Course Catalogue

View Specification Document | Reading List

This course introduces students to a range of early modern English drama, poetry, and prose. Students will explore topics such as theatricality, religion, rhetoric, politics, identity, sex and gender, race and empire. The course gives prominence to under-studied authors, to female authors, and to the materiality of the text.

 10 x 1 hr lecture per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

7 x 1.5hr seminar (weeks 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11)

This is one of the Honours options in English Literature and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into English Literature, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

ENGLIT4013  Literature 1510-1660

None

The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Commonplace Book or Editing Project (1500 words) - 25%

■ Essay (3000 words) - 50%

■ Seminar contribution - 10%

■ Seminar presentation of 7 minutes - 15%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ There is no alternative to the commonplace book, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions)

■ There is no alternative to the essay, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions)

■ Written self-evaluation reflecting on seminar contribution OR written response to seminar material in advance or after seminar as an alternative to seminar contribution

■ Recording of presentation as an alternative to the presentation OR one-to-one presentation / discussion/Q&A with staff (where presentation would normally be in class) as an alternative to the presentation

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ increase students' literary knowledge and awareness of the early modern period.

■ engage with recent scholarly developments in the fields of race, colonialism and LGBTQ pedagogy

■ work with Archives and Special Collections

■ understand aspects of the general context within which works of literature in the early modern period are produced.

■ use awareness  of literary contexts to construct and develop individually selected areas of specialised enquiry.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ write and speak with perception and sensitivity about a range of selected early modern authors, texts, and genres.

■ employ contemporary methods of information retrieval.

■ communicate responses to the material studied on the course both orally and in written form through coherent and sustained argument.

■ deal with change and new challenges by applying their disciplinary skills and knowledge to previously unfamiliar research areas and questions.