Tyrion, in the final episode of the television series, Game of Thrones, acknowledged the power of storytelling in claiming the throne for Bran the Broken. While Game of Thrones isn't medieval, it does make a solid case for the power of stories. 

Boccaccio’s Decameron, the French fabliaux and lays, and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales are products of a medieval literary culture. They are works that speak to the power of storytelling while encapsulating the social, political, cultural, and religious ethos of their time. They provide us with an opportunity to reflect on the power of stories, and the role of entertainment and the pleasure it generates, in human life. Through an in-depth reading of selections from these works, the course seeks to introduce students to medieval literature while reflecting on the power of storytelling.