ENG5542 - Literary Period: the Renaissance

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

1) Read, interpret and discuss Renaissance texts, including style and content
2) Demonstrate awareness of the cultural and historical contexts
3) Demonstrate awareness of the forms and genres employed by Renaissance writers, including tragedy and comedy
4) Demonstrate understanding of relevant scholarly material such as recent critical debate, critical theory, and the history of criticism

Content:

Students will be directed to study a selection of Shakespeare’s plays and a selection of drama and poetry of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Weekly sessions will involve close textual analysis, the study of the cultural context and debate around theoretical and interpretative issues such as performance, twentieth-century theory, the history of criticism and questions of canonicity and literary value. Video material will be included, showing different productions of the same plays. A perspective will thus be gained on the richness and variety of the texts produced in this period; on cultural and historical conditions of the period; on current cultural assumptions and on the nature of reading itself. Consideration of genre, gender and theory will be an integral part of the course.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Learning and teaching methods will combine text based lectures/seminars with discussion and directed reading and writing, supported by Moodle and use of audio-visual resources. Discussion will be a key element throughout the module. Lectures/Seminars
Contact hours 40
Number of groups 2

Assessment: