The two-hour, 200 pt. closed-book midterm exam will take place in class on the date indicated on the course Calendar of Assignments (Tuesday, 3/4/14 in Winter quarter, 2014).  It will cover authors/composers/directors (and their nationalities), chronology (dates provided under "Text Info" on Calendar of Assignments), genres, formal characteristics (e.g. verse forms), as well as key motifs, objects, episodes and characters in required primary readings and films assigned through the date of the exam (whether or not fully discussed in class).  Expect to use the full two hours.  Factual questions may be drawn from any REQUIRED secondary or background reading (online or on e-reserve), but additional recommended readings on e-reserve will NOT be covered on the midterm exam. 

Objective Sections:  may contain multiple choice, matching, true-false and fill-in-the-blank questions.  Know titles, authors/composers, genres, date of composition and formal description of ALL PRIMARY WORKS; also be aware of formal elements in the poems (e.g. which use rhyme vs. blank verse), and whether a medieval work is considered to be part of the so-called "courtly" or "common" tradition (or neither).  Know titles, composer (if applicable) AND directors / screenplay authors for all films screened, along with the date of composition for the opera and the date of each assigned film; also know the authors, titles and focus / basic argument (but not dates) of all REQUIRED secondary readings (critical essays).  Know nationality of authors, directors and composers and the language in which their works were originally created.  Carefully review the background reading on the Medieval Tristan Tradition.  NO CHOICE; you must ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.

IDs (of Passages, Characters, Items, Key Lines and/or Plot Elements/Episodes/Motifs):  several sections of the exam will provide a selection of short passages or list characters, objects, events, plot elements and/or key lines from one or more of the primary readings/films.  In some sections, you may have to answer all of the questions, while in others you will be given a list of passages or items from which to choose.  For the Item ID section, you will choose a certain number of items, list ALL readings / films in which the item appear;s, and explain its particular role/significance in that work.  Bedier's retelling is NOT one of the works covered in these sections.  There will be choice in SOME (but not ALL) of these sections. Passages chosen for passage IDS should be easily identifiable if you have completed all readings/screenings and taken notes in class discussions.

A significant number of points will be for the Essay (likely to be worth 40-50% of exam).  There will be a choice of topics.  You may NOT write on a work/author/film which you have presented in class OR which will be a focus of your final paper. Automatic and substantial penalty if you do!  Prompts will ask you to discuss connections, similarities and (significant) differences between at least two readings/films/authors.  Prompts will focus on issues which should be familiar to you if you have attended class regularly -- no surprises.  Exam prompts are designed not to trip you up but (I hope) to allow you to shine; there will be enough choices that you should be able to find a topic on which you can write a substantive essay.   PLEASE BRING A LARGE-FORMAT EXAM BOOK FOR THE ESSAY SECTION.

Essay Tips:  When you are writing under time constraints, it is preferable to write your Opening Statement (introductory paragraphs) LAST, after you are clear on what you have argued in the essay.  So, begin by brainstorming; come up with a preliminary thesis and make an outline, but then skip a page and begin writing your body paragraphs. Once you have "written your way into" your argument and can clearly see what claims you are making, you are ready to write your introduction (which should resemble the conclusion you were taught to write for a 5-paragraph essay back in high school).  Be sure that your introduction echos the prompt and does more than merely state your topic; like a lawyer's opening statement on the first day of a court trial, it should CLEARLY and SPECIFICALLY outline the SPECIFIC CLAIMS you make and back up with supporting details in the body paragraphs of the essay. 

TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAM: make a note card for each work; note author/composer/director, his or her nationality and language; dates of works (found under "Text Info" on the Calendar of Assignments); genres; "common" or "courtly" tradition for medieval works, if applicable.  List key plot elements/motifs covered in the various works, and note any unusual character names which you might otherwise forget.  Be sure to include some notes concerning what episodes and/or significant characters/objects/motifs are included in each work, as well as any particularly memorable concepts or lines.  Also note how particular motifs are handled when they offer variants relative to the medieval tradition (e.g. Tristan's battle with the Morholt, the love potion, the King in the Tree, Isolde's Ordeal and Ambiguous Oath,  the depiction of Iseult of Brittany, the death of the lovers, etc.). Also review the required background readings and make sure you are clear on the overall premise of each. Carefully review all primary readings (and catch up on any you may have missed!), including review of class discussion notes in each case.  As you review, consider differences between treatment of characters / episodes / motifs which play significant roles in more than one work. 

TIP 1) Get enough sleep the night before, and don't skip breakfast/lunch!

TIP 2) The best way to prepare is to study with friends!!

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