ENGLISH LITERATURE AND CULTURE I

Knowledge and understanding: the course will outline the main developments of the English literature from its origins to the modern age, through a methodological approach that combines literary investigation with historical and cultural contextualization. At the end of the course students will be able to recognize the fundamental stages of the development of the English literary culture, and to identify its fundamental characteristics for each of the phases and the different cases discussed.

Applying knowledge and understanding: having acquired the ability to identify and locate the historical, linguistic and cultural phenomena relating to written culture in the English linguistic area, students will be able to understand and critically evaluate new data, thanks to the different methodological approaches and the knowledge previously acquired.

Making Judgment: faced with new data and information, students will be able to autonomously and critically interpret them at the historical, cultural and literary level.

Communication skills: given the interpretative tools and the specific terminology proposed during the course, students will be able to discuss elements and problems relating to the history of the English culture and literature, by using a specific and appropriate lexicon and by appropriately connecting information both at the logical and the chronological level.

Learning skills: the knowledge thus acquired, in terms of both methodological approaches and content, can be used to open up new fields of investigation.

Attendance, as per the regulations of the Cds in "Linguistic and Intercultural Mediation", is optional.

The program is the same for attending and non-attending students. However, students who are unable to attend classes  are invited to contact the teacher at least one month before taking the exam.

The course intends to provide an overview of the main genres, themes and characteristics of the English literary culture in the linguistic space of English, from its origins to the modern age.

Paolo Bertinetti, Storia della letteratura inglese, vol. I: Dalle origini al Settecento, Einaudi, Torino 2000 

or

- Andrew Sanders, Storia della letteratura inglese, vol. I: Dalle origini al secolo XVIII, a cura di Anna Anzi, Mondadori Università, Milano 2023 

or

- Arturo Cattaneo, Short History of English Literature. Vol. I: From the Middle Ages to the Romantics, Mondadori, Milano 2011

2) Anthological selections and further in-depth readings (primary texts and secondary literature will be available on the digital platform Studium; students are required to register to the course webpage) : 

- Caedmon's Hymn

- Beowulf

- Anglo-Saxon literature : prose 

- Middle English poetry: forms, genres and themes

- Middle English literature: prose

- Theatre literature

- G. Chaucer, Canterbury Tales (Prologue)

- T. Wyatt, I Find no Peace (Tottel's Miscellany, 1557)

- C. Marlowe, The Tragical Historie of Doctor Faustus 1590 (selections)

-W. Shakespeare, The Tempest, 1610-11 (selections)

- D. Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, 1719 (selections)

-S. Richardson, Pamela, 1740 (selections)

- H. Walpole, The Castle of Otranto, 1764 (selections)

- J. Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813 (selections)

- M. Shelley, Frankenstein, 1818 (selections)

Secondary literature:

The following critical texts will be integrated to the literary manual:

L. Koch, Introduction - Beowulf

M. Billi, Introduction - Canterbury Tales

R. Camerlingo, Il Rinascimento

R. Camerlingo, Shakespeare

A. Serpieri, Introduction - The Tempest

M. Billi, Il Settecento

G. Borroni, Introduction - Frankenstein

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library.

Oral exam. Content and critical proficiency, linguistic accuracy, lexical skills, argumentative skills will be taken into account for the final assessment of the students. 

Origin and development of modern novel.