jerusalem after Rome History 522S

Medieval Cultures

Number Title Crosslistings
MEDREN 105 Old Worlds/New Histories, 500-1500 CE History 106, African & African American Studies 134
MEDREN 128 War and Society in the Middle Ages and Renaissance History 128
MEDREN 135 Silk Roads and China, Ancient and Medieval Transformations History 135, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 207, Religion 181
MEDREN 215 Gothic Cathedrals Art History 225
MEDREN 346 The History of the Book Classical Studies 360, Information Science + Studies 360, History 367
MEDREN 352S Andalusia: Muslim, Jewish, Christian Spain Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 319S, Religion 214S, Jewish Studies 319S, Romance Studies 319S
MEDREN 430S Heresy and Inquisition in the Middle Ages History 462S
MEDREN 432S Medieval Communities History 463S
MEDREN 450 Dante’s Divine Comedy: Hell, Purgatory and Paradise Italian 481, Religion 262, Literature 245, History 253

Renaissance Cultures

Number Title Crosslistings
MEDREN 125 Early Modern Europe History 117
MEDREN 128 War and Society in the Middle Ages and Renaissance History 128
MEDREN 287 Magic, Religion, and Science since 1400 History 260, Science & Society 260
MEDREN 346 The History of the Book Classical Studies 360, Information Science + Studies 360, History 367
MEDREN 473 What Machiavelli Really Says Italian 483, History 405, Literature 483, Political Science 483
Number Title Crosslistings
MEDREN 89S.03 First-Year Seminar: The Visual Culture of Venice Art History 89S.02, Visual and Media Studies 89S.01
MEDREN 201S Music History I: Antiquity through Renaissance Music 255S
MEDREN 215 Gothic Cathedrals Art History 225
MEDREN 217 The Body in Art in Early Modern Europe: Power and Limits of Corporeal Representations Art History 317, Romance Studies 317, Dance 317, Theater Studies 245
MEDREN 225 Art in Renaissance Italy Art History 255, Italian 386
MEDREN 225FS Art in Renaissance Italy Art History 255FS, Italian 386FS
MEDREN 226 Medieval Castles of Europe Art History 227
MEDREN 227 Renaissance Architecture in Italy: Brunelleschi to Michelangelo Art History 258, Italian 258
MEDREN 229A Renaissance and Baroque Art History Art History 255A
MEDREN 233 Michelangelo in Context Art History 259, Italian 261
MEDREN 240 Drawing Foundations in Early Modern Europe Art History 265, Visual and Media Studies 246
MEDREN 242A History of Netherlandish Art in a European Context Visual and Media Studies 262A, International Comparative Studies
MEDREN 243A History of Netherlandish Art in a European Context Visual and Media Studies 263A, International Comparative Studies
MEDREN 244 Renaissance Architecture: A European Perspective Art History 254
MEDREN 245 Art and Architecture in Early Modern France Art History 268, French 268
MEDREN 246 Italian Baroque Art Art History 256, Italian 256, Romance Studies 256
MEDREN 290-1 Topics in Medieval Art and Architecture Art History 290-1
MEDREN 390-1 Topics in Renaissance Art Art History 390-1
MEDREN 504A History of Netherlandish Art and Visual Culture in a European Context Visual and Media Studies 506A, International Comparative Studies
MEDREN 505A History of Netherlandish Art and Visual Culture in a European Context Visual and Media Studies 507A, International Comparative Studies
MEDREN 507S Live Images: Ancient and Medieval Representations of the Divine Visual and Media Studies 533S, Religion 522S, Classical Studies 558S
MEDREN 510 Paris of Waters Art History 510, French 511
MEDREN 522 Music in the Middle Ages Music 551
MEDREN 523 Topics in Renaissance Music Music 552
MEDREN 524 Music in the Baroque Era Music 553
MEDREN 590S-1 Topics in Romanesque and Gothic Art and Architecture Art History 590S-3
MEDREN 590S-2 Topics in Italian Renaissance Art Art History 590S-4
Number Title Crosslistings
MEDREN 105 Old Worlds/New Histories, 500-1500 CE History 106, African & African American Studies 134
MEDREN 125 Early Modern Europe History 117
MEDREN 128 War and Society in the Middle Ages and Renaissance History 128
MEDREN 135 Silk Roads and China, Ancient and Medieval Transformations History 135, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 207, Religion 181
MEDREN 248S Women and Power in the Renaissance History 258S, Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies 258S, Romance Studies 258S
MEDREN 254 The Expansion of Medieval Europe History 254
MEDREN 255 The Caribbean, 1492-1700 History 318, African & African American Studies 218
MEDREN 259 Europe Before The Crusades History 245
MEDREN 268 Islamic Civilization I Religion 375, Cultural Anthropology 256, History 210, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 122, Ethics Elective, Information Science + Studies, Islamic Studies
MEDREN 269 Islamic Civilization II Religion 376, Cultural Anthropology 257, History 211, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 185, International Comparative Studies, Ethics Elective, Islamic Studies
MEDREN 272 British Isles in the Middle Ages History 247
MEDREN 275 Tudor/Stuart Britain History 269
MEDREN 281 Religion, Reform, and Violence in Early Modern Europe History 257, International Comparative Studies
MEDREN 287 Magic, Religion, and Science since 1400 History 260, Science & Society 260
MEDREN 287D Magic, Religion, and Science since 1400 History 260D
MEDREN 289 Rise of Modern Science: Early Science through Newton History 302
MEDREN 305S The Viking Age German 261S, History 256S
MEDREN 343 Cities and City Life in Italy Italian 383, History 237, Cultural Anthropology 383
MEDREN 343A Cities and City Life in Italy Italian 383A, History 237A, Cultural Anthropology 383A
MEDREN 354 Medieval Christianity in Film and Fiction Religion 261, History 244, English 254
MEDREN 429S The Black Death and Medieval Society History 460S, Global Health 460S
MEDREN 430S Heresy and Inquisition in the Middle Ages History 462S
MEDREN 432S Medieval Communities History 463S
MEDREN 473 What Machiavelli Really Says Italian 483, History 405, Literature 483, Political Science 483
MEDREN 550 Early and Medieval Christianity Taught in Divinity School
MEDREN 551 Modern European Christianity Taught in Divinity School
MEDREN 552S Jerusalem after Rome History 522S
MEDREN 556S Religion, Conflict and Holy War in the Pre-Modern West: Sects and Violence History 506S
MEDREN 561S The Margins of Justice: Law and Minorities in the Middle Ages History 511S
MEDREN 570S The Society and Economy of Europe, 1400 - 1700 History 519S
MEDREN 575S Religion and Society in the Age of the Reformation History 523S
MEDREN 576S Microhistory History 520S
Number Title Crosslistings
MEDREN 89S.01 First-Year Seminar: Censored, Forbidden, Banned Italian 89S.02, Literature 89S.05
MEDREN 89S.01 First-Year Seminar: The World of Cervantes Literature 89S.02, Romance Studies 89S.02, Ethics 89S.05
MEDREN 89S.02 First-Year Seminar: The Legend of King Arthur German 89S.01
MEDREN 290AS-1 Topics in Renaissance British Literature English 290AS-1
MEDREN 290S-1 Special Topics in Medieval and Early Modern Literature English 290S-1
MEDREN 303 Ancient and Medieval Epic Classical Studies 204
MEDREN 304 The Problem of Love in Western Literature Italian 225, Literature 205
MEDREN 305S The Viking Age German 261S, History 256S
MEDREN 312 Introduction to Italian Literature I Italian 332
MEDREN 314 Introduction to Spanish Literature I Spanish 332
MEDREN 320S Chaucer I English 332S
MEDREN 321 Chaucer II English 333
MEDREN 330 Shakespeare English 235, Theater Studies 222
MEDREN 331 Shakespeare through 1600 English 336, Theater Studies 336
MEDREN 332 Shakespeare After 1600 English 337, Theater Studies 337
MEDREN 334S Late Medieval Literature and Culture English 331S
MEDREN 337S Milton English 338S
MEDREN 343 Cities and City Life in Italy Italian 383, History 237, Cultural Anthropology 383
MEDREN 343A Cities and City Life in Italy Italian 383A, History 237A, Cultural Anthropology 383A
MEDREN 345 The Devil’s Pact: Faust and the Faust Tradition German 370, Literature 240
MEDREN 346 The History of the Book Classical Studies 360, Information Science + Studies 360, History 367
MEDREN 347 Idealistic Nature: The Literature, Philosophy, and Cognition of Ecology Information Science + Studies 307, English 355, Visual and Media Studies 347
MEDREN 348S Medieval Latin Latin 376S
MEDREN 390S.01 Seminar in Medieval and Renaissance Studies: "French Fables and Fairy Tales" French 390S
MEDREN 390S.01 Seminar in Medieval and Renaissance Studies: “Shakespeare Now and Then” English 390S-7.02, Theater Studies 290S-1.02
MEDREN 450 Dante’s Divine Comedy: Hell, Purgatory and Paradise Italian 481, Religion 262, Literature 245, History 253
MEDREN 454SA Sex, Death, and a Little Love: Boccaccio’s Decameron Italian 482SA, Literature 482SA
MEDREN 458 Spanish Literature of the Renaissance and the Baroque Spanish 410
MEDREN 459 Golden Age Literature: Cervantes Spanish 411
MEDREN 473 What Machiavelli Really Says Italian 483, History 405, Literature 483, Political Science 483
MEDREN 601S Moliere: The Phenomenon of Laughter French 525S, Theater Studies 521S
MEDREN 603 Dante’s Divine Comedy: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise Italian 582, Literature 582
MEDREN 605 Introduction to Old English English 505
MEDREN 607 History of the German Language German 560, Linguistics 560
MEDREN 608S Medieval and Renaissance Latin Latin 508S
MEDREN 609S Old Norse: Introduction to the Language of Viking Scandinavia German 510S, Linguistics 562S
MEDREN 615S Dante Studies Italian 583S, Literature 583S
MEDREN 618S Boccaccio Studies Italian 584S, Literature 584S
MEDREN 625S Chaucer and His Contexts English 532S
MEDREN 630S Shakespeare: Special Topics English 536S
MEDREN 632S Special Topics in Renaissance Prose and Poetry: 1500 to 1660 English 538S
MEDREN 637S Shakespeare & Co.: English Renaissance Drama English 537S
MEDREN 642 Medieval Fictions French 530, Literature 541
MEDREN 647S Latin Palaeography Latin 584S
MEDREN 648 The Legacy of Greece and Rome Classical Studies 568
MEDREN 690S-1 Special Topics in Middle English Literature: 1100 to 1500 English 530S
MEDREN 690S-2 Topics in Renaissance Studies Italian 590S-1
Number Title Crosslistings
MEDREN 268 Islamic Civilization I Religion 375, Cultural Anthropology 256, History 210, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 122, Ethics Elective, Information Science + Studies, Islamic Studies
MEDREN 269 Islamic Civilization II Religion 376, Cultural Anthropology 257, History 211, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 185, International Comparative Studies, Ethics Elective, Islamic Studies
MEDREN 281 Religion, Reform, and Violence in Early Modern Europe History 257, International Comparative Studies
MEDREN 287 Magic, Religion, and Science since 1400 History 260, Science & Society 260
MEDREN 347 Idealistic Nature: The Literature, Philosophy, and Cognition of Ecology Information Science + Studies 307, English 355, Visual and Media Studies 347
MEDREN 352S Andalusia: Muslim, Jewish, Christian Spain Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 319S, Religion 214S, Jewish Studies 319S, Romance Studies 319S
MEDREN 354 Medieval Christianity in Film and Fiction Religion 261, History 244, English 254
MEDREN 357 Jews and Muslims, Judaism and Islam Jewish Studies 256, Religion 212, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies 216, History 294, Islamic Studies
MEDREN 430S Heresy and Inquisition in the Middle Ages History 462S
MEDREN 450 Dante’s Divine Comedy: Hell, Purgatory and Paradise Italian 481, Religion 262, Literature 245, History 253
MEDREN 556S Religion, Conflict and Holy War in the Pre-Modern West: Sects and Violence History 506S
MEDREN 575S Religion and Society in the Age of the Reformation History 523S
MEDREN 603 Dante’s Divine Comedy: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise Italian 582, Literature 582
MEDREN 655 Early Christian Asceticism Religion 634, Study of Sexualities, Gender, Sexuality, & Feminist Studies
MEDREN 659 Justice, Law, and Commerce in Islam Religion 660, African & African American Studies 575, International Comparative Studies, Islamic Studies
MEDREN 662 Origen Religion 632
MEDREN 664 Augustine Religion 633
MEDREN 669S Medieval Philosophy Philosophy 618S