 Department of English Language and Literature |
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| English 315.003: European Literature and the Age of Exploration The fifteenth and sixteenth centuries mark the beginning of Europe's outward thrust toward Africa, Asia, and America. Innumerable expeditions leave the seaports of Spain, Portugal, and England in search of "Christians and spices." In this course, we will explore the impact that these voyages had in Europe through the analysis of major early modern authors. We will examine the ways in which many works of this time period respond to, and reflect on, an increased awareness of "non-European" peoples and cultures. We will study the emergence of colonialism and imperialism, and investigate how the experience of exploration helped shape new notions of identity and authority. Critical selections and "non-literary" accounts will accompany major sixteenth and seventeenth-century works such as Shakespeare's Othello, Camoes's The Lusiads, and Cervantes's Don Quixote. Although portions of the course will be structured around lectures, students will be required to participate actively in class discussion. Assignments will include six short response papers, a midterm and a final. |
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