English Literary History: Beowulf – Bacon

This lecture is a survey of English literature (literature in English [some in Latin] written/composed on the British Isles) from the Anglo-Saxon period to the Renaissance. We will explore how Old English came into being, how the Norman invasion shaped the literary production in the British Isles and how Modern English gradually emerged as a language deemed worthy of literary production in the 16th century. You will learn about heroic tales including monsters (Beowulf), tales that reflect social order (Chaucer), tales of exotic, utopian far-away countries (Bacon) and thus be able to understand how literature shaped what we have come to term Great Britain.

“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.” George Orwell

The Studienleistung for this lecture is a portfolio; you must take notes during the lecture as part of your portfolio.