Profile

Megan Murton is a medievalist and specializes in the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, with a particular interest in his poetry's engagement with philosophical thought and devotional prace. Her first monograph, Chaucer's Prayers: Writing Christian and Pagan Devotion, examines Chaucer's use of prayer as a distinctive kind of voice in his poetry. Emphasizing the performative quality of prayers as utterances that ask to be prayed, rather than simply read, this book argues that Chaucer uses prayer to enlist readers' participation in his poetry and to guide their responses to it. The book was reviewed in scholarly journals including Studies in the Age of Chaucer, Speculum, and Journal of Medieval Religious Cultures.

Dr Murton's current book project re-evaluates the pervasive influence of Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy on Chaucer. Founded on a revisionist reading of Boethius, in which his consolation is devotional as well as philosophical, this book proposes a new way to understand how Chaucer drew on Boethius when writing about suffering, injustice, and especially, love. It also looks beyond Chaucer to explore how he mediated Boethian thought to such figures as Thomas Usk, Robert Henryson, John Walton, and James I of Scotland. Dr. Murton presented early work toward this project at several events commemorating the 1500th anniversary of Boethius's death in 2024, including the Drumwright Lecture at Baylor University.

In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Murton serves as Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of English, as a member of the Academic Senate at The Catholic University of America, and as Humanities Consultant for The Boethius Project, a public-humanities initiative.

Prior to her work at Catholic University, Dr. Murton taught Middle English language and literature at the University of Cambridge, as well as literature and academic writing courses at Xavier University and Miami University of Ohio. At Catholic University, she teaches a range of undergraduate courses, including History of British Literature I, Chaucer and His Age I & II, Arthurian Literature, and Transformative Texts, as well as graduate seminars on literary theory and medieval literature. In addition to the works of Chaucer and his contemporaries, her teaching interests include Middle English mystical and devotional writings, medieval French and Italian literature, the history of the English language, and modern-day medievalism. Dr. Murton has been interviewed by CUA students about her passion for teaching medieval literature and mentoring students (part 1, part 2).

Dr. Murton received her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. She also holds a joint Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and French Literature from Harvard University and a Master’s degree in Medieval English Literature from the University of Oxford.

Awards

Cambridge International Scholarship, 2010-2013

Marshall Scholarship, 2008-2010

PUBLICATIONS