Seminar in Literary Studies
Topic: Queen Elizabeth
Class Information
Instructor: Dolan, Frances
CRN: 32114
Time: MW 12:10-1:30
Location: 248 Voorhies
GE Areas: Writing Experience
Description
In this small seminar (capped at 15), we will study Elizabeth I as a writer, a ruler, a figure dominating the imaginations of her subjects, and a continuing cultural obsession. We will begin with a discussion of how historical fiction and popular representations depict the queen. What, we will ask, is our own investment in Elizabeth and Elizabethans? To understand what these fictional accounts emphasize and ignore, we will then turn to biographies of the queen, her own speeches, letters, and poems, and crucial contexts for some of the most important writings.
Grading
Student preparation and participation will be crucial to the seminar's success (30% of the grade total). Students will regularly start and guide discussion; weekly writing will motivate and reward keeping up with the reading. There will also be some short research exercises and a final research paper.
Texts
Elizabeth I: The Novel, Margaret George
The Life of Elizabeth I, Alison Weir
Elizabeth I and Her Age, Donald Stamp et al