Undergraduate Course: Literary Studies 2A: English Literature in the World, 1380-1788 (ENLI08024)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course aims to introduce students to different methods of reading literature historically. In order to learn how to place specific texts in their wider social and intellectual contexts, students will examine a range of literary genres, encompassing both canonical and non-canonical texts from the medieval period to the late seventeenth century. The texts have been selected to encourage critical engagement with the global dimensions of 'English Literature'. |
| Course description |
Literary Studies 2A seeks to develop your understanding of the complex relationship between literature and history. Literature reflects, engages with, and responds to the world in complex ways, and the course will provide you with the skills, methods, and knowledge that will allow you to analyse and understand how texts are variously shaped and inflected by the historical contexts in which they were produced. The chronological scope of the course (covering the period 1380 to 1690) encompasses a huge variety of different historical periods, so you will have the opportunity to explore literary texts which are remote not only from us, but also from one another. Each week two lectures will provide an introduction to key texts, with a broad overview of the relevant literary and historical context. They will also explain appropriate terminology and demonstrate how this is used in practice. To consolidate your understanding, you will undertake regular, formative exercises both individually and in small groups to prepare for broader discussion in weekly 50-minute tutorials.
Essential Reading (and recommended editions) for the course are as follows (additional material will be available on Learn):
- Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume A: The Middle Ages
- Shakespeare, The Tempest, ed. Stephen Orgel (Oxford, 2008)
Recommended reading includes:
- Wycherley, The Country Wife, ed. James Ogden (New Mermaids, 2003)
- Ben Jonson, The Alchemist, ed. Elizabeth Cook (Methuen Drama, 2010)
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Literary Studies 1A (ENLI08020) AND
Literary Studies 1B (ENLI08021) OR
English Literature 1 (ENLI08001) OR
Scottish Literature 1 (ENLI08016)
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | AH/A level English or Scottish Literature or equivalent
Students on the English and Scottish Literature pathways must have taken Literary Studies 1A and 1B. For students who took First Year courses prior to session 2021-22, a pass in English Literature 1 (ENLI08001) or Scottish Literature 1 (ENLI08016) is an acceptable equivalent.
Students on an English or Scottish Literature pathway must also take Literary Studies 2B.
Students taking Literary Studies 2A as an outside subject must also take Literary Studies 2B |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 310 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
- Coursework Essay on at least one text (40%) [LOs 1, 3, 4]
1,600 words; take-home, time-limited assessment) (40%) [LO 1, 2, 3, 4]
- Final 2-hour Examination (60%)
Section A: one essay to be completed from a set of questions on medieval literature with reference to at least one example.
Section B: one essay to be completed from a set of questions on early modern literature with reference to at least two examples. |
| Feedback |
Individual preparation (weekly) LO 1, 2, 4
Autonomous Learning Groups (weekly) LO 1, 2, 4 |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Literary Studies 2A: English Literature in the World, 1380-1788 (ENLI08024) | 120 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- critically examine how literary texts from the Medieval period reflect and interrogate critical, social, and historical contexts
- critically examine how literary texts from the Early Modern period reflect and interrogate critical, social, and historical contexts
- understand major formal developments from diverse historical periods
- evaluate and apply relevant critical approaches to the study of literary texts in their historical context
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Confident critical thinking skills, including the ability to define, understand and assess evidence from multiple sources to make balanced, reasoned judgements;
Flexible self-management capabilities including taking responsibility for learning, by using a range of study skills including digital skills with the confidence to work effectively online and remotely, e.g. taking part in online meetings, collaborating and supporting others online, managing a workload;
Confident communication capabilities in weekly tutorials, with the ability to exchange information in different ways including verbal, non-verbal and in written form;
Flexible collaboration and teamwork. |
| Keywords | Literary studies,historical context,poetry,drama,prose |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Dermot Cavanagh
Tel: (0131 6)50 3618
Email: Dermot.Cavanagh@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Lina Gordyshevskaya
Tel:
Email: pgordysh@ed.ac.uk |
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