Syllabus

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W 1/12 Introductions/ introduction to course.

I. The Early Tudors

F 1/14 Introduction, early modern period. Read Longman Anthology, 569-588. Before class, also browse last spring's English 420 www site at http://www.valpo.edu/home/faculty/bflak/renlit/. Browse especially the related links, timelines, and texts projects directories. Come to class ready to discuss one facet of the early modern period that you did not know before: an event, a practice, a situation, etc. In class, we will construct a conceptual timeline.

M 1/17 No class: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
W 1/19 "Barbarous tongues" I: Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Early of Surrey. See especially sonnets "That long love," "Whoso List to Hunt" (Wyatt and Petrarch versions), "The Soote Season" (Surrey), "They Flee from Me" (619-36).
F 1/21 Introduction to class www site/ discussion of course projects. Class meets in Schnabel 33.

M 1/25 Court life/ imagining new worlds I: More, Utopia, book 1 (636-64). Discussion, also, Holbein painting, "The Ambassadors" (front cover of anthology).
W 1/27 Utopia, book 2 (664-706).
F 1/28 Utopia discussion, continued. Read also: excerpt from Amerigo Vespucci, "The First Voyage" (handout) and selected passages-to be announced--from "perspectives" section on self-government (707-27)

M 1/31 Introduction to English Reformations. Excerpts, Religion and Society in Early Modern England: A Sourcebook (handout).
W 2/2 John Foxe/ John Bale, trial testimony of Anne Askew (handout).
F 2/4 Skelton, "Phillip Sparrow" (589-619).

M 2/7 Gender I: Juan Luis Vives, The Instruction of a Christian Woman (handout).

II. Elizabeth I

W 2/9 Court life/ imagining new worlds I: Philip Sidney, first book of The Arcadia (954-87).
F 2/11 First book of The Arcadia, continued, plus selected eclogues (handout).

M 2/14 Reformations/ salvation and damnation: Marlowe, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, acts 1-2 (1098; 1117-36).
W 2/16 Marlowe, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, acts 3-4 (1136-58).
Response to Dr. Faustus (by selected classmates) due electronically by 5:00 p.m. Thursday, 2/17.
F 2/18 Marlowe, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, act 5 (1158-65).

M 2/21 The European "other"/ salvation and damnation: Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, acts 1-2.
W 2/23 The Merchant of Venice, acts 3-4. Response to The Merchant of Venice (by selected classmates) due electronically by 5:00 p.m. Thursday, 2/24.
F 2/25 The Merchant of Venice, act 5.

M 2/29 "Barbarous tongues" II/ patronage: Selected Shakespeare sonnets-to be announced-(1169-79).
W 3/1 Selected Shakespeare sonnets, continued. Also Daniel, excerpt from "A Defense of Rhyme" (952). Paper 1 due/ essay questions for midterm distributed.
F 3/3 Midterm exam. Exam must be taken at this time; make any travel plans for spring break accordingly.

M 3/6-3/17 No class: Spring Break

III. James I

M 3/20 Project planning.
W 3/22 Patronage II: Ben Jonson, "To Penshurst" (1533-35), Aemelia Lanyer, "The Description of Cooke-ham" (1036-41)
F 3/24 "Barbarous tongues"/ English Reformations III: selected poems-to be announced-John Donne and George Herbert (1549-1648; 1583-96)

M 3/27 Gender and performance I: Elizabeth Cary, The Tragedy of Mariam, Fair Queen of Jewry, acts 1-2 (1275-1300).
W 3/29 The Tragedy of Mariam, Fair Queen of Jewry, acts 3-4(1301-22). Response to The Tragey of Mariam (by selected classmates) due electronically by 5:00 p.m. Thursday, 3/30.

F 3/31 The Tragedy of Mariam, Fair Queen of Jewry, acts 3-4 (1322-28). Also to discuss: Joseph Swetnam, excerpt from The Arraignment of Lewd, Idle, Froward, and Inconstant Women (1336-38).

M 4/3 Gender and performance II: Ben Jonson, Epicoene, or The Silent Woman, acts 1-2.
W 4/5 Epicoene, or The Silent Woman, acts 3-4. Response to Epicoene, or The Silent Woman, (by selected classmates) due electronically by 5:00 p.m. Thursday, 3/30.
F 4/7 Epicoene, or The Silent Woman, act 5.

M 4/10 Gender and performance III: Middleton and Rowley, The Changeling, acts 1-2.
W 4/12 Gender and performance III: Middleton and Rowley, The Changeling, acts 3-4.
Wednesday evening, this week: optional on-campus video showing of BBC performance of The Changeling. Place/ time to be announced (probably 7:00ish).
Response to The Changeling, (by selected classmates) due electronically by 5:00 p.m. Thursday, 4/13.
F 4/14 Gender and performance III: Middleton and Rowley, The Changeling, act 5.

IV. Charles I, Protestant Dissidents, Charles II

M 4/17 Recide and the theatre of current events: Gauden/ Charles I, excerpts from Eikon Basilike (1702-04), and Milton, excerpts from Eikonoklastes (1705-10)
W 4/19 Epic and loss: Beginning, Milton, Paradise Lost, book 1 (1755-76).
F 4/21 No class: Good Friday

M 4/24 Paradise Lost, book 1 continued, plus lines 627-889 of book 2 (1790-796).
W 4/26 Paradise Lost, book 4 (1813-31).
F 4/28 Paradise Lost, book 4, continued, and beginning, book 9 (1854-78).

M 5/1 Paradise Lost, book 9, continued.
Written portion of presentation due electronically by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, 5/2.
W 5/3 Presentations. Selected groups lead questions.
F 5/5 Presentations. Selected groups lead questions.

M 5/9 Presentations. Selected groups lead questions.

FINAL EXAM: 10:30-12:30 Monday, May 15. Again, exam must be taken at this time.

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