This course starts with a brilliant Seamus Heaney translation of the Anglo-Saxon classic, Beowulf.  We cover the medieval masterpiece, The Inferno, and selections from the Canterbury Tales. We spend lots of time in the legends of King Arthur, throwing in a 20th century retelling, T.H. White's The Once and Future King. We read the influential works Utopia and Doctor Faustus and the first book of Spencer's fantastic epic The Faerie Queen. Then we take our time and soak in the English language's greatest and most important writer, William Shakespeare, sampling his poetry, comedies, tragedies, and histories. The course concludes with a quick look at the metaphysical poets of the 17th century. 

Self-paced literature courses do not meet live. Students will have access to the course syllabus, quizzes, and recorded lectures. Assignments are designed to be completed weekly, but students are free to move at their own pace.

Lecture recordings will be accessible until June 15.

The Course Syllabus includes the following (Books are NOT provided—see the course book list for information on translations and editions)

• Beowulf, Anonymous

• The Inferno, Dante

• Selections from the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer

• “Gawain and the Green Knight,” Anonymous

• The Once and Future King, T.S. White

• Excerpts from Le Morte D’Arthur, Mallory

• Utopia, More

• Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves (The Faerie Queen, Book I) Spencer

• Essays by Montaigne

• Doctor Faustus, Marlowe

• Hamlet, Shakespeare

• Macbeth, Shakespeare

• Henry IV, Part 1, Shakespeare

• Henry IV, Part 2, Shakespeare

• Henry V, Shakespeare

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare

• Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare

• Miscellaneous Sonnets, Shakespeare

• Selected Poems, John Donne & Metaphysical Poets