Ars Moriendi: Death and Dying in the Middle Ages

MEDVL 391

What does it mean to die well? This course explores the medieval Ars moriendi tradition in its historical, literary, and cultural context and how this tradition can help us recover the human side of dying within contemporary society’s medicalized approach to the end of life.

Learning Outcomes

i. Describe the historical context of the ars moriendi in relation to the bubonic plague ; ii. Explain the function of the ars moriendi as a literary genre; iii. Critical analysis of the founding texts in the genre; iv. Critical analysis of the founding texts in the genre.