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2019/2020

English Literature from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment

Code: 100249 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500245 English Studies OB 3 2
2501902 English and Catalan OT 3 0
2501902 English and Catalan OT 4 0
2501907 English and Classics OT 3 0
2501907 English and Classics OT 4 0
2501910 English and Spanish OT 3 0
2501910 English and Spanish OT 4 0
2501913 English and French OT 3 0
2501913 English and French OT 4 0

Contact

Name:
Jordi Coral Escola
Email:
Jordi.Coral@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)
Some groups entirely in English:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Teachers

Jordi Coral Escola

Prerequisites

‘Orígens de la Literatura Anglesa’ (100245)  

‘Història i Cultura de les Illes Britàniques’ (100217)

C1 level (advanced) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment is required. 

Objectives and Contextualisation

 

  • This course provides an introduction to the principal authors of early modern English literature (16c. to 18c.) through the critical reading of some of the most representative poetic, dramatic and narrative texts.
  • This subject is indispensable to complete the undergraduate literary curriculum. 
  • The successful completion of this course will allow students to improve their academic, critical and linguistic skills by means of the following exercises: textual commentary, class presentations, use of library resources, and debates and class discussion. 

Competences

    English Studies
  • Critically assessing the scientific, literary and cultural production in the English language.
  • Demonstrate a comprehension of the relationship between factors, processes and phenomena of linguistics, literature, history and culture, and explaining it.
  • Demonstrate they know a wide variety of texts in English language of any mean (oral, written, audiovisual) and recognising implicit meanings.
  • Distinguish and contrast the various theoretical and methodological models applied to the study of the English language, its literature and its culture.
  • Identify the main literary, cultural and historical currents in the English language.
  • Produce clear and well structured and detailed texts in English about complex topics, displaying a correct use of the organisation, connection and cohesion of the text.
  • Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
    English and Catalan
  • Critically assessing the scientific, literary and cultural production in the English language.
  • Demonstrate a comprehension of the relationship between factors, processes and phenomena of linguistics, literature, history and culture, and explaining it.
  • Demonstrate they know a wide variety of texts in English language of any mean (oral, written, audiovisual) and recognising implicit meanings.
  • Distinguish and contrast the various theoretical and methodological models applied to the study of the English language, its literature and its culture.
  • Identify the main literary, cultural and historical currents in the English language.
  • Produce clear and well structured and detailed texts in English about complex topics, displaying a correct use of the organisation, connection and cohesion of the text.
  • Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
    English and Classics
  • Demonstrate a comprehension of the relationship between factors, processes and phenomena of linguistics, literature, history and culture, and explaining it.
  • Demonstrate they know a wide variety of texts in English language of any mean (oral, written, audiovisual) and recognising implicit meanings.
  • Distinguish and contrast the various theoretical and methodological models applied to the study of the English language, its literature and its culture.
  • Identify the main literary, cultural and historical currents in the English language.
  • Produce clear and well structured and detailed texts in English about complex topics, displaying a correct use of the organisation, connection and cohesion of the text.
  • Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
    English and Spanish
  • Critically assessing the scientific, literary and cultural production in the English language.
  • Demonstrate a comprehension of the relationship between factors, processes and phenomena of linguistics, literature, history and culture, and explaining it.
  • Demonstrate they know a wide variety of texts in English language of any mean (oral, written, audiovisual) and recognising implicit meanings.
  • Distinguish and contrast the various theoretical and methodological models applied to the study of the English language, its literature and its culture.
  • Identify the main literary, cultural and historical currents in the English language.
  • Produce clear and well structured and detailed texts in English about complex topics, displaying a correct use of the organisation, connection and cohesion of the text.
  • Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
    English and French
  • Critically assessing the scientific, literary and cultural production in the English language.
  • Demonstrate a comprehension of the relationship between factors, processes and phenomena of linguistics, literature, history and culture, and explaining it.
  • Demonstrate they know a wide variety of texts in English language of any mean (oral, written, audiovisual) and recognising implicit meanings.
  • Distinguish and contrast the various theoretical and methodological models applied to the study of the English language, its literature and its culture.
  • Identify the main literary, cultural and historical currents in the English language.
  • Produce clear and well structured and detailed texts in English about complex topics, displaying a correct use of the organisation, connection and cohesion of the text.
  • Rewrite and organize information and arguments coming from several sources in English and presenting them in a coherent and summarised way.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analysing and interpreting in a basic level literary texts in English of periods preceding the contemporary era.
  2. Analysing and interpreting texts in a medium level about the literary genres and literary criticism in English.
  3. Appropriately placing literary texts in English of periods preceding the contemporary era in their corresponding historical and cultural context.
  4. Appropriately placing literary texts in English of periods preceding the contemporary era in their corresponding linguistic context.
  5. Carrying out oral presentations in English about topics related to literary texts in English of periods preceding the contemporary era.
  6. Communicating in the studied language in oral and written form, properly using vocabulary and grammar.
  7. Comparing in a medium level the methodologies of literary criticism in English.
  8. Describing the historical and thematic evolution of the literary text in English of periods preceding the contemporary era.
  9. Distinguishing the main ideas from the secondary ones and summarising the contents of literary texts of periods preceding the contemporary era.
  10. Distinguishing the main ideas from the secondary ones and summarising the contents of primary and secondary texts related to the English literature of periods preceding the contemporary era.
  11. Drawing up brief argumentative essays or text comments in English about topics related to literary texts in English of periods preceding the contemporary era.
  12. Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
  13. Identifying the main currents, authors, genres and texts of the main literary texts in English of periods preceding the contemporary era.
  14. Localising secondary academic sources in the library or on the Internet related to the English literature of periods preceding the contemporary era.
  15. Making judgements of value in relation to the literary criticism in English associated with the English literature of periods preceding the contemporary era.
  16. Participating in face-to-face and virtual debates in English about topics related to literary texts in English of periods preceding the contemporary era.
  17. Summarising the content of primary and secondary academic sources related to the English literature of periods preceding the contemporary era.

Content

Syllabus

Unit 1: The works of William Shakespeare: a) poetry: "The Sonnets" and the Petrarchan tradition; b) drama: "The Merchant of Venice" and the early modern stage. 
Unit 2: Metaphysical poetry: selected poems by John Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell.
Unit 3: John Milton: "Paradise Lost" (a selection). 
Unit 4: The Rise of the Novel: Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels".

Methodology

The teaching methodology will be based on:

  • Directed activities (30%, 1.8 cr)
  • Supervised activities (15%, 0.9 cr)
  • Autonomous activities  (50%, 3 cr)
  • Assessment activities (5%, 0.3 cr)

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Practice classes: reading and debates 20 0.8 1, 7, 15, 5, 16
Theory classes 30 1.2 8, 13, 17
Type: Supervised      
Assignments 25 1 1, 14, 11, 17
Type: Autonomous      
Reading 15 0.6 2, 8, 9, 13
Study 35 1.4 9, 10, 13, 17

Assessment

Assessment for this course is based on the following criteria:

  • Exams 1 (45%)
  • Exam 2  (45%) 
  • Class participation (10%)

 

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Continuous assessment applies to this subject. This means that all exercises are compulsory and submission of 30% or more of these exercises automatically excludes the possibility of obtaining “No avaluable” as a final grade. The minimum mark for any exercise or exam to be considered for the average final mark is 5. The minimum average pass mark for the whole subject is 5.
  • The student’s command of English will be taken into account when marking all exercises and for the final mark. It will count as 25% of this mark for all the exercises and will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:
    • Grammar (morphology and syntax)
    • Vocabulary (accuracy and variety)
    • Cohesion (among sentences and paragraphs)
    • Organization (sound argumentation of ideas)
    • Style (expression and register)
    • Spelling
  • Reviewing procedure: Students have a right to review their exercises with the teacher in a personal tutorial, on the set dates, never later than 2 weeks after the marks have been made available. The student loses this right if s/he fails to collect the exercise/exam within the period announced by the teacher.

 

  • “Item-By-Item” Re-assessment (“recuperació”) Criteria:

 

a)     Students who fail both exams are not eligible for re-assessment; those who have failed one of the two exams are eligible provided that its mark is higher than 3.5. Students who have failed one of the two exams must opt for re-assessment even if the provisional average mark of the course were 5 or higher.

b)    Students whose re-assessment is successful will get, in all cases, a final grade of 5. Students who have passed both exams cannot opt for re-assessment in order to upgrade their average mark. 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Class participation 10% 20 0.8 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 15, 12, 6, 5, 13, 14, 16, 11, 17
Exam 1 45% 2.5 0.1 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 15, 12, 6, 5, 13, 14, 11, 17
Exam 2 45% 2.5 0.1 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 15, 12, 6, 5, 13, 14, 11, 17

Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY (A more detailed bibliography will be provided in class)

UNIT 1

Set reading:

  • William Shakespeare’s "Sonnets" (1609)
  • "The Merchant of Venice" (ed. Jay L. Halio, Oxford Shakespeare, OUP, 1993).

Optional reading:

  • Tempest (1610-11)
  • Romeo and Juliet (1596)
  • Hamlet (1601)

UNIT 2

Set readings:

  • Metaphysical poetry: John Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell.
  • Henry Vaughan, Selected poetry (1650s)
  • Francis Bacon, "Essays" (1597)

UNIT 3

Set readings:

  • "Paradise Lost" by John Milton (1645)

Optional readings:

  • "Paradise Regained", John Milton 
  • "Samson Agonistes", John Milton 

UNIT 4
Set reading:

  • "Gulliver's Travels" (1726) de Jonathan Swift


Optional readings:

  • "Robinson Crusoe", 1719, Daniel Defoe.
  • Political Writings, 1720, Mary Astell.
  • "Love Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister" (1684), Aphra Behn.

Websites:

Please note:
For each unit at least one academic article will be read (see Campus Virtual).

Other recomended texts:

Levi, Anthony. "Renaissance and Reformation: Intellectual Genesis". New Haven: Yale University Press,2002.
MacCulloch, Diarmaid. "Reformation: Europe’s House Divided". London: Penguin Books, 2003.
Kermode, Frank, "Shakespeare's Language". Hardmondsworth: Penguin Books, 2000.

Milton, John (Scott Elledge ed.). "Paradise Lost: an Authoritative Text Backgrounds and Sources". New York: Norton, 1993.
Norbrook, David (ed.) "The Penguin Book of Renaissance Verse". London: Penguin, 2005.
Patterson, Annabel. "John Milton". London: Longman, 1991.
Van Doren, Mark: "Shakespeare". New York: New York Review of Books, 2005.
Zwicker, Steven N. "The Cambridge Companion to English Literature 1650:1740". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.