English Literature

In this course, Professor Ania Loomba (University of Pennsylvania) provides a broad introduction to the field of postcolonial studies. In the first module, we think about the scope of postcolonial studies, including running through some key...

In this course, Dr Alfie Bown (University of Manchester) explores Dickens’ 1849-50 novel David Copperfield. After a brief introduction that sets the novel in its historical context, we turn to some of the major themes of the novel, including how...

In this course, Professor Cedric Watts (University of Sussex) explores Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida. We begin by thinking about the strangeness of the play: is it a history, a comedy, or a tragedy? was it performed in Shakespeare's lifetime?...

In this course, Professor Lisa Hopkins (University of Sheffield Hallam) explores Christopher Marlowe's The Jew of Malta. In the first module, we consider the character of Machiaval/Machiavelli and the presentation of morality in the play, before...

In this course, Dr Emma Whipday (University of Newcastle) analyses the dynamics between family, gender and power in Shakespeare’s plays, focusing on Early Modern understandings of women and the family. We start with a look at beliefs about family...

In this course, Professor Max Saunders (King's College, London) explores Ford Madox Ford's 1915 novel, the Good Soldier. We begin by providing a brief introduction to Ford Madox Ford and his literary circle, before discussing his status as an...

In this course, Professor John Lennard explores John Ford’s 17th-century tragedy, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore. The course begins by thinking about john Ford himself, about whom we know very little, and his literary output, before moving on to explore...

In this course, Dr Sophie Duncan (University of Oxford) introduces ideas about sex and gender in the Early Modern period. We start with an overview of contemporary ideas about sex, gender, femininity and masculinity. In the second module, we...

In this course, Professor Cedric Watts (University of Sussex) explores Joseph Conrad's 1907 novel, The Secret Agent. The course begins by thinking about Conrad's life – his upbringing in Poland, his early career as a merchant sailor, and his later...

In this course, Dr Ross Wilson (University of Cambridge) explores the concept of aesthetic and literary judgment, and its role in the formation of the canon. We begin with an overview of the aesthetic judgment, considering Immanuel Kant’s theses...

In this course, Professor Lisa Hopkins (Sheffield Hallam) explores John Ford’s ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore. The course begins by exploring the play’s central theme—incest—before moving on to consider the concepts of ‘heart’ and ‘blood’. After that, we...

In this course, Dr Todd Borlik (University of Huddersfield) explores the development of the ecocritical movement in the last four decades. In the first module, we ask what ecocriticism is, using Lawrence Buell’s Criteria for Environmental texts to...

In this course, Professor Helen Smith (University of York) explores the relationship between early modern print culture and the works of Shakespeare. In the first module, we go through a brief overview of printing discussing the innovation of...