An Introduction to Shakespeare’s Contemporaries



Overview

Shakespeare and his contemporaries: are they inseparable? In this course we will look at what else was happening in the 'Jacobethan' period: drama, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and the milieu, not only to contextualise the Bard, but to explore the age for what it was. Even without Shakespeare, it was a Golden Age of language and literature, self-confidence, exploration, art, and music.

Through the literature we will also trace the start of an expansionist and ultimately imperialist ideology, as England expanded, often aggressively, into Ireland and the New World. The period also saw an explosion in the use of the printing press, with literature no longer an exclusive possession of court circles. Much of the literature was funny and modern: particularly the work of Nashe and other pamphleteers. 

Programme details

Courses starts: 27 Sep 2023

Week 1: The beginnings of the period. The language. The press. The style.

Week 2: Drama (1) Marlowe

Week 3: Poetry (1) The sequence. The epic.

Week 4: Poetry (2) The lyric.  Music.

Week 5: The novel. Nashe. The King James Version.

Week 6: Non fiction, Euphuism. Burton, Melancholy.

Week 7: Drama (2) Revenge, Spectacle.

Week 8: Scotland. Other Englands.

Week 9: The role of women. The colonial encounter.

Week 10: Shakespeare as a team. 

Certification

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £257.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Giles Goodland

Giles Goodland has published several books of poetry, and academic papers on Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and has taught for the OUDCE for several years.

Course aims

To make you familiar with the period of literature roughly from 1558 to 1625, conversant with the poetry, drama, and prose of the period.

Course objectives:

  • To introduce you to the major developments of the period as they related to the literature: the printing press, the Protestant ascendancy, overseas expansion, and the development of the language.
  • To relate these to the drama, poetry and prose of the period.
  • To show that Shakespeare and his contemporaries are best seen in his social and literary context.

Teaching methods

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, PowerPoint presentations, video clips, seminar style discussion, student presentations, and reading. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course you will be expected to:

  • be knowledgeable about Elizabethan and Jacobean literature;
  • be confident in discussing the wider context of Shakespeare and his contemporaries;
  • be able to draw links between different kinds of writing and expression in this period.

Assessment methods

Assessment will be through student presentations and a final essay of no more than 1,500 words. The final essay should display an engagement with academic or analytical styles of writing.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support