A careful reading of a representative selection of Shakespeare's plays, with attention to their historical context, the poetic and dramatic aspects of Shakespeare's art, and a variety of approaches to his work. Intensive study of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales as well as some of Chaucer's shorter poetry. Students explore genre, language, and context, as well as language and critical reception. Detailed investigation of the works of certain authors or an intensive investigation of a particular period. Medieval to Renaissance in English Literature.
Specific authors vary.
Origins and Influence. Victorian and Modern British Literature. Analysis of literature as a product and cause of cultural change in Great Britain from 1839 to 1939. The English Novel. Study of the development of the English novel in the 18th and 19th centuries.