English Literature
English Literature

This course focuses on Macbeth, looking in particular at several key aspects of the play. In the first module, we focus on the appeal of the play, both when it was first peformed in the early 17th century, and for...
5 lectures
0:56:26
Mr Stephen Siddall
Independent Scholar
English Literature
History

This course provides key historical context for John Milton's 'Paradise Lost', looking in particular at the figure of Oliver Cromwell. The course is divided into eight parts. The first looks at Cromwell's invasion of Ireland (1649-53), before...
8 lectures
0:50:51
Prof. Diane Purkiss
Oxford University
English Literature

In this course, Dr Peter Howarth (Queen Mary, University of London) explores the poetry of W. B. Yeats through six key poems: 'An Irish Airman Foresees his Death', 'Easter, 1916', 'Leda and the Swan', 'No Second Troy', 'The Cold Heaven',...
6 lectures
1:08:54
Dr Peter Howarth
QMUL
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 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 course, Dr Páraic Finnerty (University of Portsmouth) explores the poetry Emily Dickinson. In the first module, we think about the figure of the poet herself, exploring some of the reasons why Dickinson refused to play the role of...
6 lectures
0:52:25
Dr Páraic Finnerty
Portsmouth University
English Literature

In this course, Professor John Roe (University of York) explores Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I. The course begins by introducing the tetralogy as a whole (Richard II—Henry IV, Part I—Henry IV, Part II—Henry V), before focusing on the play’s four...
6 lectures
1:04:29
Prof. John Roe
York University
English Literature

In Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare's first tragedy, the fragmentation of sacrificed and mutilated bodies gives rise to a polyphony of dismemberment. Over the course of these six lectures, Andrew Zurcher explores how Shakespeare figures the...
6 lectures
1:23:22
Dr Andrew Zurcher
Cambridge University
English Literature

In this course, Professor Andrew Gibson (Royal Holloway, London) explores Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. We begin by thinking about Beckett’s life, tracing his development as a man and a writer up to the outbreak of the Second World War...
6 lectures
0:50:00
Prof. Andrew Gibson
Royal Holloway, London
English Literature

In this course, Professor John Lennard explores Shakespeare’s most urban comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. As we move through the course, we think about a number of issues, including: the setting of the play and its impact on the action;...
5 lectures
0:48:10
Prof. John Lennard
Independent Scholar
English Literature

In this course, Professor John Lennard explores John Webster’s masterpiece, the Duchess of Malfi. The course begins by thinking about John Webster himself, about whom we know very little, and the historical context for the play itself. After that,...
5 lectures
0:51:25
Prof. John Lennard
Independent Scholar
English Literature

In this course, Dr Kate McGettigan (Royal Holloway) explores Herman Melville's 1851 masterpiece, Moby-Dick. We begin by providing a broad introduction to Melville's life and career, including his experiences in the South Pacific and his brief but...
6 lectures
0:36:47
Dr Katie McGettigan
Royal Holloway, London