Module overview
Early modern England is a period associated with Elizabeth I and the Tudor court, the plays of Shakespeare, blood and violence on the Jacobean stage, the discovery of new worlds, and the persecution of witches and heretics. The diversity and vitality of the literature of this time is represented by the work of celebrated writers, such as Shakespeare and Marlowe, and lesser known writers such as Thomas Dekker and John Ford. You will read tragedies and comedies, sonnets and masques, mythical tales and tales of exploration. To deepen our understanding of the literature of early modern England we need to think about the culture that produced the work. We will explore some of the issues that were fiercely debated at this time – from monarchy to magic – and we will ask questions about how texts contribute to our understanding of England’s past.