This course studies key aspects of Spanish culture in the Renaissance and Baroque periods through the analysis of Cervantes' Don Quixote. Students will be introduced to a key literary text that is part of the Western Canon and has shaped European Culture, gaining an understanding of the context within which Don Quixote was written. Students will have acquired the ability to critically examine and better contextualize various key aspects of Spanish literary history and culture at the end of this course.   

20 x 1hr sessions across both semesters as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the honours options in SMLC and may not run every year. The options which are running this session are available on MyCampus.

None

None

The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Presentation (10 minutes) - 30%

■ Essay (3000 words) - 70%

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

■ A recorded oral presentation and one-to-one Q&A with tutor as alternative to the presentation.

■ There is no alternative to the essay, but an extension to the deadline can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

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

This course aims to:

■ analyse the literary strategies employed in Don Quixote;

■ explain the intellectual, cultural and historical context of Cervantes, and its importance to the present;

■ analyse the ways in which the early modern period has shaped the global reach of Spanish culture; 

■ further develop advanced writing and oral presentation skills.

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

■ analyse and critique Cervantes´ Quixote, critically discussing the social, political, historical and cultural contexts in which the novel was written;

■ present ideas clearly and analytically both orally and in writing with appropriate citation of sources, uses of evidence and attribution of contribution about Cervantes and Spanish Early Modernity; 

■ reflect a clear understanding of strategies and theories in the analysis of Cervantes and Spanish Early Modernity by researching key literary and historical text.