English Literature

Course summary

This course involves studying arguably the world’s greatest literary heritage. You will study plays, poems and novels, and will explore a range of genres and time periods, from Shakespeare’s work in the 1500s-1600s to the present day. In this way, you’ll gain an insight into both the history of writing in English and its continued vibrancy. If you enjoy reading literary texts, this course offers a great opportunity for you to broaden your horizons. You will be immersed in the 17th-century world of Jacobean intrigue, obsessive desires and murder. But be warned, there is also the chance of being shipwrecked upon a remote island with a vengeful magician and three boisterous drunks for company. So that’s Webster and Shakespeare. And if that’s not enough excitement for you, we can assure you that some time will be spent visiting fictional destinations such as the Garden of Eden (in John Milton’s Paradise Lost) and menacing dystopian worlds envisaged by writers such as George Orwell, Margaret Atwood and Cormac McCarthy.