A good working knowledge of the English language and familiarity with English-speaking cultures.

A strong desire to engage with texts and develop critical reading and analytical skills.

Course Objectives

This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive and rigorous understanding of the history of English literature and culture during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. It aims to cultivate advanced critical and analytical skills necessary for an in-depth historical-cultural interpretation of two of the principal literary forms - the sonnet and Shakespearian tragedy - characteristic of this era.

Students will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in employing diverse methodologies of literary analysis, encompassing critical-literary and philological research approaches. Through meticulous examination of the formal, thematic, intertextual, and intercultural dimensions of the prescribed texts, students will develop the capacity for sophisticated and nuanced literary critique.

Furthermore, the course fosters an engagement with contemporary theoretical and methodological frameworks, enabling students to articulate well-founded critical arguments concerning the key themes and complex issues raised by the texts and their broader historical contexts.

• Introduction to English literature of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods: historical, cultural, and social contexts
• In-depth study of William Shakespeare’s theatrical works (Hamlet and Macbeth), with particular focus on formal, thematic, and dramaturgical aspects
• Analysis of Shakespearean sonnets and other Renaissance poets, focusing on poetic techniques, themes of love, and cultural influences
• Exploration of the literary and cultural dynamics of the 16th and 17th centuries, including theatrical and poetic traditions and literary production practices
• Examination of critical and philological methodologies applied to the texts, with special attention to intertextuality and intercultural dimensions
• Discussion of contemporary literary theories related to Elizabethan and Jacobean criticism.

Adopted Texts (9 CFU Course)

1. William Shakespeare: Hamlet, Arden edition
2. William Shakespeare: Macbeth, Arden edition
3. A selection of sonnets will be available in PDF for all students. Specifically, students must read:

• Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503–1542):
• "Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind..."
• "I find no peace, and all my war is done..."
• "A Renouncing of Love"
• "The long love that in my thought doth harbor"
• Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517–1547):
• "Love, that doth reign and live within my thought."
• "The fancy of a wearied lover"
• Edmund Spenser (c. 1552–1599):
• Amoretti LXXV: "One Day I Wrote her Name"
• Amoretti LXVIII: "Most Glorious Lord of Life"
• Sir Philip Sidney (1554–1586):
• Sonnets 48 and 81 from Astrophel and Stella
• William Shakespeare (1564–1616):
• Sonnets 1, 6, 18, 29, 55, 73, 116, 119, 130
• Ben Jonson (1572–1637):
• "On Poet-Ape"
• "A Sonnet to the Noble Lady, the Lady Mary Wroth"
• Lady Mary Wroth (1587–1651):
• Sonnet 1: "When night's black mantle could most darkness prove"

(The definitive list of sonnets will be supplied during the course.)

1. William Shakespeare: Hamlet, Arden edition
2. A selection of Shakespearean sonnets will be available in PDF format. Specifically, students must read:

• William Shakespeare (1564–1616): Sonnets 1, 6, 18, 29, 55, 73, 116, 119, 130 and the listed sonnets of at least 2 of the other poets on the course.

A selection of critical essays will be provided in PDF format during the lessons.

The required texts are the same for all students, whether attending or non-attending.

All lessons will be conducted in English.

Non-attending students will be able to access information, materials, and updates via the Microsoft Teams group (English Literature and Culture II) that will be created specifically for the course.

Students are encouraged to contact the professor either through the Teams platform or by email at johnfrancis.mccourt@unimc.it for any questions, clarifications, or to arrange individual meetings.

• The course will be delivered primarily through lectures conducted in English, complemented by seminar-style discussions that encourage active student participation and critical engagement with the texts and themes.Students will be regularly asked to read texts or parts of texts in advance of class.

  Visual aids, including PowerPoint presentations, will be employed to enhance comprehension and provide structured overviews of key concepts, historical contexts, and textual analyses.

  Students will be encouraged to contribute to discussions, ask questions, and engage with both primary texts and critical scholarship, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

  Additional activities may include close reading exercises, group analysis, and occasional multimedia resources to support diverse learning styles.

• The exam consists of an oral test in which candidates must demonstrate a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the texts prescribed in the syllabus and of the critical bibliography provided during the course. Students are required to bring the adopted literary texts to the exam and may refer to them during the discussion.

  The final grade will be distributed as follows:

  
  

  • 66%: Critical and contextual discussion of the two plays, including textual analysis, historical contextualization, and engagement with relevant theoretical approaches.
  • 34%: Detailed analysis and interpretation of the selected sonnets.

  Assessment criteria:

  
  

  • Knowledge and understanding of the texts (30%)
  • Ability to read and critically analyse the texts, with attention to formal, thematic, stylistic, and historical dimensions.
  • Ability to make connections (20%)
  • Capacity to relate texts and authors, identifying thematic links, stylistic or ideological developments, and intertextual relations.
  • Application of knowledge (20%)
  • Effective and informed use of historical, critical, and theoretical tools in textual interpretation.
  • Independent judgment and critical thinking (20%)
  • Ability to develop well-argued personal interpretations and to integrate different critical perspectives.
  • Clarity and quality of oral presentation (10%)
  • Precision of language, coherence in exposition, and the ability to construct a well-articulated critical argument.
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The course will be taught entirely in English.

English