All Program Dates
April 15, 2026 | 7:30pm - 9:00pm ET
April 22, 2026 | 7:30pm - 9:00pm ET
April 29, 2026 | 7:30pm - 9:00pm ET
May 6, 2026 | 7:30pm - 9:00pm ET
Registration
Tuition for this course is $220. Members receive exclusive discounts on our programs and courses. Not a member? Learn more.
Please check your spam folder for your email confirmation. If you have questions, please call (215) 732-1600 or email rsvp@rosenbach.org.
This program is for those 18 and older.
Registration opens for Delancey Society members on Friday, November 14, for Rosenbach members on Friday, November 21, and for the general public on Wednesday, November 26.
Description
Though he wrote at the turn of the 20th century, T.S. Eliot was deeply influenced by the Middle Ages. His best known play, Murder in the Cathedral, dramatizes the violent assassination of Thomas Becket, 12th-century Archbishop of Canterbury. Even beyond medieval history and settings, Eliot drew upon work by writers like the mystic Julian of Norwich and even Geoffrey Chaucer himself.
In this five-session course, we will uncover some of the medieval influences upon Eliot’s most famous work, including selections from The Wasteland, Four Quartets, and Murder in the Cathedral. Along the way, we’ll investigate how and where he draws upon the Arthurian Grail cycle, Christian mysticism, and The Canterbury Tales. By recognizing medieval themes and allusions, we’ll gain a richer understanding of Eliot’s work and worldview, tracing the impact the Middle Ages had on the world he created and the legacy he left behind.
Instructor
Mary M. Alcaro is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Literatures in English at Bryn Mawr College. A medievalist by trade, she works at the intersection of literature and the medical humanities, exploring themes of disease, death, and grief in Middle English texts. She is also a staff writer for Synapsis: A Health Humanities Journal. Outside of academia, Mary is a longtime Sherlockian and has previously appeared as a cohost for theRosenbach’s Biblioventures series, Sherlock Mondays. She lives in Philadelphia with her fiancé and their cat, Shelley.