All Courses
English Literature

In this course, Professor John Roe (University of York) explores Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. We begin in the first module by thinking about the history of the story of Romeo and Juliet and the sources that Shakespeare may have used when ...
8 lectures
1:41:31
Prof. John Roe
York University
English Literature

In this course, John McRae (University of Nottingham) explores the twenty poems that make up the ‘Poems of the Decade’ cluster for A Level English Literature (Edexcel). Each poem is read in detail, with a short commentary highlighting aspects of...
19 lectures
2:42:16
Prof. John McRae
Nottingham University
English Literature

In this course, Professor Nick Groom (University of Exeter) explores Oscar Wilde's 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The course begins with a brief introduction to Wilde himself, his life and times, as well as some of the key...
5 lectures
0:54:22
Prof. Nick Groom
Exeter University
English Literature

In this course, Professor John Bowen (University of York) explores Charles Dickens' 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol. The course begins with a general introduction to the book, which shows that it is funnier, wilder and much stranger than the many...
5 lectures
0:43:05
Prof. John Bowen
York University
English Literature

In this course, Professor John McRae (University of Nottingham) explores the fifteen poems that make up the ‘Love and Relationships’ cluster for GCSE English Literature (AQA). Each poem is read in full, with a short commentary highlighting ...
15 lectures
1:55:12
Prof. John McRae
Nottingham University
English Literature

In this twenty-five part course, Professor John McRae (University of Nottingham) explores Shakespeare’s King Lear. We begin with a broad introduction to the historical, political and intellectual context of early 17th-century England. After that, ...
25 lectures
3:11:30
Prof. John McRae
Nottingham University
English Literature

In this course, Professor David Punter (University of Bristol) explores Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic horror novel, Dracula. As we move through the course, we think about the centrality of blood to the novel (both literally and figuratively), the...
6 lectures
0:53:40
Prof. David Punter
Bristol University
English Literature

In this course, Dr Richard Robinson (Swansea University) explores Kazuo Ishiguro's 2005 novel, Never Let Me Go. We begin by introducing Ishiguro's previous works, before focusing on the idea on the unreliable first-person narrator. After that, we...
6 lectures
0:40:58
Dr Richard Robinson
Swansea University
English Literature

In this course, Professor Lisa Hopkins (Sheffield Hallam University) discusses John Webster’s play The Duchess of Malfi. We begin by thinking about Gothic motifs in the play, focusing in particular on instances of double-ness or twinning. In ...
5 lectures
0:48:30
Prof. Lisa Hopkins
Sheffield Hallam University
English Literature

In this course, Dr Charles Moseley (Cambridge) explores Shakespeare's last play, 'The Tempest'. The first modules concentrate on historical context, looking in particular at the influence of the accession of King James to the throne, and the...
8 lectures
0:57:02
Dr Charles Moseley
Cambridge University
English Literature

In this course, Professor Carolyne Larrington (University of Oxford) explores Geoffrey Chaucer's Merchant's Tale. We begin by thinking about the Merchant himself, who is introduced in the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales. After that, we...
6 lectures
0:42:51
Dr Carolyne Larrington
Oxford University
English Literature
Classics & Ancient History

In this course, Professor John Lennard explores the history of tragedy from its origins in ancient Athens to the present day. In the first three modules, we think about the tragedy of Classical Athens, looking in particular at the plays...
20 lectures
4:54:53
Prof. John Lennard
Independent Scholar
English Literature

In this course, we explore several aspects of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In the first module, we focus on some of the myths that lie behind the novel. After that, we think about the kind of knowledge that Victor engages with...
6 lectures
0:48:30
Prof. David Punter
Bristol University
History

In this course, Professor Robert Cook explores the development of African-American civil rights from the end of the American Civil War (1865) to the United States' entry into World War II (1941). After a brief introduction that provides an...
6 lectures
1:08:07
Prof. Robert Cook
Sussex University