Classical and Early British Literature.

Catalog description

From its earliest beginnings in the seventh century, the English literary tradition defined itself alongside and against the Classical tradition: the earliest English lyrics translate Latin texts with incisiveness and vigor; Middle English romances and court poetry draw on Classical sources mediated by continental texts like Jean de Meun’s Roman de la Rose, Dante’s Commedia, and Bocaccio’s Decameron; and Shakespeare, arguably the canon’s most important author, drew on a range of sources from Roman comedy to Medieval historiography and England’s own recent history in fashioning his plays. While the Western tradition does not encompass all of English literature, a working knowledge of the tradition is both an invaluable aid to an English major and a source of great pleasure for an avid reader. This course will equip you with that knowledge, offering a broad exposure to seminal texts, historical contexts, and interpretive modes.