English Literature
From Beowulf to Carol Ann Duffy, via Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth, the Brontes, and others.
English Literature

In this course, Professor Robert Hampson (Royal Holloway, London) explores Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. We begin by providing some of the historical context of the novel, focusing both on Conrad's own experiences as a seaman, as well as on...
6 lectures
0:55:26
Prof. Robert Hampson
Royal Holloway, London
English Literature

In this course, Dr Keith Carabine (University of Kent) explores Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella, Heart of Darkness. The course begins by thinking about Conrad's own experiences in Africa, as recorded in his 'Personal Record' (1912) and 'Geography and...
6 lectures
1:05:27
Dr Keith Carabine
Kent University
English Literature
Classics & Ancient History

In this course, Professor John Lennard explores the history of tragedy from its origins in ancient Athens to the present day. In the first three modules, we think about the tragedy of Classical Athens, looking in particular at the plays...
20 lectures
4:54:53
Prof. John Lennard
Independent Scholar
English Literature

In this course, Professor Nick Groom (University of Exeter) explores the history of the supernatural in English and American literature. The course begins by thinking about two of the key sources of supernatural literature, looking in the first...
8 lectures
1:35:29
Prof. Nick Groom
Exeter University
English Literature

In this course, Professor Nick Groom (University of Exeter) explores Oscar Wilde's 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The course begins with a brief introduction to Wilde himself, his life and times, as well as some of the key...
5 lectures
0:54:22
Prof. Nick Groom
Exeter University
English Literature

In this course, Professor Max Saunders (King's College, London) explores Ford Madox Ford's 1915 novel, the Good Soldier. We begin by providing a brief introduction to Ford Madox Ford and his literary circle, before discussing his status as an...
5 lectures
0:41:50
Prof. Max Saunders
King's College, London
English Literature

In this course, Professor Max Saunders (King's College, London) explores E. M. Forster's 1908 novel, A Room With a View. The course begins by thinking about the importance of guides and guidebooks in the novel, focusing in particular on the...
5 lectures
0:37:30
Prof. Max Saunders
King's College, London
English Literature

In this module, Dr James Smith (Royal Holloway, London) provides an introduction to the literature of the 18th century. The course begins by exploring what writers of the 18th century thought about writing itself, focusing in particular on...
6 lectures
1:19:45
Dr James Smith
Royal Holloway, London
English Literature

In this course, Professor Helen Taylor (University of Exeter) explores Kate Chopin's 1899 novel, The Awakening. After a brief introduction to the writing of the American South, the course begins proper with a discussion of Kate Chopin herself –...
11 lectures
0:53:07
Prof. Helen Taylor
Exeter University
English Literature

In this course, Professor Matthew Steggle explores Ben Jonson's early 17th-century comedy Volpone. The course begins by thinking about the setting of the play in Venice, and what associations that city might have evoked for Jonson's original...
6 lectures
0:47:35
Prof. Matthew Steggle
Sheffield Hallam University
English Literature

In this course, Professor John Bowen (University of York) explores Charles Dickens' 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol. The course begins with a general introduction to the book, which shows that it is funnier, wilder and much stranger than the many...
5 lectures
0:43:05
Prof. John Bowen
York University
English Literature

In this course, Professor Keith Hanley (University of Lancaster) explores the poetry of the great Romantic poet, William Wordsworth. In the first module, we think about Romanticism, the Romantic movement, and some of the leading themes of that...
6 lectures
1:28:09
Prof. Keith Hanley
Lancaster University