Section outline
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Dear students, it is my pleasure to get you in touch for ENG 425 : History of English Literature II. This course will broaden your knowledge on rise and development of literature throughout decades starting from Puritan age to Postmodern Period.
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Department of English
Course Outline
Semester- Spring 2020
Course name: History of English Literature II
Course code: ENG 331
Course Teacher: Shampa Iftakhar
Assistant Professor, Dept. of English
Course Description
The course deals with a thorough study of the growth and development of English Literature from the Elizabethan period to the modern period. Attention will be focused on major writers and their works. The literary works and its social, political, religious and cultural background will be elaborately discussed.
Course Objectives:
- To encourage students to have a clear idea about the growth and development of different genres like journalism, novel etc of English Literature in different phases.
- They should not only be familiar with the major works of the authors, but also its historical background.
- They should be able to relate the work of writers to the prescribed times.
Required Textbook:
- History of English Literature by Moody & Lovett
- History of English Literature by Emile Leguis
- Cambridge History of English Literature by Robinson
- History of English literature by Kalyannath Dutta
Course Assessment:
- Assignment 5
- Class Test 15( 3 quizzes )
- Presentation 8
- Attendance 7 30%
- Mid‑term Examination 25
- Final Examination 40
Grades:
Marks (%)
Letter Grade
GPA
Assessment
80& above
A+
4.00
Outstanding
75-79
A
3.75
Excellent
70-74
A-
3.50
Very Good
65-69
B+
3.25
Good
60-64
B
3.00
Above Average
55-59
B-
2.75
Average
50-54
C+
2.50
Below Average
45-49
C
2.25
Poor
40-44
D
2.00
Pass
00-39
F
0.00
Fail
Learning Activities:
Class Lectures
§ Reading assignments
§ Library/Internet Research
§ Problem Solving
§ Presentations
§ Quiz
§ Written and Verbal discussions with instructor
§ Counselling
6. Course Outcomes
Acquire the ability to analyze historical questions and issues clearly, assess historical information accurately. Integrate history and literature into a coherent argument expressed through a clear, well-written style and through presenattion.
7. Learning Approaches
Hybrid (lecture- based, interactive...)
9. Possible Assessments
A) On-going Assessment
ASSESSMENT
MARK
Assignment 1
1
Assignment 2
4
Assignment 3
Presentation
8
Attendance
7
TOTAL
B) Test
ASSESSMENT
MARK
Quiz:1
15
Quiz:2
15
Mid Term Exam:
25
Quiz:3
15
Final Exam.
40
TOTAL
100
11. SESSION
DURATION
COURSE CONTENT
Please strictly maintain: (Day-wise detail topics, Sub topics, Student engagement, Role play, Simulation, Group study and Special points of each class must be mentioned)
Session: 1
90/180 minutes
Recapping Elizabethan age.
Session: 2
90/180 minutes
Puritan Age
Session: 3
90/180 minutes
Different Genres evolved in this period: Metaphysical Poetry,Drama, Essays
Session: 4
90/180 minutes
Famous writers and poets: John Donne, Milton
Session: 5
90/180 minutes
Restoration period. Parliament. Literary features.
Session: 6
90/180 minutes
Session: 7
90/180 minutes
Dryden, Milton
Session: 8
90/180 minutes
- Eighteenth Century Literary features
Session: 9
90/180 minutes
Presentation
Session: 10
90/180 minutes
Pope, Swift, ,Daniel Defoe Addison, Samuel Johnson, Samuel Johnson.- Eighteenth Century literary figures
Session: 11
90/180 minutes
Thomas Gray, Blake, Addison, Daniel Defoe- Eighteenth Century literary figures
Session: 12
90/180 minutes
French revolution, Establishment of America
Session: 13
90/180 minutes
Romantic Period: literary traits
Session: 14
90/180 minutes
Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron,
Session: 15
90/180 minutes
Shelly, Keats, Rise of Novel
Session: 16
90/180 minutes
Victorian age. Technological advancement, social issues
Session: 17
90/180 minutes
Novelists, Poets and their works :Dickens, Bronte, Arnold, H. G. Wells, Tennyson, Browning, Arnold
Session: 18
90/180 minutes
Second quiz
Session: 19
90/180 minutes
First world war: Joseph Conrad, Bernard Shaw, Yeats and Eliot
Session: 20
90/180 minutes
Features of Modern age and literature, Postmodernism,
Session: 21
90/180 minutes
Second world war
Session: 22
90/180 minutes
Third Quiz
Session: 23
90/180 minutes
Yeats and Eliot
Session: 24
90/180 minutes
Review
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A) On-going Assessment
ASSESSMENT
MARK
Assignment 3
5
Attendance
7
Presentation
8
TOTAL
20
B) Test
ASSESSMENT
MARK
Quiz:1
5
Quiz:2
5
Mid Term Exam:
25
Quiz:3
5
Final Exam.
40
TOTAL
80
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· History of English Literature by Moody & Lovett
· History of English Literature by Emile Leguis
· Cambridge History of English Literature by Robinson
· History of English literature by Kalyannath Dutta
· History of English Literature by William J Long
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Elizabeth I's religious settlement
Queen Elizabeth I inherited a nation suffering from religious flux, but went on to build a stable, peaceful nation.
- 1534: The Reformation of Henry VIII made England’s monarch the spiritual and secular head of the realm.
- 1547: Protestantism is continued under Edward VI.
- 1553: Queen Mary I reversed this decision when she restored Roman Catholicism as the state religion, and the Pope became head of the church once again.
- 1559: Queen Elizabeth wished to create a new moderate religious settlement derived from Henry VIII's break from Rome. She established the Church of England in 1559.
Queen Elizabeth I and religion
Queen Elizabeth I wanted to build a stable, peaceful nation with a strong government, free from the influence of foreign powers in matters of the church and the state. To realise this vision it was necessary to reach a new religious settlement that was as inclusive as possible. Changes needed to be introduced with a minimum of confrontation in order to overcome fear and suspicion at home and abroad.
The choice of state religion would have political consequences, whatever the decision. Choosing to remain Catholic would surrender power to Rome and ally England with other Catholic states, such as France and Spain. Returning to Protestantism would align England with the Dutch, its main trading partner, but risked antagonising Spain, the most powerful nation in the world. Protestantism would also create a fear of persecution among England’s Catholics.
Building a united and prosperous England
Elizabeth's first Parliament was inaugurated on 25 January 1559. Queen Elizabeth was in attendance for the opening speech which was delivered by Nicholas Bacon, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. As spokesman for the government, Bacon delivered its mission statement, ‘to unite the people of this realm into a uniform order of religion'.
Bacon outlined the course to reach this goal by explaining that members were not to insult each other with terms like 'heretic', 'schismatic' or 'Papist'. They were not going to waste time on abstract theological debates, but rather get down to the business at hand of finding concrete solutions to the problems of the day. Matters were to be debated in a respectful fashion. Extremism would not be tolerated and name-calling and mud-slinging would not move things forward. In this address, Elizabeth deliberately disassociated herself from the unpopular regime under Queen Mary I by signalling how hers would be different.
Debating the Elizabethan religious settlement
The first act passed by the House of Commons in February 1559 joined together a bill of supremacy, establishing Queen Elizabeth I as head of the church, with one of uniformity, dealing with the type of faith and service. The proposed settlement was roundly rejected and adulterated by the House of Lords, with its Catholic majority.
Elizabeth and her pro-reform ministers had to regroup and plan another strategy. A debate was scheduled during the Easter recess between a team of Catholics and a team of Protestants, with the Privy Council as judge and Bacon as Chairman. The debate quickly descended into name-calling and two of the Catholics were sent to the Tower for contempt.
What was the Act of Supremacy?
When Parliament reconvened in April, the two issues were presented separately and considerable concessions were made. The revised Act of Supremacy still abolished papal supremacy, but defined Elizabeth as Supreme Governor, rather than Supreme Head, of the church. This change of title placated those who did not feel that a woman could be the head of the church, and the act passed fairly easily.
What was the Act of Uniformity?
The Act of Uniformity of 1559 set out the groundwork for the Elizabethan church. It restored the 1552 version of the English Prayer Book but kept many of the familiar old practices and allowed for two interpretations of communion, one Catholic and one Protestant. The bill was hotly debated but eventually passed by three votes.
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Spanish Armada
Many reasons led to discontent between Spain and England. The first being Elizabeth's refusal of marriage to Phillip if Spain. Another being the English sympathy to the protestant rebels on the Netherlands. Also, the activities of English ‘pirates', who looted Spanish ships, caused problems between Spain and England. In 1568, a final blow came when some Spanish ships were blown off course into English waters, and the English seized them. The Spanish responded by doing the same to the English.
Seeing Spain as a threat, Elizabeth tried to form an alliance with France. France however, thought her intention was to create war between France and Spain while England looked on.
The Spanish Armada sailed in 1588 and was completely defeated by the English. Phillip was warned against this mission but believed he was on a mission from God. Their complete failure effectively ended any threat Spain posed to the English.
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Rise and Development of Drama
Drama was introduced to Britain from Europe by the Romans.
Religious period of Drama
The origin of the drama is deep-rooted in the religion.As most of the Bible was written into Latin, common people could not understand its meanings. That’s why the clergy tried to find out some new methods of teaching and expounding the teachings of Bible to the common people. For this purpose, they developed a new method, wherein the stories of the Gospel were explained through the living pictures. The performers acted out the story in a dumb show.
Medieval period:
Mystery plays were stories taken from the Bible. Each play had four or five different scenes or acts. The priests and monks were the actors. Each scene or act was preformed at a different place in town and the people moved from one stage to the next to watch the play. The play usually ended outside the church so that the people would go to church and hear a sermon after watching the play.
The Miracle play was about the life or actions of a saint, usually about the actions that made that person a saint. One popular Miracle play was about Saint George and the dragon.
Morality plays were designed to teach people a lesson in how to live their life according to the rules of the church.
Sometimes these plays had elaborate sets, sometimes no sets at all. It didn't seem to matter. The people attended these plays. They didn't have to, but it was a break from their normal daily lives.
Interlude:
Interlude, in theatre, early form of English dramatic entertainment, sometimes considered to be the transition between medieval morality plays and Tudor dramas. Interludes were performed at court or at “great houses” by professional minstrels or amateurs at intervals between some other entertainment, such as a banquet, or preceding or following a play, or between acts. Although most interludes were sketches of a nonreligious nature, some plays were called interludes that are today classed as morality plays. John Heywood, one of the most famous interlude writers, brought the genre to perfection in his The Play of the Wether (1533) and The Playe Called the Foure P.P. (c. 1544). The earl of Essex is known to have had a company of interlude players in 1468; the first royal company was apparently established in 1493.
Renaissance Drama:
The English Renaissance, a cultural and artistic movement in England from 16th to early 17th century. It paved the way for the dominance of drama in the country. Queen Elizabeth I ruled during the period Great poetry and drama were produced. The renowned playwrights of this time include William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and John Webster.The dramatists wrote plays based on themes like history, comedy and tragedy. Shakespeare emerged as an artist who produced plays based on all the three themes. Drama had previously been performed in temporary spaces. In 1567 the first public theater, the Red Lion Theatre in White chapel, was built. With the establishment of public theaters and acting companies the demand for plays was met by a group of highly educated men who were deeply educated in classical literature.
Things to know:
First Tragedy: The Tragedie of Gorboduc, also titled Ferrex and Porrex, is an English play from 1561. It was first performed at the Christmas celebration given by the Inner Temple in 1561, and performed at Whitehall before Queen Elizabeth I. Gorboduc, play was written by Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville that takes as its subject Gorboduc, a mythical king of ancient Britain.
First Comedy: Ralph Roister Doister is a sixteenth-century play by Nicholas Udall, which was once regarded as the first comedy to be written in the English language.
Seneca Lucius Anaeus junior : He was a Roman philosopher, poet and politician. He was born about 4 B. C. in Hispanic Cordoba. Seneca was a son of rhetorician and writer. He died by suicide in year 65 in Rome.
Lucius Seneca shaped the genre of revenge tragedy with his ten plays: Hercules Furens, Troades, Phoenissae, Medea, Phaedra, Oedipus, Agamemnon, Thyestes, Hercules Oetaeus, and Octavia.
Key facts of Revenge Tragedy: a) Revenge is the central theme b)play within a play c) presence of supernatural elements( ghost as vindictive character),d) insanity and mad scene, e) murder scene and violence
English Revenge tragedy:
Hamlet and Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare
The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd
The Revenger's Tragedy by Thomas Middleton
The three Unities/ Dramatic Unities:
Aristotle's Poetics mentioned the three unities of drama. The Three Unities are:
1. Unity of Time: the action of the play should take place in a short internal chronology, ideally, no more than 24 hours.
2. Unity of Place: the action should take place in a minimal number of locations–ideally, just one. A public square or palace courtyard would usually serve this purpose well.
3. Unity of Action: The action of the play should be as succinct as possible. Accomplish the emotional beats and relevant plot points in few, efficient steps. Avoid subplots. Quality trumps quantity. (If Aristotle had known what non-linear storytelling was, he probably would’ve advised against that, as well.)
He also mentioned that mixing of tragic and comic element should be avoided. Except Ben Jonson and John Dryden, almost every dramatists of Renaissance and Elizabethan periods violated these classical rules.
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Jacobean drama is, quite simply defined, the drama that was written and performed during the reign of Elizabeth’s successor, James I. But, as with Elizabethan drama, it is more than just the plays written during the reign of a particular monarch: like Elizabethan drama, the Jacobean drama has its particular characteristics.
The comic dramas of the Elizabethan theatre give way to harsh satire, led by Ben Jonson: the Elizabethan tragic dramas give way to an obsession with moral corruption and violent stories of revenge. In both forms, the dramas of the time show a cynical and pessimistic outlook on life.
Some of the most prominent of the Jacobean playwrights, apart from Shakespeare, are Jonson, Webster, Tourneur, Beaumont, Fletcher, Middleton, Rowley, Marston, Heyward, Ford and Dekke
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Historical Background of Victorian Age
In the year 1837, Queen Victoria ascended the throne of Great Britain and Ireland and succeeded William the IV. She served for a period of 64 years, till her death in 1901 and it is one of the longest reigns in the history of England. The period was marked by many important social and historical changes that altered the nation in many ways. The population nearly doubled, the British Empire expanded exponentially and technological and industrial progress helped Britain become the most powerful country in the world.
Chief Characteristics of Victorian Period
While the country saw economic progress, poverty and exploitation were also equally a part of it. The gap between the rich and the poor increased significantly and the drive for material and commercial success was seen to propagate a kind of a moral decay in the society itself. The changing landscape of the country was another concern. While the earlier phase of Romanticism saw a celebration of the country side and the rich landscape of the flora and fauna, the Victorian era saw a changing of the landscape to one of burgeoning industries and factories. While the poor were exploited for their labor, the period witnessed the rise of the bourgeoisie or the middle class due to increasing trade between Britain and its colonies and the Reform Bill of 1832 strengthen their hold. There was also a shift from the Romantic ideals of the previous age towards a more realistic acceptance and depiction of society.
One of the most important factors that defined the age was its stress on morality. Strict societal codes were enforced and certain activities were openly looked down upon. These codes were even harsher for women. A feminine code of conduct was levied on them which described every aspect of their being from the proper apparels to how to converse, everything had rules. The role of women was mostly that of being angels of the house and restricted to domestic confines. Professionally very few options were available to them as a woman could either become a governess or a teacher in rich households. Hence they were financially dependent on their husbands and fathers and it led to a commercialization of the institution of marriage.
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Traits of 20th Century Literature
The 20th century was like no time period before it. Einstein, Darwin, Freud and Marx were just some of the thinkers who profoundly changed Western culture. These changes took distinct shape in the literature of the 20th century. Modernism, a movement that was a radical break from 19th century Victorianism, led to postmodernism, which emphasized self-consciousness and pop art. While 20th century literature is a diverse field covering a variety of genres, there are common characteristics that changed literature forever.
Fragmented Structure
Prior to the 20th century, literature tended to be structured in linear, chronological order. Twentieth century writers experimented with other kinds of structures. Virginia Woolf, for instance, wrote novels whose main plot was often "interrupted" by individual characters' memories, resulting in a disorienting experience for the reader. Ford Madox Ford's classic "The Good Soldier" plays with chronology, jumping back and forth between time periods. Many of these writers aimed to imitate the feeling of how time is truly experienced subjectively.
Fragmented Perspective
If there's one thing readers could count on before the 20th century, it was the reliability of an objective narrator in fiction. Modernist and postmodern writers, however, believed that this did a disservice to the reliability of stories in general. The 20th century saw the birth of the ironic narrator, who could not be trusted with the facts of narrative. Nick Carraway, narrator of Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," for example, tells the story with a bias toward the novel's titular character. In an extreme case of fragmented perspective, Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying" switches narrators between each chapter.
The Novel of the City
The 20th century is distinguished as the century of urbanism. As more people moved to cities in Europe and America, novelists used urban environments as backdrops for the stories they told. Perhaps the best known of these is James Joyce's "Dubliners," a series of short stories that all take place in various locales in Dublin. Other 20th century writers are also closely associated with various urban centers: Woolf and London, Theodore Dreiser and Chicago, Paul Auster and New York, Michael Ondaatje and Toronto.
Writing from the Margins
The 20th century gave voice to marginalized people who previously got little recognition for their literary contributions. The Harlem Renaissance, for example, brought together African-Americans living in New York to form a powerful literary movement. Writers such as Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen and Zora Neale Hurston wrote fiction and poetry that celebrated black identity. Similarly, female writers gained recognition through novels that chronicled their own experience. Finally, the post-colonial literary movement was born, with writers such as Chinua Achebe writing stories on behalf of subjugated peoples who had experienced colonization by Western powers.
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