LIT 223H - British Literature I

Credit(s): 3

This introduction to British writers and works begins with the ancient heroes and monsters in Beowulf and continues through the Middle Ages with readings from The Canterbury Tales, as well as King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The adventure continues during the Renaissance with The Tragedy of Dr. Faustus, then moves on to a variety of works during the Restoration and 18th century: from the stinging satire, Gulliver’s Travels to the hilarious comedy She Stoops to Conquer. Literature read throughout the course will include a number of poems, essays, plays and stories. (Intermittently)

Course Learning Outcomes

Draw reasonable inferences, interpret, and critically analyze literature.
Discuss literature of the Middle Ages, the Elizabethan, the Jacobean, Puritan, and the Restoration time periods.
Discuss the major concerns of British writers of these periods.
Explain the social political, religious, and economic influences on the British writers of these periods.
Read, discuss, and evaluate a variety of tests ranging from the Anglo-Saxon to the Enlightenment Period.
Situate and interpret literary texts in a national context.
Describe the impact of a national literature on culture and history and vice versa.
Write critically about a national literature as it is informed by a historical and cultural perspective.
Examine the nature of human experience and/or artistic expression.