What will I be studying?
Through lectures, carefully constructed reading lists and class discussion, you will get to know authors and their works in depth, and discover ideas and debates you may not have encountered before.
Unit 1: Transformation or destruction?: Adaptation and Literature
(4 day-schools - Sunday 6 October, 20 October, 24 November and 8 December 2019)
This unit will focus on the adaptation of literary works into film and other forms, examining questions of genre, authorship and form along the way. We will debate what is at stake in the adaptation of literary works into other formats and, with reference to literary works by authors including Shakespeare, Emily Bronte and Lewis Carroll, and filmic works by directors including Andrea Arnold and Tim Burton, students will be introduced to theories of adaptation and will also be taught some key elements of film analysis and theory alongside more familiar methods of literary criticism.
Unit 2: Introduction to Medieval Literature: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
(4 day-schools - Sunday 19 January, 2 February, 1 March and 15 March 2020)
This unit is intended to introduce students to medieval literature (1066 – 1500) and will attend to the complexity and instability of national identity in Britain during this period, exploring the variety of theological, political and cultural perspectives articulated in literature. By taking ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ as a starting point, students will be encouraged to reflect upon the ways in which values and beliefs are addressed, assessed and interrogated by medieval authors. Topics will include the limits of chivalry, the allure of magic and the supernatural, the relationship between nature and civilisation, and both secular and theological expressions of love.
Unit 3: Visions of Eden: Milton and his Contemporaries
(4 day-schools - Sunday 26 April, 3 May, 24 May and 21 June 2020)
This unit will look at a range of widely-varying major writers in poetry and prose, encompassing the religious debates that characterise much 17th-century writing. The focus throughout will be on how each writer manifests his particular concerns in the minutiae of form and style. Among the genres addressed will be epic poetry (Milton's Paradise Lost), religious allegory (Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress), the pastoral lyric (Marvell) and political-religious satire (Dryden).
What can I go on to do?
If you wish, you can develop your studies in this subject by progressing to a second Undergraduate Diploma in English Literature or the Undergraduate Advanced Diploma.
Credit awarded by the Institute may also be transferred into the degree programmes of other higher education providers. However the volume of credit and the curriculum which can be transferred into degree programmes varies from institution to institution and is always at the discretion of the receiving institution.
Find out more
If you would like an informal discussion on academic matters before making your application, please contact the Course Director, Dr Jenny Bavidge: jrb203@cam.ac.uk
If you have any questions about the application process, contact our Admissions team: ice.admissions@ice.cam.ac.uk or +44 (0)1223 746262.
For all other enquiries, contact the Academic Programme Manager, Katherine Roddwell: ug-awards@ice.cam.ac.uk or +44 (0)1223 746223 / 746212.
