Medieval Studies: current MA students
Eamon Byers
I completed my BA in English Literature at Queen's University, and from my first year hoped to stay on for postgraduate study. However, until my second year I had never considered undertaking a Master's in Medieval Studies. My interests had always been (and still are somewhat!) in Irish and Renaissance Literature, interests I had assumed would form the basis of my postgraduate study. That was before taking the Stage 2 introductory module 'Late Medieval Literature'. Until then, aside from two weeks of accidentally studying 'The Nun's Priest's Tale' at A-Level and one week of intentionally studying 'The Miller's Tale' at Stage 1, I had no formal experience of Medieval literature. As a child, however, I was an avid reader of Arthurian literature and enjoyed children's book and television adaptations of The Canterbury Tales. It was this existing interest, combined with the in-depth yet accessible, not to mention fascinating and enjoyable teaching at Stage 2 that converted me to Medievalism. By the end of my degree, I had (voluntarily) read The Canterbury Tales in its entirety, and most of Chaucer's other works, acquired a fascination with Corpus Christi drama and the repertoire of Middle English Lyrics, and had been able to incorporate my love of traditional music into my studies by producing a 10,000(ish) word dissertation on Chaucer and folk-song which took over my final year and is gradually taking over my life. The teaching staff in the School of English, in particular those in Medieval Studies, displayed such a personal interest and offered such encouragement that before I had even begun my final year I had hopes of undertaking an MA in Medieval Studies at Queen's. To my mind, nowhere else offered the opportunity to engage with so many aspects of Medieval literature and culture, to pursue my own interests at the same time as being introduced to new ones and to have the freedom to present my research in essays, performances and multimedia presentations. Happily, my expectations have been exceeded.
Lorraine Clarke
Throughout her undergraduate studies at QUB, Lorraine developed a passion for medieval literature that led her on to the Medieval Studies MA. Particular areas of interest include late medieval women’s religious writings, including those of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe, as well as depictions of the female in medieval texts. As well as this, Lorraine is interested in codicological research surrounding the production of early English manuscripts and printed books.
Chris Jackson
Following three highly enjoyable and stimulating years studying for my undergraduate BA at Queen's, I decided to further delay my entry into the real world and embark upon postgraduate study. Having undertaken several Medieval Studies modules in both my second and third year, I had always found this area of interest to be both the most intellectually stimulating and rewarding within the wide range of courses available within the School of English.
I had always found the Medieval Studies modules to be among the most innovative and progressive courses available at undergraduate level, offering students a wide variety of approaches to textual materials such as dramatic productions, inter-disciplinary critical engagement and highly co-operative group discussion. I felt that the teaching method also allowed for an incredibly stimulating and challenging classroom environment, which allowed students to suggest and develop specific areas of personal academic interest as the courses developed.
Naturally, these experiences prompted my decision to undertake the Medieval Studies MA course following my undergraduate degree and from here I hope to progress to PhD research.
My current research interests focus primarily upon Medieval performative piety (as seen in the Corpus Christi Cycle Plays) and pre-modern notions of socio-religous alterity, with particular emphasis upon the development of anti-semetic thought from the Middle Ages through to present day.
Will Liddle
My first, somewhat brutal, encounter with medieval literature was during my first year in Queen's, when I read 'The Miller's Tale' from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Never having read a Middle English text, the experience was a bewildering one and left me somewhat cold towards Chaucer's masterpiece. I thought I could understand why he has garnered a negative reputation with many school pupils. So every credit is due to Queen's in moving me from a general dismissal of the 'Father of English Literature' to a fascination with him and his contemporary writers.
The beginning of this metamorphosis from fledgling critic to postgraduate medievalist was certainly the second year module in Medieval Literature. I took it more out of a general interest in books about knights and dragons (courtesy of the 'Father of Questionable English Literature' - Tolkien), but ended up an avid enthusiast of the works of Langland, the Pearl-Poet and, perhaps inevitably, Chaucer. A combination of excellent lectures from staff and consistently engaging tutorials fired my interest in all things Medieval; I even enjoyed writing my end-of-semester essays!
Needless to say, I followed up in my third undergraduate year with as many medieval literature modules as I could find. Having the freedom to initiate, explore and develop specific interests, and actively being encouraged to do so was as priceless as the end of a Mastercard advert. It seemed pretty much a foregone conclusion that I would return to do a Masters in Medieval Studies, and choosing to continue at Queen's seemed an equal no-brainer.
One graduation ceremony later and I'm working towards the MA, an experience that illuminates my seemingly-expanding lack of knowledge whilst simultaneously nurturing my enthusiasm for the field. The Medieval Studies postgraduate and academic community ensures a distinct absence of dullness or mediocrity, and I have yet to find reason to regret signing on for another year at Queen's.
Linda McCrory
I was bitten by the medieval bug in my second year at Queen’s. My final undergraduate year gave me a proper taste of all things medieval and it was then that I was hit by a particularly virulent strain of Piers Plowman-itis. I saw the chance to study for my MA at Queen’s as a window of opportunity where I could build on the knowledge I had acquired as an undergraduate. I see the MA as a stepping stone to a PhD and feel that this year will equip me with the skills I need to excavate further the wealth of medieval literature to which I have been introduced.
Lauren McVeigh
Like most of the MA students on this course, I was first introduced to Medieval Literature at A-Level and found myself enjoying the strange words, even though I hadn’t a clue what they meant. My first experience was with the Nuns Priest’s Tale and evidently the story about an egotistical cock and a crafty fox intrigued me. During my undergraduate degree at Queen’s I had the chance to dabble in other areas of English Literature, but the bawdy humour and tricky language of Medieval Literature kept pulling me back. I decided to find out about doing an MA after reading The Croxton Play of the Sacrament in my final year. That strange and ridiculous play amused me much more than the material I was reading in my other modules, so I came to the conclusion that this postgraduate course was the one that suited me best, and the one I would certainly enjoy the most.
Gerard O'Brien
I first encountered medieval literature at A-level, in the guise of Chaucer's 'Nun's Priest's Tale'. Although I was intrigued by both the language and the poetry, I wasn't properly hooked until stage two of my undergraduate degree at Queen's. Focussing primarily on late medieval literature toward the end of my BA, I thoroughly enjoyed my final year and decided to take the leap into post-graduate study. Although I had toyed with the idea of gallivanting off to another institution for my MA, I opted to stay in Queen's. This decision was (in no small part) influenced by the excellent teaching staff in the QUB Medieval Cluster, the challenging course content of the Medieval Studies MA, and the solid sense of community encouraged by the school. With any luck, the MA will provide a stepping-stone towards a PhD course and, fingers crossed, a career in academia.
