English 10A-3 - Winter, 2017

Literatures in English I: to 1700

Class Information

Instructor: White, Victoria
CRN: 44069
Time: MWF 2:10-3:00
Location: 1128 Hart

Description

This course is a reading and writing-intensive introduction to English literature through 1700. We have the unique opportunity in this course to chart the development of English literature from the Middle Ages to the dawn of civil society. Major topics of importance for this course will include: religion and ritual, monarchy and government, science and magic, kinship and marriage, national identity, print technology and manuscript cultures, global exploration and settlement, and the metropolis. As we make our way chronologically through some of the most influential texts of each period, students will develop their ability to read and discuss historical texts critically in preparation for advanced literary studies.

This course is designed to meet the following objectives for literature majors planning to move into advanced study. Students will 1) develop an understanding of how a certain text engages with topics characteristic of a certain historical period 2) cultivate and articulate observations on the formal decisions of an author in a variety of genres, including poetry, drama, and prose, and 3) learn to situate their own critical reading of a text in productive conversation with other scholars.



Texts:
Norton Anthology of English Literature Volume 1
Richard III by William Shakespeare, Norton Critical Edition

Grading

Participation and Quizzes: 15%
Commonplace Book Project: 15%
Close Reading Paper: 20%
Research Paper: 30%
Final Exam: 20%

Texts

Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 1
Norton Critical Edition of Richard III, William Shakespeare