English Literature: Beowulf through the 18th Century
Official Description[edit]
English Literature: Beowulf through the 18th Century (10-245)
A study of selected English literary masterpieces and their backgrounds from the Anglo-Saxons through Boswell's biography of Samuel Johnson. Readings include Chaucer, More, Spenser, Marlowe, Shakespeare, Donne, Milton, Pope, Swift, and Boswell.
Overview[edit]
Read works from the various ages of Britain's history, discuss, write a paper.
What actually happens[edit]
The first work you read, of course, is Beowulf. Without giving too much away, someone is a hero, becomes king and dies, setting the precedent for a literary tradition full of nostalgia for a glorious past that probably never actually existed (such as Brutus founding Britain). Major themes that seem to run through the collective British psyche include a distaste for the rich or poor (depending on what the author isn't), and the constant reminder that we're all most likely going to hell. There's also a healthy dose of wanton death with vague moral teachings that are probably somewhat Christian but nobody can quite agree on what they are. But you only read one Shakespearean tragedy.
Many of the works are available on Sparknotes, but at the end of the semester sparknotes dries up, so you'll have to buckle down and either read or hone your bullshitting skills.
