AJL26071 John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' and the British Civil War

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2024

The course is not taught in Spring 2024

Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Stephen Paul Hardy, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Stephen Paul Hardy, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 15 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course will consider Milton's 'Paradise Lost' in the context of a concurrent study of the British Civil Wars of the relevant period preceding its publication. Students will be expected to analyse the text and to relate it not only to Milton's poetic and theological or philosophical concerns but also to the politics of the relevant period. Students who complete the course for full credit will also have completed an eight to ten page essay consideringg relevant aspects of the poem and/or its pertinent contextual surround, that is to say the the civil wars and subsequent political developments of the period and the issues contributing to their occurrence, or, should they wish to write a cultural studies oriented essay,aspects of the cultural issues pertinent to the politics of the civil wars.
Learning outcomes
Students taking the course will have gained a substantial understanding both of Milton's epic poem and its cultural and political context in relation to the events and concerns of the British Civil Wars.
Syllabus
  • Week 1 Feb. 21stIntroductor Week 2 Feb. 28th: Milton: (L'allegro; Il Penseroso; Lycidas)Paradise Lost: Book One; Hunt: Ch.1-3 Week 3 March 7th: " " " " Two; Hunt: Ch 4-6. Week 4 March 14th: " " " " Three;Hunt: Ch 7-9 Week 5 March 2st: " " " " Four; Hunt: Ch.9-11 Week 6 March 28th:" " " " Five; Brailsford Ch.6&7. Week 7 April 7th: " " " " Six; G.Robertson: Introduction etc. Week 8 April 14th: " " " " Seven;G.Hill: Part VI Week 9 April 21st: READING WEEK : NO LESSON Week 10 April 28th:" " " " Eight& Nine;D.Norbrook: extracts Week 11 May 2nd:" " " " Ten; Lucan: Civil War: Books I & 7 Week 12 May 9th: " " " " Eleven; W.Empson: Satan Week 13 May 16th: " " " " Twelve; W.Empson: Eve
Literature
    required literature
  • MILTON, John. Paradise Lost. Edited by Philip Brockbank - C. A. Patrides. London: Macmillan Education, 1986, 230 s. ISBN 0333007883. info
    recommended literature
  • Geoffrey Robertson presents The Levellers (The Putney Debates) London: Verso 2007
  • Lucan Civil War (transl Susan H Braund) Oxford: Oxford University Press 2008
  • William Empson, Milton's God, Westport, Connecticut, Greenwood Press (1961/1978)
  • Christopher Hill, Milton and the English Revolution London , Faber and Faber, 1979
  • MILTON, John. The works of John Milton :with an introduction and bibliography. Ware: Wordsworth Editions, 1994, ix, 486 s. ISBN 1-85326-410-5. info
    not specified
  • David Norbrook Writing the English Republic Cambridge Cambridge University Press 2000
  • tristram Hunt The English Civil War at First Hand London: Penguin 2011
Teaching methods
The course will be taught through a close reading of the poem and consideration of other relevant material by means of small group and class discussion.
Assessment methods
The course will be assessed by a combination of attendance/class contribution (40%) and an essay of 8-12 pages (60%).
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
The course is taught: every week.
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